Seed phrase are stored on hardware wallet
I don't think it is. It's just the "
Account private key".
In the context of Trezor device, the only relevant information is that the account private key is mathematically derived from the recovery seed using BIP39 standard. The account private key is used to generate all private keys, public keys and addresses for specific account.
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Because the private key is the "ticket" that allows someone to spend coins, it is important that it is kept secure. Trezor allows the users to store the private key safely - it never leaves the device, and all transactions are signed in Trezor.
However, with passphrase, your hidden wallet's private keys aren't stored in the device, because neither is the passphrase:
The passphrase is not stored anywhere on the device. It is only used temporarily whenever you enter it.
No, it isn't. The owner no longer has access to lost cash. The owner may very well still have access to these bitcoins.
And that's why I advice to send them the message. If they don't react after a certain time span, it's probably because they can't. You don't have many choices. You either decide to never touch the wallet acknowledging it doesn't fit your moral temperament or you decide to spend the money at some point in the future.