The man who could lose R$ 1.3 billion because of a password
Stefan Thomas, a German programmer living in San Francisco, is at the center of one of the most dramatic cases in the world of cryptocurrencies. He owns 7,002 bitcoins, a fortune that is currently worth over R$ 1.3 billion, stored on an IronKey USB drive.
The problem? The device allows only 10 password attempts, and Stefan has already failed 8 times. There are only two chances left before his entire fortune is lost forever.
He received the bitcoins in 2011 as payment for an educational video, when each coin was worth between US$ 2 and US$ 30. Today, the same batch is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
This case is not just about money: it is a warning about digital security and memory. Some lessons we can learn from this story:
Use secure passwords, but write them down in a safe place — security without planning can be costly.
Make reliable backups — a USB drive or unique device can fail, or you may forget the password.
Manage your cryptocurrencies carefully — digital wallets require extreme responsibility.
Technology helps, but does not replace human planning — there is software capable of recovering passwords, but blindly trusting external solutions is not always viable.
💭 This case has already entered the history of cryptocurrencies as one of the most dramatic. And you? Are you taking care of your passwords and digital assets with enough attention to avoid living a nightmare like this?
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