Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00543
Institutional lockout — exchange custody (2018)
ConstrainedCase description
The SEC filed emergency charges in June 2018 against a California-based Bitcoin trading scheme. Court orders froze all assets associated with the defendant including Bitcoin held on multiple exchanges. Third-party customers who had transacted with the scheme found their exchange accounts subject to hold orders that they could not contest without legal representation.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Vendor lockout |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Constrained |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2018 |
| Country | United States |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Before anyone could access the funds, a legal process had to be completed first. Whether full access was ultimately possible is unclear, but significant delay or outside intervention was involved.
Outcome interpretation
Access remained possible, but only with delay, dependence, or significant difficulty.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
Evidence link
Related cases involving vendor lockout
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.
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