Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00799
Passphrase unavailable — software wallet (2020)
SurvivesCase description
An August 2020 case describes a user whose passphrase incorporated the daily closing price of a stock on a specific date in 2013. They remembered the stock but not the exact price. Historical financial data services showed the date's closing price but the passphrase incorporated a format — with or without decimal, with or without dollar sign — that was unclear.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Passphrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2020 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Evidence link
Related cases involving passphrase unavailable
217 cases involve passphrase unavailable
572 cases involve mobile or software wallet
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This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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Framework references
Where Bitcoin Custody Intersects Legal and Fiduciary Authority
Where custody creates gaps in estate planning, fiduciary duty, and professional responsibility.
Professional Scope Boundary Matrix
What each professional or product covers, what they do not, and where gaps form between them.
The Independent Assessment Layer in Bitcoin Custody
How independent diagnostic layers emerge when multiple parties depend on shared infrastructure.