Bitcoin Location and Access Document
Documenting Physical Locations of Custody Materials
This memo is published by CustodyStress, an independent Bitcoin custody stress test that produces reference documents for individuals, families, and professionals.
Categories of Things to Locate
Custody documentation often combines where things are with how to use them. A bitcoin location and access document focuses specifically on the "where" question: where is everything stored? Seeds, devices, accounts, contacts, supporting documents—each has a physical or digital location. Separating location documentation from procedural documentation creates a focused reference for finding materials.
The "where" question precedes the "how" question. Before someone can follow recovery procedures, they must find the materials those procedures use. Location documentation enables finding; procedural documentation enables using. Both are necessary, but they serve different functions and may benefit from separation.
Categories of Things to Locate
Bitcoin custody involves multiple categories of materials scattered across multiple locations. A comprehensive location document accounts for all these categories.
Seed phrase backups are the most critical materials. These backups may be stored on metal plates, paper cards, or other physical media. Each backup has a location—a safe, a filing cabinet, a relative's house, a safe deposit box. Knowing these locations enables retrieval.
Hardware devices include hardware wallets and any other physical devices used for custody. These devices have their own locations, which may differ from seed phrase backup locations. The device itself and its charging cables or accessories may be stored together or separately.
Digital files may include wallet software, configuration files, or digital copies of documentation. These files exist on specific computers, in specific cloud accounts, or on specific storage media. Their digital location is as real as physical location even though it is not visible in the same way.
Account credentials for exchanges, services, or related accounts have their own storage. Whether in a password manager, a physical notebook, or a secure document, these credentials must be findable. The location of credentials enables accessing accounts that may hold bitcoin or support custody.
Supporting documents include legal documents, tax records, transaction histories, and procedural instructions. These documents may be stored with custody materials or separately. Their locations matter for comprehensive estate administration even if they do not directly enable bitcoin access.
Physical Location Documentation
Physical locations require precise description. "In the safe" may not suffice if multiple safes exist or if the finder does not know which safe is meant. Location documentation must enable someone unfamiliar with the space to find items.
Address-level information applies for locations outside the primary residence. A safe deposit box needs bank name and branch address. A relative's house needs their address. A storage unit needs facility name and unit number. These details enable navigation to the correct location.
Within-location specifics narrow down to the actual item. Which room? Which piece of furniture? Which drawer or compartment? The path from entering the location to holding the item needs documentation. Someone who has never been there may need step-by-step direction.
Access requirements for each location need noting. Does the safe require a combination? Does the safe deposit box require key and ID? Does the relative's house require calling ahead? What is needed to enter each location and retrieve items from it?
Photographs or diagrams may supplement text descriptions. A photo of the filing cabinet with an arrow pointing to the relevant drawer conveys what paragraphs of text struggle to describe. Visual reference paired with text description improves findability.
Digital Location Documentation
Digital locations exist in accounts, on devices, and in storage services. These locations require different description approaches than physical locations.
Account locations specify which service and account. Email addresses, usernames, or account identifiers pin down which account holds digital materials. Without this identifying information, even knowing that materials are "in cloud storage" does not enable finding them.
Device locations specify which computer, phone, or storage device. If a file lives on "the laptop," which laptop? The old one or the new one? The one in the office or the one usually in the living room? Device identification must be unambiguous.
Path information within devices or accounts directs to the specific file. Which folder? What filename? For complex directory structures, the path from root to file may be lengthy but necessary. "In Documents" differs from "in Documents/Financial/Bitcoin/Backups."
Access credential locations may nest. The password for the cloud account may be stored in a password manager. The password manager may require its own credentials. These nested access requirements all need documentation for the chain to be traversable.
Contact Locations
People involved in custody arrangements have their own "location" in the sense of contact information. Finding a person differs from finding an object, but the findability problem is similar.
Key holders in multisig arrangements need contact information. Name alone may not suffice if the person is not known to heirs. Phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses—whatever enables reaching the person—constitute their location information.
Professional advisors who know about the bitcoin need contact information. Attorneys, accountants, custody specialists—how does one reach these people? Office addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses enable making contact.
Service providers may need to be contacted. Exchanges, custody services, or other companies the holder used—how does one reach customer support or estate services? Website URLs, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for these companies constitute location information.
Emergency contacts who can assist in crisis situations need current information. These may overlap with other categories but serve a distinct function—people to call when immediate help is needed. Their availability during crisis requires current, accurate contact information.
Redundancy and Backup Locations
Custody often involves redundant backups stored in multiple locations. Location documentation must account for all copies, not just the primary one.
Primary and secondary backup locations may serve different purposes. The primary backup in the home safe serves everyday needs. The secondary backup at a relative's house serves disaster recovery. Both locations need documentation because different circumstances may require different backups.
Geographic distribution may be intentional. Backups in different cities protect against regional disasters. Understanding the geographic spread of backups helps heirs or emergency accessors choose which location to access based on their own situation.
Partial information in multiple locations may require combining. Some custody designs split seed phrases or store different components in different places. Location documentation for these designs must explain what is where and how pieces relate—not just that multiple locations exist.
Location Changes and Maintenance
Locations change. Documenting locations at one moment does not mean those locations remain accurate. Maintenance obligations attach to location documentation as to other custody documentation.
Moving creates location changes. When the holder moves to a new home, items move with them—to new rooms, new safes, new storage. Location documentation needs updating to reflect the new situation.
Reorganization changes internal locations. Even without moving, reorganizing storage—new filing system, different safe, consolidated materials—changes where things are. Documentation must track these internal shifts.
Contact information changes over time. People get new phone numbers, change email addresses, move to new offices. The attorney's contact information from five years ago may no longer work. Periodic verification maintains accuracy.
Access requirements change. Safe combinations get changed. Passwords get updated. Keys get lost and locks get replaced. Changes to how locations are accessed need the same documentation attention as changes to locations themselves.
Security Considerations for Location Documentation
Location documentation itself creates security exposure. A document that reveals where valuable materials are stored presents a roadmap for theft if it falls into wrong hands.
Separation of location from access credentials limits exposure. Knowing where the seed phrase is stored does not enable theft if the thief cannot access that location. A document that lists locations without providing the combination to the safe limits what any single document compromise exposes.
Layered access to location documentation adds protection. The location document itself might be stored securely rather than left readily accessible. Finding the location document may require its own knowledge of where to look.
Vague documentation trades security for findability. A document that says "ask John—he knows" reveals less than a document with precise locations. But vague documentation may fail if John is unavailable or has forgotten. The security benefit of vagueness trades against the findability benefit of precision.
Different people may receive different location information. A spouse might know all locations while a backup emergency contact knows only some. Tiered disclosure of location information limits exposure while maintaining some redundancy.
Testing Location Documentation
Location documentation that seems clear to the holder may not be clear to others. Testing validates that someone else can actually find things using the documentation.
Having someone else follow the documentation reveals gaps. A family member who tries to find items using only the documentation discovers where descriptions are ambiguous, incomplete, or incorrect. This testing catches problems the holder may not see because they already know where things are.
Simulation exercises verify findability without actual retrieval. Walking through the documentation verbally—"if I needed to find the seed phrase, I would go to X, then Y, then Z"—tests understanding without physically disturbing materials.
Periodic retesting catches documentation decay. Testing that worked a year ago may fail after moves, reorganization, or other changes. Regular retesting—perhaps annually—confirms documentation remains accurate.
Edge case testing addresses unusual scenarios. What if the primary location is inaccessible? Can the backup be found? What if the person usually expected to retrieve materials is unavailable? Testing alternative paths reveals whether documentation covers contingencies.
Conclusion
A bitcoin location and access document focuses on where everything is stored: seed phrase backups, hardware devices, digital files, account credentials, supporting documents, and contact information for people. This "where" document is distinct from procedural "how" documentation, though both are necessary for complete custody documentation.
Physical locations require precise description including addresses, within-location specifics, access requirements, and potentially visual aids. Digital locations specify accounts, devices, paths, and nested access requirements. Contact locations document how to reach key holders, professional advisors, service providers, and emergency contacts.
Location documentation must account for redundant backups in multiple locations. Maintenance obligations apply as locations change through moves, reorganization, and contact information updates. Security considerations balance precision against exposure risk. Testing validates that documentation actually enables finding materials.
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