Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2023)

Survives

Case description

A hardware wallet user discovered in June 2023 that a seed phrase stored on a stainless steel backup plate had been stored behind a radiator for three years—the heat had not destroyed the metal but had caused the stamped characters to become partially illegible due to a chemical reaction with the radiator paint. Four words were ambiguous between two or three possible BIP39 words each. A recovery service systematically tested all possible combinations and identified the correct seed after approximately 36 hours of computation.

Custody context

Stress condition	Seed phrase unavailable
Custody system	Hardware wallet (single key)
Outcome	Survives
Documentation	Unknown
Year observed	2023
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 seed phrase unavailable

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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.