As discussions around crypto fraud intensify following the recent $1.5 billion Bybit hack, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is urging the industry to recognize another major risk.

According to him, while much attention is given to preventing theft, not enough is done to protect people from accidental loss due to user errors.

Accidental Crypto Loss Remains a Big Factor

In a February 28 post on X, Buterin outlined several ways individuals lose large amounts of crypto, including software bugs, forgotten passwords, lost devices, accidental deletions, and failure to back up data when upgrading hardware.

The 31-year-old explained that victims of such losses are often hesitant to speak out because there is no identifiable perpetrator to hold accountable. He emphasized the need for wallet security solutions that address all forms of loss, not just cyberattacks.

To mitigate these risks, the Ethereum co-founder has long advocated for social recovery solutions as a more secure and user-friendly approach to regaining wallet access.

Buterin’s approach to social recovery consists of both personal and automated components. He has suggested the use of a smart contract wallet where you can put arbitrary addresses as guardians with no expectation that those addresses use the same wallet.

Social Recovery Solutions

While some individuals have adopted more sophisticated security practices, risks like hardware destruction persist, requiring additional safety measures.

Social recovery allows users to restore access without relying solely on seed phrases, which can be easily lost or forgotten. Instead, it involves a network of trusted individuals, known as “guardians,” who can assist in recovering access if the owner loses their private key.

One example of social recovery in practice is Argent Wallet, which uses smart contracts to enable individuals to designate guardians for recovery purposes.

Following Buterin’s latest comments, the Nani Wallet startup also highlighted its product as the first crypto-access wallet with full social recovery. The company claims that this feature allows users to recover lost accounts through trusted friends or backup devices while maintaining control of their original private key.

The consequences of crypto loss can be severe, as shown by the well-known case of James Howells.  In 2013, Howells’ hard drive, containing 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC) now worth hundreds of millions of pounds, was accidentally discarded by his ex-partner.

The device is believed to be buried in a landfill owned by Newport City Council. To recover the lost BTC, the 39-year-old sued the council and assembled a team of experts willing to conduct a $13 million excavation at the site. Despite legal efforts, he has been unable to get back the lost cryptocurrency.

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