Bitcoin Forum

Hello everyone! I've got a problem with my BTC. I've accidentally sent 1.95 BTC to a wrong address (one of the addresses I'd sent BTC to earlier). I'm curious if they are forever lost or if there's something I can do to retrieve them? My stupidity knows no limits...Is there still hope that I will see my BTC again? I'd really appreciate an expert's response.

No, you cant get it back... Next time verify the address multiple times. Sorry

You can send some satoshis to the same address with an alleged message, in wich you kindly ask your btc back

Depends on who owns that address. Figure out who owns that address and let them know about your situation. If the person or service is trustworthy, they will send the bitcoin back. However, some services delete their old addresses after a few days, so your Bitcoin may be gone. In fact, I highly doubt you will get the bitcoin back, but it doesn't hurt to try.

How can I figure out who owns the address?

you can not .. only if the wallet is from some know websiteexchanger etc etc you may google it

sorry for your lost :(

and if the adresse is maybe abondoned you habe 0 chance

Search around look for the address. Try to think back on who you have sent transactions to recently. Check the transaction history in your wallet for that address and find the last time (besides this) that you sent to it. Really, there is no way to know who owns that address unless it was posted somewhere or you remember it.

Good idea erre, alls you do is select a custom transaction option, and write a public note to the same address to which you made the mistake.

if its your address just send it back to where you want it!

You said you sent to the address in the earlier.  Who were you sending to at that time?  That's who probably owns the address. Contact them, explain your mistake and hope that they are honest and honorable.

There is no way to take the bitcoins back.  You've given them to someone, all you can do is try to remember who you gave them to and hope that they will send them back.

I've sent the BTC to that adress a year ago, it was one of the addresses I've generated via bitcurex.com, a Polish Bitcoin exchange site. I thought that the address stayed the same and I can just send the BTC again to the same address now. However, they did not appear on my Bitcurex account.

Sadly, you won't be able to get it back.

It would only work if they frequently check blockchain.info. The message are only stored on blockchain.info and not anywhere else.
Most exchanges require customers to send funds to the new address. It is unclear whether they still keep the private key for that address. Your best bet is to contact them. If the funds have been moved, they probably still have control over it.

No bitcoin has no build in messaging system.


contact their support, they should still have the private key for the address.

If the exchange still exist, write a support ticket and keep us updated, if they dont return your bitcoin they're thieving fucks, and we like to know about it I think :)

Sorry to say but they aren't scammers if they say they can't. After all, exchanges provide a new deposit address for transactions and they can delete the older private key. It isn't their fault that OP didn't check the deposit address after one entire year.

I contacted support and they informed me that they are unable to trace the recipient of my BTC as I failed to generate a receiving address via their site(which I thought would stay the same after it was generated last year). It seems all hope is gone...

I find it a little hard to believe that they just "deleted the private key" (surely they take and keep monthly backups).

I'd keep an eye on the address to make sure that the funds don't move (if they do then the exchange has lied and stolen your BTC).

How can I check if the funds don't move?

Monitor the address you sent to on a block explorer, https://www.blockchain.info , blocktrail(not going to write the address for every single on now will I?) or blockr.io

Gotta agree with CIYAM on this one.  My gut feeling is that either:
a.) They are outright lying to you
 or
b.) BTC has already been spent and they are outright lying to you.

I don't know of any reputable exchanges that don't keep regular backups of their entire system.  Definitely watch that BTC addy, (FYI, there are services available that will e-mail you of any balance changes such as http://bitnotify.com/)

This way you don't have to constantly check blockchain.info by hand to determine whether or not anything has happened to that addy.

Actually, I'm fairly certain that many sites will delete the private keys after a few days. They usually have a warning that says that deposits after a certain time of the first deposit will not be credited. This is usually because they delete or at least stop checking the address because it saves space and processing power.

They would still keep a backup (even if not officially I'm sure their IT staff would keep a backup so they can steal coins inadvertently sent to old addresses such as the OP did).

Wouldn't it be obvious if it moved and scam accusations would be out against them. Anyway, if they were to keep every deposit address, wouldn't the backup be very big and large amount of power is required to check them?

Hmm.. thats sad.. normally if the Transaction is confirmed it cannot been removed.
I read about an thread that its possible to dump it out if its not confirmed tx.

hopefully your Wallet just forgetts  ;D and you get Paid back bro ;)

regards
lama-hunter

This method only works with unconfirmed transactions and when miners aren't trying to include that transaction into a block. You also still have to find a miner which is willing to accept your transaction.

I am so paranoid of doing this.

I'm sorry to hear it happened to you...

You do realise that a private key is only 32 bytes in size?

(so keeping millions of them backed up wouldn't be any issue at all)

Hello again! There are some new developments in my case:

1. I received the following message from bitcurex support:

'After a thorough analysis of your account  we have concluded that you did not generate an address for making payments to your account on bitcurex.com. Based on the data you provided we are unable to determine where your BTC have been transferred.'

I asked them if there is any possibility of getting my BTC back, to which they replied the following:

'If it turns out that you transferred BTC to our old wallet (in the old system), there's still a slight possibility that we may have access to it. However, there is no certainty. Your case has been handed over to our technical department for tracing.'

2. I checked the address I'd sent the BTC to via blockchain. The only transactions I can see are the ones I conducted myself. No further activity as of late.

Thank you all for taking such an interest in my case. It really lifts my spirits to know that I'm not left alone with my problem.

So - as I had guessed they do have a backup of the "old wallet" so I think it should be entirely possible that they can refund you (assuming they are willing to make the effort).

Understand that it might actually take a bit of effort to do this so you might want to perhaps not ask for a 100% refund so that they are rewarded for their effort (it wasn't their fault you sent the BTC to an old address after all).

So - as I had guessed they do have a backup of the "old wallet" so I think it should be entirely possible that they can refund you (assuming they are willing to make the effort).

Understand that it might actually take a bit of effort to do this so you might want to perhaps not ask for a 100% refund so that they are rewarded for their effort (it wasn't their fault you sent the BTC to an old address after all).
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So you really think it's possible I'll get at least part of my BTC back?

You can only try - and assuming you can prove your side of the story apply public pressure (like via this forum) to the entity in question.

Good news - I've just received a message from support that my BTC have been transferred to my bitcurex account. I didn't lose a single BTC:) I'm the happiest man alive!Thanks again for all your advice and support!

Nice to have a good result - please be careful when you next send out BTC.

I definitely will :) The topic can be closed.

nice result!  good customer service at that exchange!