Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00186
The two corrupted words had multiple plausible BIP39 substitutions requiring
SurvivesCase description
A user who had engraved their 24-word seed onto a stainless-steel plate hired a welder to do the engraving. The welder made a transcription error on two words, reversing adjacent characters. The user did not notice until they attempted recovery in 2015. The two corrupted words had multiple plausible BIP39 substitutions requiring significant brute-force work.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Seed phrase unavailable |
| Custody system | Mobile or software wallet |
| Outcome | Survives |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2015 |
| 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
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.