Research Citations & Sources

This page provides comprehensive research and citations for the digital assets and unclaimed money statistics referenced throughout our website and launch materials.

Executive Summary

Based on extensive research from government agencies, financial institutions, and established blockchain analytics firms, we’ve documented over $200 billion in inaccessible digital and traditional assets worldwide. This represents a conservative estimate from verified, publicly available sources.

Global Statistics Overview

Conservative Total: $200+ billion

Comprehensive Total: $300+ billion

Detailed Breakdown by Country/Region

Cryptocurrency Losses

Lost Bitcoin: $140+ billion in Bitcoin is inaccessible due to lost passwords/keys

• Source: Chainalysis blockchain analytics, referenced across multiple financial publications
• Methodology: 20% of Bitcoin supply (3.84+ million BTC) hasn’t moved in 7+ years
• Value Calculation: Based on Bitcoin trading values of $26,000-$40,000+ per BTC

United States

Total Unclaimed Money: $70 billion held by states and federal agencies

• Source: National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA)
• Breakdown:
  • $41.7 billion held by individual states
  • $39.2 billion in uncashed U.S. Savings Bonds (75 million Americans affected)
  • $10 billion in unclaimed stocks, bonds, mutual funds (SEC estimates)
  • $1.5 billion in undelivered tax refunds (IRS)

India

Dormant Bank Accounts: ₹78,213 crore ($9.4 billion USD) in unclaimed deposits

• Source: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Annual Report 2024
• Growth Rate: 26% increase from previous year
• Definition: Accounts inactive for 10+ years

Canada

Total Unclaimed Money: $6.3 billion estimated (2016 data)

• Bank of Canada: $1+ billion in unclaimed balances from dormant accounts
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): $1 billion in uncashed tax refund cheques
• Provincial Holdings: Additional hundreds of millions (e.g., Quebec holds ~$300 million)

United Kingdom

Unclaimed Financial Assets: £15-50 billion estimated

• Pre-Euro Currency: £10 billion in unexchanged pre-Euro money across Europe
• Premium Bonds: £68 million in unclaimed prizes annually (2022 data)
• Various Estimates: Range varies significantly based on methodology

Australia

Unclaimed Money: AUD $2.3 billion

• Sources: Bank accounts, shares, investments, and life insurance policies
• Government Portal: Official search portal managed by Australian government

Europe (Additional)

Pre-Euro Currency Holdings: £10 billion total

• Germany: 58% of unexchanged pre-Euro money value
• Spain: £1.53 billion in unclaimed Spanish Pesetas (15% of total)
• Netherlands: £893 million in unexchanged Dutch Guilders (9% of total)

Japan

Dormant Accounts: ~85 billion yen ($630 million USD) annually

• New Dormant Accounts: 85 billion yen classified as dormant each year
• Reclaimed Amount: ~35 billion yen reclaimed annually
• Net Addition: ~50 billion yen added to dormant funds yearly
• Historical Data: ¥105 billion total (average fiscal years 2010-2013)

Singapore

Dormant Accounts: $300 million SGD

• Scope: 215,000 deposit accounts across DBS, OCBC & UOB
• Timeframe: Dormant for 15+ years
• Percentage: 2% of total deposit accounts, 0.07% of total deposit value

Methodology & Credibility

Why These Numbers Are Credible:

• Government Sources: RBI, NAUPA, Bank of Canada, Australian Treasury, etc.
• Established Analytics Firms: Chainalysis and Glassnode (leading blockchain analysts)
• Financial News Sources: CNBC, Business Standard, CBC, IBTimes
• Recent Data: Most statistics from 2023-2024 reports
• Conservative Estimates: We use lower-bound figures where ranges exist

Geographic Coverage:

• Global Scope: Bitcoin/cryptocurrency losses affect worldwide
• Major Economies: United States, India, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, Singapore
• European Union: Pre-Euro currency data covering multiple countries
• Emerging Markets: Some data from Kenya and other developing economies

Source Links & References

Cryptocurrency Losses

1. Lost Bitcoin Statistics:
   • IBTimes: “Lost Bitcoin Wallet Passwords Make $140 Billion-Worth Of BTC Inaccessible”

United States Unclaimed Assets

2. National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA):
   • CNBC: “States have $70 billion in unclaimed assets”

India Statistics

3. Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
   • Business Standard: “Unclaimed deposits with banks rise 26% to Rs 78,213 crore: RBI report”
   • Upstox: “The secret life of the unclaimed deposits with the RBI”

Canada

4. Bank of Canada & CRA:
   • CBC News: “Strapped for cash? How to uncover unclaimed money”

United Kingdom & Europe

5. UK Unclaimed Assets:
   • Leftover Currency: “Pre-Euro money worth £10 Billion still unclaimed”

Australia

6. Australian Government:
   • Money Smart: “Find unclaimed money”

Japan

7. Japanese Banking System:
   • Japan Times: “Making use of dormant accounts”

Singapore

8. Singapore Banking:
   • Caproasia: “Singapore MAS on Dormant Bank Accounts”

Research Limitations

What We Don’t Include:

• Unverified Claims: We exclude statistics without credible sources
• Overlapping Data: We avoid double-counting between categories
• Speculative Estimates: We use conservative, documented figures only
• Private Sector Data: Limited access to proprietary banking data

Update Schedule:

This research is updated as new government reports and financial studies become available. Last updated: July 2025.

Contact

For questions about our research methodology or to suggest additional sources, contact us at [email protected].

This research was compiled to provide transparency about the statistics referenced in Eternal Vault’s marketing materials. All sources are independently verifiable through the provided links.