News
Public · Published
He Still Has Two Password Guesses Left Before $840 Million Deletes Itself Forever
Programmer Stefan Thomas has only two password attempts left before his IronKey USB drive, which stores the private keys to 7,002 Bitcoin received in 2011, permanently deletes its contents after ten failed tries.
Published:
Updated:
What happened
Programmer Stefan Thomas has only two password attempts left before his IronKey USB drive, which stores the private keys to 7,002 Bitcoin received in 2011, permanently deletes its contents after ten failed tries.
Confirmed
Global impact / market context
If the drive self‑destructs, roughly $840 million worth of Bitcoin would be removed from circulation, affecting investors’ holdings and highlighting the risks of hardware‑wallet security.
Confirmed
Bitcoin’s total circulating supply is limited, so losing 7,002 BTC permanently reduces available coins, which can slightly tighten supply and influence price expectations among investors.
Confirmed
What to watch
- Whether Thomas successfully unlocks the drive, which would preserve the Bitcoin and prevent a permanent loss. Analyst inference
- Any public statements from Thomas or the device manufacturer about possible data recovery methods that could avert deletion. Analyst inference
- Bitcoin price movements, as the market reacts to news of a potential $840 million supply reduction. Analyst inference
Affected assets
- BTC — Bitcoin