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Brother Died, Bitcoin Access

106 replies

Imsupposedtobeworking · 12/06/2021 09:10

My Family and I are in an awful position and hoping to find someone with experience in bitcoin. My brother had an unexpected serious brain trauma in his late thirties, rendering him completely paralysed with locked in syndrome. this left him with only the ability to move his eyes as form of communication. This happened whilst he was travelling on another continent, without adequate insurance. Many generous people and friends of my brother donated towards a fund to get him home. The donations were very generous, but not enough to pay all of my brothers bills + the cost of medically transporting him. My sibling and I ended up donating a chunk of both our individual savings and my mum remortagaged the house she had literally just paid off after decades a few months previously. Happily we managed to get him home and he spent the last three years of his life here before unexpecedly passing away this year. My Mum is over 70 and now working two night shifts a week in order to pay off this mortgage, this is not conducive to her health and my sibling and I help where we can but cant afford to pay off her mortgage. My brother had invested in bitcoins but refused to provide details in order to access this cash to help pay his medical bills / contribute towards my mums mortgage. I cannot judge my brother for this as his finances were the only part of his life that he had any autonomy over following his stroke. However, I would like my mother to no longer have to work at her age and after all she has been through with my brothers illness. He may have nothing saved in bitcoin, or he may have saved enough to help my mum pay off the mortgage she took out to get him home and also help towards his funeral costs - we just dont know. Does anyone here have insight into how a Bitcoin account can be accessed by next of kin?

OP posts:
fromdownwest · 12/06/2021 09:51

Unless you have the password to his wallet then you have zero chance.
Unless you can guess a random 12 word reset password - which is impossible.
Then sadly the are totally inaccessible

TheQueef · 12/06/2021 09:54

Sorry for your loss.
Do you even have his virtual wallet?
Bitcoin isn't stored in an account in the way existing currency is.

chillibeansauce · 12/06/2021 09:59

My mum has codes but we have no idea what these are for. Can you even contact Bitcoin directly ?

TheQueef · 12/06/2021 10:05

No there isn't a 'Bitcoin' place in the traditional sense.

There will be a virtual wallet (an app possibly) where his Bitcoin are stored or he could have an account at an exchange.

Unless you locate his actual Bitcoin (wallet or account) you won't know. There isn't a central register or Bitcoin company.

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:10

@fromdownwest

Unless you have the password to his wallet then you have zero chance. Unless you can guess a random 12 word reset password - which is impossible. Then sadly the are totally inaccessible
Be SO CAREFUL what you disclose in the thread. So sorry to hear your story.

Please, do not disclose anymore, if you have the codes. You can get access. Is there a mod or admin who can oversee the posting of links.

Again, you have not lost it. You have 3 houses, and 1 key as an analogy. 1 key, you enter. I hope this makes sense.

Do not disclose specifics in private message to be safe.

HollowTalk · 12/06/2021 10:15

@esme333 do you really think the OP is going to post private passwords on here?

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:19

Well I could answer that in full, but it would be a pretty stupid thing to do considering a target placed on the back would get about 1,000 bigger.

FYI, i care not for your opinion, i care to safeguard and help. Now, unless you know about bitcoin, blockchain, SHA256, hash, nodes, ip masquerade, etc etc etc - Then you really have no use here.

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:21

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

NautaOcts · 12/06/2021 10:24

This sounds really hard
And is also an example of one of the downsides of Bitcoin that I hadn’t thought about. With any other investment or bank you would be granted probate and eventually able to access the deceased’s funds and assets. But I guess with Bitcoin unless the person stored the codes somewhere secure yet accessible after their death (not even sure where that would be!) it’s probably lost forever.

fromdownwest · 12/06/2021 10:26

If you do have the 12 word reset then you can reclaim the wallet via a wallet such as exodus.
Google how to restore wallet with passwords.
I would however be conscious that it forms part of his estate, and as such is not actually yours until probate is passed

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:28

@fromdownwest

If you do have the 12 word reset then you can reclaim the wallet via a wallet such as exodus. Google how to restore wallet with passwords. I would however be conscious that it forms part of his estate, and as such is not actually yours until probate is passed
Well, there goes opsec lmao.
TheQueef · 12/06/2021 10:29

Why would a hypothetical question compromise operational security Esme?

Dollywilde · 12/06/2021 10:29

@NautaOcts

This sounds really hard And is also an example of one of the downsides of Bitcoin that I hadn’t thought about. With any other investment or bank you would be granted probate and eventually able to access the deceased’s funds and assets. But I guess with Bitcoin unless the person stored the codes somewhere secure yet accessible after their death (not even sure where that would be!) it’s probably lost forever.
Digital estate planning is a massive area of growth and really interesting (I work in a related area)
SoupDragon · 12/06/2021 10:31

Well, there goes opsec lmao.

How exactly?

DancesWithDaffodils · 12/06/2021 10:31

Do you know where it is stored?
It may not be the case everywhere, but here is one example of access for the executors of a will.

titchy · 12/06/2021 10:32

OP just to note esme333 is a brand new poster. If he/she PMs you offering to help, I'd strongly suggest you ignore it. Thanks

Dyrne · 12/06/2021 10:32

Do you know how he held his Bitcoin? There are a few different ways he could have invested - if he held them within an account on something like eToro or Coinbase you may be able to get access to his account, but sadly if he held it within a wallet then unless you have the password then it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll be able to access it.

I have to say I really admire you for your attitude towards your brother - I’m honestly not sure I could be so generous or forgiving if I were in your position.

GreenBinLid · 12/06/2021 10:33

@esme333

Moss is that you?

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:33

The fact you ask why, demonstrates lack of understanding, otherwise the use of'why' and 'hypothetical' wouldn't be used.

Operationally, asking a question to gain an answer, to a hypothesis, really means you can't identify where the risk is in the OP post.

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:34

I was the first to say, not to message in private!!! So do not slander me

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:35

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

TheQueef · 12/06/2021 10:37

Ah I see.
You meant persec (personal security)
There is no Operation to secure.
And slander means spoken not written.

4chan offline?

Poorlykitten · 12/06/2021 10:39

@esme333 okay hun? 😂😳

esme333 · 12/06/2021 10:40

It depends how you view it and what purpose it serves, to consider this problem to be an operational one. Opsec, is an umbrella term. So persec, if it fits nicely with you, can be referenced for ease of any distress my good friend.

4chan, nope. Just, no

SoupDragon · 12/06/2021 10:44

If you actually wanted to help you would write coherently and in plain English.

Swipe left for the next trending thread