Here Are the List of Largest Lost Bitcoin Wallets Ever

August 28, 2025 | 06:57 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Over the years, Bitcoin has seen singular milestones, with its latest surge nearing the $100,000 mark. Yet amid its success, galore inactive bespeak connected the largest mislaid bitcoin wallet that vanished successful an instant. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or a newcomer chasing opportunities, this nonfiction unpacks the haunting world of losing integer wealth, with insights drawn from webopedia, BiTBO, and Ledger Academy.

How Do You Lose a Bitcoin Wallet?

In 2020, a Chainalysis survey revealed that astir 20 percent of each Bitcoin successful circulation has been mislaid for good. With its decentralized nature, this amounts to astir 3.7 cardinal BTC, resulting successful an lack important capable to power today’s investors successful assorted ways. 

A Bitcoin wallet is deemed mislaid erstwhile the credentials proving ownership are nary longer accessible oregon can’t beryllium recovered. This tin hap successful respective ways:

• Lost effect phrase – without it, owners cannot reconstruct their wallet oregon regain access.
• Stolen coins – erstwhile backstage keys autumn into the incorrect hands, leaving wallets exposed.
• Dormant wallets – accounts untouched for years, with nary recorded transactions.
• Death – erstwhile the proprietor passes distant without sharing entree details.

Largest Lost Bitcoin Wallets successful History 

Notable cases of the largest mislaid bitcoin wallets see Satoshi Nakamoto, James Howells, Stefan Thomas, and immoderate different owners below: 

1. Satoshi Nakamoto - 1.1 cardinal BTC 

According to River Intelligence, Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious fig down Bitcoin’s creation, is believed to clasp astir 1.1 cardinal BTC, scattered crossed astir 20,000 addresses. This monolithic stash was accumulated arsenic rewards for being the archetypal to excavation the cryptocurrency early blocks. However, contempt this monumental role, Nakamoto stepped distant from the task successful 2010 and has remained soundless since, resulting successful the largest mislaid bitcoin wallet to ever exist. 

2. Mt. Gox - 80,000 BTC 

In Bitcoin’s aboriginal history, Mt. Gox stood arsenic a ascendant force, handling much than 70 percent of each planetary cryptocurrency transactions. But successful 2014, the Japanese speech suffered a devastating hack that wiped retired implicit 650,000 BTC. Although 1 wallet with astir 80,000 BTC remains, authorities person since classified it arsenic portion of the mislaid bitcoin wallets.

3. Unknown Bitcoin Wallet - 53,880 BTC 

The inability to transportation adjacent a azygous Bitcoin has near the wallet (1LdRcdxfbSnmCYYNdeYpUnztiYzVfBEQeC) dormant. Today, its untouched equilibrium is valued astatine astir $5.5 billion, making it the third-largest mislaid bitcoin wallet.

4. Unknown Bitcoin Wallet - 31,000 BTC 

A akin lawsuit besides happened to the dormant wallet of (12ib7dApVFvg82TXKycWBNpN8kFyiAN1dr), which hasn’t made transactions since July 2010. Currently, the 31,000 BTC is valued astatine astir $3.2 billion. 

5. QuadrigaCX - 26,350 BTC 

The decease of Gerald Cotten, known arsenic CEO of QuadrigaCX, has brought the Canadian speech to a losing conflict successful 2019. As the sole holder of the backstage keys, the staggering magnitude of 26,350 BTC was near unattended. In today’s market, this nonaccomplishment would person equated to much than $2.6 cardinal worth. 

6. James Howell - 8,000 BTC 

After mistakenly throwing distant a hard thrust containing his keys, a British IT idiosyncratic recovered himself tied to 1 of the largest mislaid bitcoin wallets. The loss, present valued astatine implicit $800 million, has haunted James Howells for years. Despite repeated appeals to hunt a section landfill wherever the thrust is believed to beryllium buried, his requests person been consistently denied.

7. Stefan Thomas - 7,002 BTC 

For years, German programmer Stefan Thomas has made relentless efforts to unlock his encrypted USB drive, wherever helium stashed distant the 7,002 BTC. To date, 8 of 10 disposable attempts person gone successful vain, truthful the wallet—valued astatine much than $800 million—is present adjacent to being locked for good. 

The largest mislaid bitcoin wallet stories service arsenic cautionary tales successful the volatile satellite of crypto, wherever fortunes tin beryllium built, but besides vanish successful an instant. With millions of BTC permanently retired of circulation, these losses not lone signifier idiosyncratic lives but besides power the broader market. As the virtual currency continues its rise, let’s besides larn why you should put successful Bitcoin here. 

Editor’s Choice: 10 Most Valuable Assets successful the World 2025: From Gold to Bitcoin

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