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Neovim have a ~$800k Bitcoin donation sitting untouched since 2023

320 points · 277 comments · jakemanger

  1. matesz · · focus · HN ↗
    I’ve read so many news stories of people gone missing who had been know to have sole access to bitcoin wallets with large amount of bitcoins in them.

    I wonder how people at large crypto exchanges handle that. Perhaps shamir share the access to the pkey password and store parts at secure places like a bank? And make official access protocol akin to dnssec, but simplified?

    1. krageon · · focus · HN ↗
      Large exchanges handle this very simply: If they have the keys, it goes to the inheritor(s) once they get a court order. If they do not, it goes nowhere
      1. slipwalker · · focus · HN ↗
        but what sort of people keep their bitcoins on the exchange ? the whole point is about not being seizable by dirty governments...
        1. pjc50 · · focus · HN ↗
          Traders; low information investors; people who are not 100% confident in their personal infosec and not willing to lose their bitcoins on their own.

          "Not being seizable" hasn't really worked out for bitcoiners who've been arrested. Or for that matter robbed at gunpoint.

          1. skinfaxi · · focus · HN ↗
            > "Not being seizable" hasn't really worked out for bitcoiners who've been arrested. Or for that matter robbed at gunpoint.

            This seems orthogonal to the ability to seize assets.

          2. lowdest · · focus · HN ↗
            There are plenty of legends of old wallets "waking up" due to the person getting out of prison, as it seems the only plausible way someone can sit on 30 BTC for 10-15 years, through all the news and price movements, without touching it once. One would only expect to hear about the successful seizures law enforcement makes.
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