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 (2018)
Hardware wallet (single key)
An August 2018 forum case describes a user who had photographed their seed phrase and stored the photo in an encrypted folder. The encryption software was disco
A user stored their seed phrase in an encrypted file on Dropbox.
Mobile or software wallet
A user stored their seed phrase in an encrypted file on Dropbox. In September 2018 they discovered the Dropbox account had been compromised and all files delete
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2018)
Mobile or software wallet
A September 2018 case describes a user who had stored their seed in a secure notes app on their iPad. The app required iCloud synchronisation which had failed s
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2018)
Mobile or software wallet
An April 2018 case describes a user who had split their seed phrase across two documents stored at different locations. One copy was stored at a family member's
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2018)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A July 2018 forum case describes a user who had their seed phrase sealed in an envelope given to their solicitor for safekeeping. The solicitor's firm was disso
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2018
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had memorised their 24-word seed and kept no written backup suffered a traumatic head injury in July 2018. Upon hospital discharge eight weeks later
A renovation contractor removed and discarded the floorboard without the homeowner's
Hardware wallet (single key)
A Ledger Nano S user stored their seed in a sealed envelope under a loose floorboard. In February 2018 a renovation contractor removed and discarded the floorbo
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2018
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user who had stored their seed in a container buried in their garden found in June 2018 that the location had been built over after the property was sold. The
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2018)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A hardware wallet user whose device stopped working in January 2018 found that their seed phrase card, stored in a safety deposit box, had been improperly lamin
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2017
Mobile or software wallet
A user who had distributed their 24-word seed across three paper copies — kept at home, at work, and at a relative's house — found in December 2017 that the hom
During a house move the specific book was lost among approximately 400 others sent to
Hardware wallet (single key)
An April 2017 case describes a user who stored their hardware wallet seed inside a hollowed-out book on a shelf. During a house move the specific book was lost
The relative died in August 2017 and their belongings, including the sealed envelope
Mobile or software wallet
A Bitcoin user had entrusted a copy of their seed phrase to a trusted relative for safekeeping. The relative died in August 2017 and their belongings, including
They were made redundant and escorted from the premises without access to their desk.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user stored their Ledger seed in a locked drawer at their workplace. In January 2017 they were made redundant and escorted from the premises without access to
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2017
Hardware wallet (single key)
A Trezor user who had stored their seed phrase inside a picture frame discovered in February 2017 that the frame had been sold at a yard sale by a family member
Without the GPS data the encoded words could not be reconstructed.
Mobile or software wallet
A user who had encoded their seed as GPS coordinates of significant personal locations found in March 2017 that two of the four locations had been built over. W
Seed unavailable — software wallet (2017)
Mobile or software wallet
A user who encrypted and stored their BIP39 seed phrase as a file in cloud storage found in May 2017 that the cloud account had been compromised and all data de
They discovered the password manager had not synced their latest notes before they
Mobile or software wallet
A user stored their seed phrase in a password manager as part of a secure note. In June 2017 they discovered the password manager had not synced their latest no
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2017)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A June 2017 forum case describes a user who had stored their hardware wallet seed in a rented storage unit. The storage facility was condemned and demolished by
A kitchen fire melted the container and destroyed the card.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A user documented in July 2017 that their seed phrase card had been stored in a waterproof container they believed was fireproof. A kitchen fire melted the cont
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2017
Mobile or software wallet
A forum user reported in September 2017 that they had their 24-word seed tattooed on their body in a private location, using modified spellings to obscure each
The app was discontinued and deleted from app stores in 2016.
Hardware wallet (single key)
An October 2017 case describes a user who stored their seed phrase in an app designed for secure notes. The app was discontinued and deleted from app stores in
Seed unavailable — hardware wallet (2017)
Hardware wallet (single key)
A November 2017 case describes a user who had given one half of a split seed to their lawyer and kept the other half. The lawyer died suddenly and the law firm
The 2048-word BIP39 wordlist meant 2048 possible completions needed to be checked.
Hardware wallet (single key)
A hardware wallet user who was upgrading devices in November 2016 found that their recovery seed was missing one word. They had recorded 23 of the 24 words. The
Seed phrase unavailable — software wallet 2016
Mobile or software wallet
A user whose seed phrase was stored in a fireproof safe found the safe's combination had been changed by a locksmith who had serviced it the previous year. The
Seed phrase unavailable — hardware wallet 2016
Hardware wallet (single key)
A Ledger Nano S user lost their device in a move and attempted to restore using their seed phrase card. The card had been stored in a drawer and had accumulated
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