Autopsy report

QuadrigaCX

Centralized exchange
Custody failureDied Jan 2019

Canada's largest exchange said its founder died holding the only keys to the cold wallets, leaving customer funds inaccessible. A later investigation found the wallets were largely empty and customer funds had been lost or misappropriated earlier.

Missed warning signs
  1. 1-2y
  2. 2-2y
  3. 3-6mo
  4. XDeath

Spacing is ordinal, not to scale. Numbers match the list below.

  1. 1

    One person held the keys with no succession plan.

    Visible 2 years before death | One person holds the keys

    Ontario Securities CommissionGlobal News

  2. 2

    No proof of reserves, no auditor, and no published cold-wallet addresses.

    Visible 2 years before death | No proof of reserves

    Ontario Securities CommissionInvestment Executive

  3. 3

    Withdrawal delays and 'bank issues' for months before the collapse.

    Visible 6 months before death | Withdrawal delays

    Global News

The lesson

An exchange where one person holds the keys is a single point of failure.

Sources
Similar graves

Editorial summary of public reporting. Allegations are labeled as allegations. Not financial or legal advice.

Don't read the next obituary from inside it.

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