Destroyed in fire — BitBox02 (2024)

A 2024 recovery attempt involved a BitBox02 hardware wallet where the seed phrase backup had been stored in a home safe that was destroyed in a house fire. The device itself survived in a fireproof bag in a different location. The holder knew the PIN, could access the device, and could transact normally—but faced the knowledge that any future device loss, failure, or theft would result in permanent loss with no recovery path. The holder commissioned a specialist to attempt to extract the seed from the BitBox02 hardware through non-invasive means. No such extraction method exists for a properly functioning BitBox02; the security model was working as designed.