Passphrase unavailable — Coinbase (2024)

Survives

Case description

A 2024 Coinbase Wallet user attempted to restore their wallet to a new phone after their old phone was damaged beyond repair. Coinbase Wallet is a self-custody wallet—Coinbase does not hold the keys. The user had the seed phrase written down but had also set an optional recovery passphrase that created a custom derivation path. The user could not recall the recovery passphrase exactly. The seed phrase alone restored a wallet, but it appeared empty—the balance was on the passphrase-derived path. Recovery services worked with the user's partial passphrase memory to identify the correct variant within approximately 36 hours.

Custody context

Stress condition	Passphrase unavailable
Custody system	Mobile or software wallet
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2024
Country	International

Structural dependencies observed

Technical specialist required

Outcome interpretation

Access remained possible under the reported conditions.

Source

Privately Reported

Evidence type

News article

Evidence link

https://rewallet.com/blog/bitcoin-core-forgotten-password/

Related cases involving passphrase unavailable

217 cases involve passphrase unavailable 572 cases involve mobile or software wallet View archive statistics →

This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents. Submit a case

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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.