Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
Seed phrase unavailable
Cases in this category involve wallets for which the seed phrase could not be located. Without the seed phrase, access to the wallet was not possible.
Seed phrase unavailability is the single most structurally decisive failure mode in this archive. Unlike device loss, seed unavailability typically cannot be mitigated after the fact — once the seed phrase is gone, no recovery path exists regardless of other factors. Cases arise from failure to record the seed at setup, subsequent loss of the written record, and storage in locations that became inaccessible.
146 observed cases
Blocked
89 (61%)
Constrained
6 (4%)
Survives
43 (29%)
Indeterminate
8 (5%)
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2021)
Hardware wallet (single key)
An April 2021 estate case describes a deceased who had stored their hardware wallet seed with their estate attorney. The attorney had retired in 2019. The retir
They discovered that all three locations had been affected by the same renovation
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder had distributed their seed phrase across three physical locations. In March 2021 they discovered that all three locations had been affected by
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2021
Mobile or software wallet
A user whose seed was stored in a handwritten note inside a book found in April 2021 that the note had been removed when they had loaned the book to a friend in
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2021
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user's seed phrase was stored in a purpose-built metal wallet. The metal wallet was placed in a box labelled 'hardware receipts'. A family member sorting pape
Construction work in the area disturbed the ground and the container was not found
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user's seed card was laminated and placed in a waterproof container buried in a garden. In June 2021 construction work in the area disturbed the ground and th
The app went out of business in June 2021 and permanently deleted all user data without
Mobile or software wallet
A user's wallet seed was stored in an app specifically designed for secure notes. The app went out of business in June 2021 and permanently deleted all user dat
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2021
Mobile or software wallet
A user who had stored their seed phrase using a steganographic method in a series of photos found in July 2021 that a social media platform's automated content
The family member emigrated in September 2021 taking the seed fragment in their luggage.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user's seed was split across two locations — one at home and one at a family member's property. The family member emigrated in September 2021 taking the seed
When they visited the bank in October 2021, the box could not be located.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user's seed was stored in a sealed envelope inside a bank safe deposit box. When they visited the bank in October 2021, the box could not be located. Bank rec
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2021)
Mobile or software wallet
A November 2021 case describes a user who had photographed their seed phrase using a camera purchased specifically for that purpose. The camera was later sold s
The user's account was not migrated and the half of the seed stored there was lost.
Mobile or software wallet
A December 2021 case describes a user who had stored their seed across two halves in two separate password managers. One password manager was acquired by a thir
The GPS coordinates recorded in their notes pointed to a now-inaccessible private
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had stored their seed in a time capsule — a sealed container buried with the intention of opening in 2030 — changed their mind in January 2021 and at
The cipher key was misremembered.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user stored their 24-word seed in a custom grid encoded with a Caesar cipher. In March 2021 the cipher key was misremembered. Multiple offsets were tested ove
They suffered a concussion that impaired their memory.
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin holder had memorised their seed phrase using a mnemonic system. In August 2021 they suffered a concussion that impaired their memory. They could recal
One relative had emigrated, one had died, and the third denied having the envelope.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A December 2020 estate case involves a living person who had distributed their seed phrase across three relatives for safekeeping. By December 2020 one relative
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2020
Mobile or software wallet
An estate case from November 2020 involves a living but incapacitated person whose power of attorney holder discovered the person's seed phrase was stored in a
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2020)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A hardware wallet user whose device was bricked by a firmware update in January 2020 found that their seed phrase had been stored in a sealed envelope at a bank
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2020
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had stored their seed phrase on a metal plate inside a concealed compartment in a piece of furniture sold the furniture in February 2020. They did no
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2020)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had given their seed phrase to a trusted friend for safekeeping found in April 2020 that the friend had died from COVID-19. The friend's estate was u
The user ran the card through a paper shredder while clearing their desk, not realising
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user's seed phrase was written on the back of a business card. In October 2020 the user ran the card through a paper shredder while clearing their desk, not r
They found they could no longer locate the word list.
Mobile or software wallet
A user encoded their seed phrase as a series of numbers that represented each word's position in a custom word list. In June 2020 they found they could no longe
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2020)
Mobile or software wallet
A July 2020 case describes a user who had engraved their seed phrase on a stainless steel plate that was inadvertently mixed with scrap metal during a garage cl
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2020)
Mobile or software wallet
An August 2020 case describes a user who had photographed each word of their seed individually using a film camera to avoid digital traces. The developed photos
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2020)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A hardware wallet user's seed was stored in a safe deposit box at a bank that closed permanently in June 2020. The bank's liquidator sent box contents to addres
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2020
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had split their seed phrase into two halves and stored each half at a different location found in September 2020 that one location — a rented storage
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