Bitcoin Forum

So, I have 5 BTC stored "safely" in a paper, that I put in a safe... but the ink has faded partially, so now I'm going insane trying to figure out if something is a G or a 6, an a or 9 (seriously).

Is there a script to brute force the possible combination of characters that look similar in a private key?

Yes, there is such a script that exists, or if it does not, it can be easily recreated. This problem has happened before and there is a thread somewhere here about that. Just search for it, the script should be in there.

You are refering to this thread I guess? -> https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1409361.0

Yep. That's the one.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1624496.msg16359515#msg16359515

If you're unable to decipher said missing characters then I'm sure a trusted member on here could help for a small fee. Somebody on DT1 or something?

5 BTC is enough to make some effort... I participated in the quoted topic and gave some proof of concept examples in perl on how to tackle this problem (altough, an other member wrote a much better sollution in python), in case you need some extra assistance, you're always free to PM me :)

I've tested this script when it was first posted in that thread, it works fine for 5 missing characters.
Give it a try, if it works, elbandi's tip-addy is in the link too :)

Can you give us a little more information on the paper wallet itself, don't need this happing to myself down the track.
Was it just a plain piece of paper or laminated?
Being in a safe i would have assumed it was out of sunlight, was it exposed to heat within the safe?
How long had the paper wallet been stored for?

People are always paranoid when it comes to storing paper wallets. I have paper with ink 50+ years old, printed I've seen decades old, and it's all just totally fine.
I can only imagine someone tries to do something so secure to store it, that it causes other problems. If you write a code in a book and keep it with your other books, it will still be there 400 years from now.

If the "something" is only one character (it isn't clear above) and the only options are as above, that is only 3 combinations so you could just try all three without any need for software.

if the QR code is not too blurred then scanning that might be a better idea than trying to brute force the priv key. QR codes have built-in redundancies and error correction so even a slightly damaged QR code can yield a lot, if not all, of the data.

Sorry to hear your troubles. Been there. While it sucks, I wont and I bet you wont make that mistake again. Make copies. Give to family members. Store image on encrypted usb. Always need to have a couple of backups. Use cloud, usb, desktop combination of.

This is how you lose your Bitcoins and happy Christmas dinners! Don't mix family with money, it's a recipe for disaster.

BIP38 provides a solution for your backups. My paper wallet backups are spread all over the world. A lot of them can be found in public locations.

OP any update on your progress? Please post.

Just print it with larger characters so it's less likely to be blurred or defaced to a point where it can't be seen.
And it is always a bad idea to trust people witheven these small amounts of money as there can be problems that lead to them just taking the money from you.


I can try and get in it for you for a 5% fee if there's no other option for you to use (although I doubt my trust will be high enougth to be accepted).