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🧠 The \$240M BItcoin Password Catastrophe

In 2011, German-born programmer **Stefan Thomas Received **7,002 $BTC ** as payment for a simple video. Today, that stash would be worthOver \$230–240 Million. But there's a problem: he Lost The Password to the IronKey $USDT that holds his private keys, and he’s already used 8 Of 10 Allowed Attempts. Only Two Guesses Remain
before the device permanently erases the data. l

The IronKey, once military-grade secure, is programmed to self-destruct after 10 failed password inputs—no reset, no backdoor. That’s it.

A Seattle-based recovery startup called UNCIPHERED claims to have cracked the same IronKey model in tests, bypassing its ten-try limit using a reverse-engineered firmware attack and brute‑force technique. They offered help, but Thomas has already engaged two other teams, and he’s declined Unciphered’s offer.

Thomas described the toll on his mental health: insomnia, anxiety, even depression. “Worse than the money loss was the self‑reproach—I felt like a complete idiot,”

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**Why this matters:**

* No “Forgot Password” in crypto—your key is your only key.
* Even Tech Wizards Aren’t Immune to forgetting crucial passwords.
* This is a harsh reminder: if you lose the private key, the Bitcoin is gone—no customer support, no second chances.

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\#BitcoinSaga #CryptoSecurity #StefanThomas #IronKeyLock #LostFortune #CryptoWarning #NoRecoveryButton