Several studies tracking the cryptocurrency ecosystem have documented the existence of accounts with thousands of Bitcoin tokens—worth billions of dollars today—that have remained totally inactive for years. Estimates suggest that, as of 2021, more than one-fifth (≈20%) of Bitcoins are lost.(1)
The value of abandoned property in Bitcoin exceeds the gross product of several countries. You can see the largest long-dormant balances here: bitinfocharts.com/top-100-dormant_5y-bitcoin…
The reasons are uncertain, but many such accounts likely belonged to people who died or who forgot (lost) the private keys to their wallets.
Because there is no recovery mechanism once the private key is lost, these assets remain locked in wallets, with no possibility of being liquidated or used.
Bitcoin may soon be the most valuable—and the hardest—form of unclaimed property to recover by its original owners or their heirs.
Stilman Research is a Licensed Private Investigative Agency in the State of Florida, pursuant to Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes — License Number A 1500310.
(1) decrypt.co/37171/lost-bitcoin-3-7-million-bitcoin-are-probably-gone-forever