Recovering BTC from an old Coinbase multisig Vault

[conradbain]

When I enter the three pertinent xpubs, absolutely nothing happens on the screen. I don't receive any new information, error messages or prompts.

Okay, for some reason, running from source doesn't work.
You'll have to go to the project's "deployment" page to use it, go to deployments: github.com/dlajarretie/multisig-tool/deployments, then GitHub-pages link.

Just don't forget to disable your internet during 'Step 2' and keep it that way until the final transaction is confirmed.

Thank you very much NC.

Ok. I made it to the deployment page + link and entered the xpubs. The 'Continue' button changed to 'Just wait..' and then nothing happened.  For well over a minute.

How long should it take after I enter the xpubs?  Should I be waiting 1, 2, 5, 10 minutes..?   Or is something amiss?

Please enter the highest HD index to check for balance.

Is there a specific number I should enter at this ask?

That is to indicate how many address_index to check for balance.
The default (10) should be enough but you can set it to 20 to match most wallets' default gap limit.

Ok, duly noted. Thank you.

[nc50lc]

Ok. I made it to the deployment page + link and entered the xpubs. The 'Continue' button changed to 'Just wait..' and then nothing happened.  For well over a minute.

How long should it take after I enter the xpubs?  Should I be waiting 1, 2, 5, 10 minutes..?   Or is something amiss?

I've tested the GitHub deployment page and it immediately showed results at the right-hand side on my end.
The 'Step 2' appeared after all the addresses' balance are updated.

Perhaps your browser can't connect to blockcypher's API (which is the backend used by the tool)?
Can you test this URL if it'll show any result:

Code:

https://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/addrs/1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE?unspentOnly=true&includeScript=true

It's the same API that the tool uses to fetch for balance (you can change the test address if you want, needs to be a funded address if you want to check for 'txrefs')

The page also requires "javascript" enabled, it will not work if the browser is set to prevent it from loading.

[conradbain]

I've tested the GitHub deployment page and it immediately showed results at the right-hand side on my end.
The 'Step 2' appeared after all the addresses' balance are updated.

Perhaps your browser can't connect to blockcypher's API (which is the backend used by the tool)?

I don't know what this means   But yes, something isn't functioning properly.

Can you test this URL if it'll show any result:

Code:

https://api.blockcypher.com/v1/btc/main/addrs/1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE?unspentOnly=true&includeScript=true

It's the same API that the tool uses to fetch for balance (you can change the test address if you want, needs to be a funded address if you want to check for 'txrefs')

That string of code doesn't result in anything but showing me a very long full page of code.

The page also requires "javascript" enabled, it will not work if the browser is set to prevent it from loading.

The browser I was / am using has Java enabled.

[nc50lc]

I don't know what this means  But yes, something isn't functioning properly.

Let's just say that 'Step 1' needs to check for balance from somewhere.
And that "somewhere" is BlockStream's free blockchain data check service.

That string of code doesn't result in anything but showing me a very long full page of code.

API seem to be working in your test, the "page of code" must be the transactions in json format;
Otherwise, it'll instead show an error or something.

The browser I was / am using has Java enabled.

Now, I wonder why the tool wont continue past 'Step 1' at your end.
I should display a list of addresses on the right after clicking "continue", then each address' balance should update.
After that, 'Step 2' will be available.

Maybe you have a lot of transactions that the API is enforcing its limit?
Try to derive only 5 addresses (or less) via "highest HD index" input field or try another browser.

Other than those I don't know any other tool to spend from those backup.

[conradbain]

Now, I wonder why the tool wont continue past 'Step 1' at your end.
I should display a list of addresses on the right after clicking "continue", then each address' balance should update.
After that, 'Step 2' will be available.

Is it possible that there is a character or more incorrect on my keys?  I had to type them out from a screenshot and though I've checked them twice it's possible there is something amiss. 

Would I get any sort of error message or is it possible that an incorrect xpub would keep me floating without any resolution on the screen?

Maybe you have a lot of transactions that the API is enforcing its limit?
Try to derive only 5 addresses (or less) via "highest HD index" input field or try another browser.

Other than those I don't know any other tool to spend from those backup.

I have tried it with 1, 5, 10, 20, 50..

The multisig wallet didn't have any transactions on it other than when I first sent a nominal amount of BTC to it the first time.

[conradbain]

I have made it to the next level.    Thank you NC.  I am making progress with your help.

There was one character that was capitalized that needed to be lower-case, across all three xpubs.  I discovererd it, changed it and I was able to generate the address and balance.  I just shut the browser down after I verified that Step 1 was able to work.

Now I have to roll up my sleeves because this is where I'm going to be flying blind.  I have further questions already.

Next (Step 2), you should switch-off your internet connection and input the required backups, the recipient address, fee and inputs (from step 1).
Clicking continue should generate a signed raw transaction.

1. Will it matter what kind of recipient address that I use?  Right now I only have a Coinbase receive address. I haven't used my Trezor in a long time and while I can boot it up I'd rather just flip the nominal amount straight to my Coinbase account if possible.

Then copy the resulting signed raw transaction (Step 3) and broadcast it to a push transaction service like: mempool.space/tx/push or blockstream.info/tx/push

2. Will the resulting signed raw transaction be obvious to me as to what I need to broadcast?  I'm a little hazy about this step.

Also, I recommend you to verify the transaction before broadcasting it, use this if it has the correct output: coinb.in/#verify
If everything is good, proceed to broadcast the transaction then check the recipient wallet.

3. What do you mean by use this if it has the correct output?

I recommended to keep the machine offline until it gets a confirmation or six, broadcast it using another device (like your phone).
This isn't as impenetrable as cold-storage but the tool is limited to that workflow so it's better than doing the entire process while online.

Ok, duly noted. Once it has a handful of confirmations, use a push transaction service you mention to broadcast the signed raw transaction on my phone.

[nc50lc]

Next (Step 2), you should switch-off your internet connection and input the required backups, the recipient address, fee and inputs (from step 1).
Clicking continue should generate a signed raw transaction.

1. Will it matter what kind of recipient address that I use?  Right now I only have a Coinbase receive address. I haven't used my Trezor in a long time and while I can boot it up I'd rather just flip the nominal amount straight to my Coinbase account if possible.

It doesn't matter, it's your choice to send it to an Exchange like Coinbase or a hardware wallet.
I assume that you're already aware that the former is custodial so they'll be the one in control of your funds but the bitcoins can be easily liquified.

2. Will the resulting signed raw transaction be obvious to me as to what I need to broadcast?  I'm a little hazy about this step.

It should look like a long string of hexadecimal characters like this: 0200000000010259fed3f1710.....

3. What do you mean by use this if it has the correct output?

Since the signed raw transaction isn't human-readable, you can use that tool to check if the recipient is correct.
Check your Coinbase deposit address if it matches the transaction's output that will be displayed in the "verify" tool.

I recommended to keep the machine offline until it gets a confirmation or six, broadcast it using another device (like your phone).
This isn't as impenetrable as cold-storage but the tool is limited to that workflow so it's better than doing the entire process while online.

Ok, duly noted. Once it has a handful of confirmations, use a push transaction service you mention to broadcast the signed raw transaction on my phone.

Uhm, it's "push" (broadcast) first then wait for confirmations before reconnecting the temp offline device to the internet.
It will not be mined if it's not broadcasted to the network.

The Step 3 should be:

• 1. Keep the device offline so that the private keys wont be exposed to an internet-connected device.
• 2. Copy the Signed Raw Transaction to an online device, the next steps should be done on that online device.
• 3. Verify the transaction.
• 4. Broadcast/Push the transaction.
• 5. Wait for confirmations; after 1~6 confirmations, you can now use the temporary offline device since the UTXO associated with the private keys are spent now.

[conradbain]

Next (Step 2), you should switch-off your internet connection and input the required backups, the recipient address, fee and inputs (from step 1).
Clicking continue should generate a signed raw transaction.

1. Will it matter what kind of recipient address that I use?  Right now I only have a Coinbase receive address. I haven't used my Trezor in a long time and while I can boot it up I'd rather just flip the nominal amount straight to my Coinbase account if possible.

It doesn't matter, it's your choice to send it to an Exchange like Coinbase or a hardware wallet.
I assume that you're already aware that the former is custodial so they'll be the one in control of your funds but the bitcoins can be easily liquified.

My apologies. I mean does it matter what format of address that I use?  Legacy, SegWit, etc.  I'm not familiar with the difference, per se, but I know that there are differences.

2. Will the resulting signed raw transaction be obvious to me as to what I need to broadcast?  I'm a little hazy about this step.

It should look like a long string of hexadecimal characters like this: 0200000000010259fed3f1710.....

Got it. I did some research and found out that my question about this was silly. This is simple.

3. What do you mean by use this if it has the correct output?

Since the signed raw transaction isn't human-readable, you can use that tool to check if the recipient is correct.
Check your Coinbase deposit address if it matches the transaction's output that will be displayed in the "verify" tool.

Ok.

Uhm, it's "push" (broadcast) first then wait for confirmations before reconnecting the temp offline device to the internet.
It will not be mined if it's not broadcasted to the network.

Ok.

The Step 3 should be:

• 1. Keep the device offline so that the private keys wont be exposed to an internet-connected device.
• 2. Copy the Signed Raw Transaction to an online device, the next steps should be done on that online device.
• 3. Verify the transaction.
• 4. Broadcast/Push the transaction.
• 5. Wait for confirmations; after 1~6 confirmations, you can now use the temporary offline device since the UTXO associated with the private keys are spent now.

Ok. I think I am clear.  Is there a good/better fee % I should be using so this will hit the first possible block?

• 1. Keep the device offline so that the private keys wont be exposed to an internet-connected device.
• 2. Input the required backups, the recipient address, fee and inputs (from step 1)
  
• 3. Copy the Signed Raw Transaction to an online device, the next steps should be done on that online device.
• 4. Verify the transaction.(https://coinb.in/#verify) If verify matches receiving address:
• 5. Broadcast/Push the transaction. (https://mempool.space/tx/push) or (https://blockstream.info/tx/push)
• 6. Wait for confirmations; after 1~6 confirmations, you can now use the temporary offline device since the UTXO associated with the private keys are spent now.
  
  
  
  

[nc50lc]

My apologies. I mean does it matter what format of address that I use?  Legacy, SegWit, etc.  I'm not familiar with the difference, per se, but I know that there are differences.

I think Native SegWit will not work because the tool was created before SegWit and I can't find a reference to "bech32" by searching the original repository and its year-2016 commits onwards.
(haven't tested it though)

Nested SegWit should work since it's just a P2SH script and of course, Legacy shouldn't be an issue.

As for the recipient, it doesn't matter as long as it supports your preferred address.

Ok. I think I am clear.  Is there a good/better fee % I should be using so this will hit the first possible block?

It will put 0.00020000 BTC by default and setting any lower will result with an error since it's hardcoded to its constants.
That absolute fee is more than enough to be at the priority on today's average mempool size if the transaction's size isn't too big,
its sat/vB equivalent depends on the number of inputs used in your transaction so there's no direct answer to that question.

[conradbain]

i'm back NC50lc. (I replied to the other Coinbase vault thread).  I've been dealing with some family health stuff.

Just walking though things and mapping out my steps before I do this for real and I have another question about the Broadcast step. 

I'm sorry for being such a pain in the arse about this but I want to be sure that I don't screw this up, obviously.

The Mempool link (https://mempool.space/tx/push) is going to ask me for four inputs.

But as of now, as I look ahead, I'm only certain of what will be one, maybe two, correct inputs that I will know:

1) Broadcast Transaction (* this will be generated in Step 1 and copied to my online device to complete rest of process *)

2) Submit Package (I do not know what this means)

3) Maximum fee rate (sat/vB) (I'm assuming that 0.00020000 will work here?)

4) Maximum burn amount (sats) (I don't know what this should be)

Could you please weigh in on 1-4 and verify that I'm correct and suggest for #2 and #4?


Also, the Blockstream link (https://blockstream.info/tx/push) only asks for the transaction hex - - but I'm ASSuming that it will ask me for subsequent information after I enter the hex? 

Once again, I appreciate your help and support in this. I've had a bear of a time over the last few weeks and I'm looking forward to finally (and hopefully) having some positive resolution with this topic. It's been a dark-ish cloud that's been hanging over my head for a very long time.  I need the good vibes.

[nc50lc]

The Mempool link (https://mempool.space/tx/push) is going to ask me for four inputs.
-snip-
Also, the Blockstream link (https://blockstream.info/tx/push) only asks for the transaction hex - - but I'm ASSuming that it will ask me for subsequent information after I enter the hex?  

In Blockstream, it'll be immediately be broadcasted to their node's mempool then relayed to rest of their peers.

In mempool.space, just use the top input field then click "Broadcast Transaction" below it, the rest are for the "Submit Package" button below, you don't have to use those.
You've already set the fee rate when you created the transaction in Coinbase MultiSig Tool fork, the "0.00020000 BTC" default value in "What would you like the fee to be" input field.
If you didn't edited it and the inputs aren't too many (you can check it during verification), it should be more than enough.

[conradbain]

NC50lc -

I'm finally back on the grid and able to get after this.  Hope you're well.

I just rolled my sleeves up to start the process over again and I immediately hit a stall.

When using the github index file (Step 1), and after entering the 3 xpub seeds, nothing happens when I hit 'continue.' 

Flashback:

This is the same issue I had weeks ago when I first started this process. When it stalled, I combed over my xpub addresses and found a capitalization error in each seed (I had the 'x' in xpub capitalized..).

I made the corrections, saved my info and used the github index file successfully and it generated the applicable address.  Step 1 worked just fine.  (At that point, I stopped the process to make sure I had my next steps properly mapped out.)

Back to today:

I'm now using the same info as that day. I just combed over my xpub addresses and everything looks correct.

Could there have been some sort of change in the last few weeks that is now keeping me from a successful Step 1?   I'm confused as to what could be going wrong.


Arrrgh.

[conradbain]

Ok, I'm back on track.

I forgot that I ultimately had to go through the Github deployment's page in order for it to work.

I got my keys in and was able to generate the transaction list again. 

But I'm now seeing one more thing that's going to trip me up once I go offline.

The next prompts on the recovery tool page are:

And decide where you want the bitcoins to be sent to:
No problem here, I have my receiving address.

What would you like the fee to be
0.00020000

What addresses should be redeemed ? (comma separated, no space)
What address do I need to put here??  I don't know what this means.

I'll do some research into what address needs to go there in case I don't hear back from you. But from where I stand, that seems like my last hurdle. Fingers crossed.

Thank you again NC50lc. Epic help.  So close.

[conradbain]

I'll make a stupid informed guess that the address to be redeemed is the address that's generated by the Github tool.

I think my password might be incorrect.

All of the seeds came directly from Coinbase.

But I don't have the password on paper, I'm just using what I can imagine that I used back then. I really only used one or two passwords for this sort of stuff. I never messed around with major complicated passwords.. I just used two or three of the same.

After entering all of the applicable info (and assuming I'm correct about the address to be redeemed is the address where my BTC resides) - I receive a prompt of  "Please wait.."  But nothing else happens.  It just sticks there.

I won't make any more moves until I hear back from you, NC50lc.

Also, do I have any recourse if I'm indeed just being stupid and using the wrong password?

Grrrrrrrrr......

[nc50lc]

What addresses should be redeemed ? (comma separated, no space)
What address do I need to put here??  I don't know what this means.

I'll make a stupid informed guess that the address to be redeemed is the address that's generated by the Github tool.

If you mean the generated addresses during Step 1 on the right, then yes.
Those are the addresses derived from the given extended public keys (xpub).

Also, do I have any recourse if I'm indeed just being stupid and using the wrong password?

It can't be the password because a browser notification will inform you that the password of the encrypted seed isn't correct before getting stuck on that "Please wait..." button.
Perhaps you saw a message like that?

Or could be an issue with the browser where it failed to load the required script to create and sign the transaction.
Any error in "Inspect" (F12) while the MultiSig tool is stuck on that part should indicate that something isn't working. (usually shown as red symbol)

How about the recipient? The old tool does not support bech32 and bech32m addresses (starts with bc1).

Anyways, you'll have to refresh and repeat Step1 to retry.
If you tried Step2 offline, you should still be safe as long as your machine is safe from any Malware. (it's unfortunate that the tool requires to be online in Step1)
BTW, do not repeat Step1 too much since Blockcypher's API has a limit and may block your IP with multiple requests.
If it starts to fail to check for balance, restart your router to get a new IP (if your ISP doesn't set static IP)

[conradbain]

It can't be the password because a browser notification will inform you that the password of the encrypted seed isn't correct before getting stuck on that "Please wait..." button. Perhaps you saw a message like that?

I only received the "Please wait..." message on the button. I didn't get any error or "the password isn't correct" message.  The "Please wait" message hung there for almost a minute before I bailed on the operation.

Any error in "Inspect" (F12) while the MultiSig tool is stuck on that part should indicate that something isn't working. (usually shown as red symbol) 

I don't know what this means. Should I try pressing F12 while the tool is stuck?  I did not receive any error message or any symbol in red.

[nc50lc]

Any error in "Inspect" (F12) while the MultiSig tool is stuck on that part should indicate that something isn't working. (usually shown as red symbol) 

I don't know what this means. Should I try pressing F12 while the tool is stuck?  I did not receive any error message or any symbol in red.

Yes, that's the only way to debug it to see if it's just a browser problem where it failed to show that notification or there's a script that failed to run.
"Right-click->Inspect" should also work in most browsers, some have different shortcut other than F12.

Once in Inspect, look for "Issues" or red icons that will lead you to it.
There should be entries there showing the cause of the issue, something like a ".js" file that's failed to run or similar.
It'll even show if it's your shared seed password or user seed.

You can try other browsers if it's not a case of wrong password.