Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00626
One of the three trusted custodians died and their family discarded all personal papers.
SurvivesCase description
A user had divided their 24-word seed into three 8-word fragments and given each to a trusted person. In November 2018 one of the three trusted custodians died and their family discarded all personal papers. The estate found only two of the three fragments. Recovery from 16 of 24 words was computationally feasible but took eight months.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Seed phrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2018 |
| 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 seed phrase unavailable
146 cases involve seed phrase unavailable
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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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.
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