It was a case of a lost – and found – Bitcoin, only this time it’s not in some garbage dump but in the complex maze of the blockchain.
NBA star Kevin Durant has regained control of a Coinbase account that had been inactive for about 10 years, according to reports.
The account, opened after a 2016 dinner where Bitcoin was discussed, had been unreachable to Durant and his business partner Rich Kleiman until this week.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed the recovery on X.
Lost Credentials Locked Funds
Based on reports, the issue boiled down to lost login details. Kleiman told reporters the holdout was the result of “user error.” That meant the Bitcoin stayed untouched while the market moved dramatically.
At the time of the original purchase, Bitcoin traded at roughly $600 per coin. That figure stood in stark contrast to prices in 2025, which have climbed past $117,000 per coin.
We got this fixed. Account recovery complete! https://t.co/TWYFpQkXsb
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) September 19, 2025
The pair did not access or sell the holdings because they could not sign in. The inactivity effectively left the position static as the asset’s market value climbed over the years.
Reports have made clear that exact figures — how many coins sat in that account and the total current value — remain private.
How The Recovery Was Confirmed
Reports say Coinbase staff worked through account recovery procedures with Durant’s team. Brian Armstrong’s post on X was cited as confirmation that the exchange completed the recovery process.
Public statements from Kleiman also framed the matter as administrative rather than technical, suggesting standard identity checks and support channels were used.
BTCUSD trading at $115,607 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView
No source has published the precise steps taken during the recovery, and Coinbase has not released an itemized timeline of its actions.
That silence leaves room for questions about how long the process took and what documentation was required to reestablish access after such a long dormancy.
Durant’s entry into crypto traces back to a 2016 dinner hosted by venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, where the subject came up repeatedly and prompted Durant and Kleiman to open the Coinbase account that later made headlines.
What Remains Unknown
Several key details are still missing from public accounts. Neither Durant nor Kleiman has disclosed the number of Bitcoin in the account.
The original amount invested also has not been confirmed, though the low $600 per coin price at purchase means any holding would have grown many times over by today’s values.
Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
