Back to collectionA Stolen Wallet Tests the Boundaries of Nontransferable Keys
Sentry Keys’ nontransferability was a familiar restriction to holders, and debate usually centered on whether they could exit. The holder said they owned 108 keys and their original wallet had been stolen. The restriction had previously stood in the way of voluntary sales; now it stood before a theft victim, making its cost concrete.
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Sentry Keys’ nontransferability was a familiar restriction to holders, and debate usually centered on whether they could exit. Today, a holder whose wallet had been stolen pushed the issue elsewhere: after losing control of an address, how could someone prove what should be returned to them?
The holder said they owned 108 keys and their original wallet had been stolen. They did not want a refund; they asked the foundation to make an exception and move the keys to a new wallet. They were willing to undergo full identity verification and provide every transaction record. Some in the group sympathized, while others worried that moving keys on the strength of documents would blur the rule against transfers. The keys remained bound to an address the holder no longer controlled.
The restriction had previously stood in the way of voluntary sales; now it stood before a theft victim, making its cost concrete. The Night Watchman suggested organizing the theft timeline, the status of wallet control, and the records into questions that could be checked, then asking the foundation whether any procedure existed. No one could yet say whether an exception would be made.