100 BTC Casascius Bar Opens, Owner Loses BCH

• Casascius Bitcoin Bar Rescued After 13 Years
• Exposed private key caused loss of forked coins
• Only 35 intact Casascius bars remain in the world

A rare 100-bitcoin Casascius bar valued at more than $10 million has been rescued after 13 years, marking one of the most notable physical cryptocurrency rescues of the past decade. The bar, originally purchased for around $500 in 2012, contained the modern-day equivalent of a small fortune. However, a crucial error compromised some of the value associated with the asset.

The owner decided to split the bitcoins across multiple addresses instead of liquidating them, seeking to protect the funds after accessing the private key hidden under the physical bar’s hologram. Despite the successful movement of the 100 BTC, the situation quickly changed after sensitive details were leaked on the Bitcointalk forum.

Holy shit. $10 million dollar profit 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cLkvhq7EPs

— The ₿itcoin Therapist (@TheBTCTherapist) July 2, 2025

The holder shared the mini-seed used to access the funds, unaware that the same key also gave access to coins resulting from Bitcoin forks, such as Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Within minutes of the publication, around 100 BCH — valued at over $50 — was diverted to another address.

A user identified as Nexusrushrush claimed responsibility for the withdrawal and returned the BCH to the original address. However, the compromised wallet remained vulnerable, and the funds were exposed to further attacks. No additional compensation has been offered to date.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T POST YOUR PRIVATE KEYS… EVER

“Okay, so remember how I mentioned I had one of those Casascius Bitcoin bars? Yeah, it's a 100 BTC one, and I got it back in 2012 for like $500.

Now that it's worth over $10 million, I knew I couldn't keep just sitting on it.… pic.twitter.com/BMWVkr7ogp

— parachutes₿ (@parachutesBTC) July 1, 2025

Casascius bars are considered historical pieces in the cryptocurrency world. Minted in the early years of Bitcoin, they combine physical security with digital value. According to public records, only 35 sealed 100 BTC bars remain, making these bars extremely valuable collector’s items.

The story reignites the debate over the security of private key management, especially for high-value physical assets. With the risks increasing in proportion to the rise in value of BTC and derivative currencies, incidents like this demonstrate the importance of rigorous precautions when handling sensitive data linked to crypto assets.