Bitcoin "lost", not accessible anymore.

[Crypt0naire]

Hello,

I always happily used Samourai Wallet until i suddenly and without reason “lost” all Bitcoin. The Wallet just shows me 0 BTC and no Transactions, as if it was never used.

Background Story:

I’m using offline Tails generated Paperwallets for cold storage and a Digital Bitbox.

Samourai i used mainly as a everyday wallet, or “cash in pocket” as a nocoiner would call it. To just fast and easy buy things online and so on.

So i saved the Seed + Password into my Password Manager. To be exact: in 2 Password Managers + 1x written on paper stored in a secure place.

I created the wallet and wrote the seed down on paper, then i deleted Samourai entirely, brought the seed and password into the password manager and restored it via copy and paste from my password manager. As i always do with any wallet or hardware wallets, just as precaution. Better safe than sorry.

I emptied one of my paper wallets into Samourai here, to have funds available in my “Everyday Wallet”: https://www.blockchain.com/btc/tx/1e692406e1d4cdf7842130e550ec3a2610fcd62a96ee8eb6f3706f1153fd804a

I have happily used Samourai, everything worked.

I have restored the wallet after this successfully via copy and paste from my password manager 2 more times. No problem. Worked flawlessly.

And then strange things happened:

The last transaction i made, was made from a segwit address to a non segwit address and the change went to a non segwit address instead of a segwit address.

The last transaction was made to a non segwit, offline in tails generated paperwallet, which was a gift. It is still laying untouched.

This reminds me of following case, where a user had exactly the same problem, with all his bitcoin and transactions gone, as if he never used the wallet: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/7i60ga/alert_samourai_wallet_is_stealinglosing_funds/

However, after this transaction, for me, the wallet itself seemed functional = showing the bitcoin + the transactions. But i made no transaction.

And then the sadness came:

I was using Android 9.0 Beta, and because of some Apps not working correctly, i had to go back to the stable version. This means everything will be erased.

No problem, i setup my phone… setup Samourai… copy and pasted my mnemonic and my password from my password manager as i successfully did 2 times already (+ the first time after creating it, so actually 3 (!!!) Times) and boom: NOTHING.

0 BTC, 0 Transactions.

I tried again as this just can not be… with the same result. It was late in the night, so i thought its just some mistake now and i should try again tomorrow… Well, i tried again .. and no … it didnt worked.

Since then i tried and tried and tried and asked others for help, but nothing. No access.

Last used address:

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1DnSQYHWGBqhhb7DHgmJH2Lc7jK7ZzBbih

I can see my bitcoin are still there, nothing stolen.

As i have nothing to loose with this wallet anymore, since i tried anything that came to my Mind and also talked with a couple “crypto experts” who are also shocked and have no idea anymore, i just ask here now and maybe someone has any idea what to do or to try. I can only win.


My Password is easy by the way, i insert it at least once a day into a local computer. No random signs… super easy and stored in my head aswell…

Actually, i would be happy if could just say “the bitcoin are gone”, so this situation has a ending. No more hope and trying. For now it feels for me like they are so near but still so far. And as long as something can be tried, i have to try.

So, if anybody has any idea… Let me know

Thank you very much, I'm grateful for any help.

Here are 2 videos of restoring a wallet:
Electrum: https://t.me/samouraifunny/3896
Samourai: https://t.me/samouraifunny/3897

[Rickorick]

I hope that isn't your seed in the video? if it is, take it down. Try recovering with electrum first but with legacy instead of segwit. you could also manually look for the address with this tool https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

[nc50lc]

Regarding the "wrong change address format", that bug seemed linked to a faulty address generation in that wallet's code.
I've seen something similar, not in a wallet but in a mining app but the bug seems to be the same. Something to do with the address' "Hash 160" which was  wrongly used in the process.

I heard that it has the "self-destruct" function or whatever that is.
Have you tried the SMS recovery function?

To remotely retrieve your wallet seed for backup/restore. Send an SMS to your phone with the following message
SW seed YOUR_PIN_CODE
You will receive the HEX seed of your wallet in response which you can use to restore access to your bitcoin.

[bob123]

Something doesn't add up here.

You said you emptied your paper wallet -> samourai to have it on your mobile wallet.
The transaction you posted was done 25.11.2017. That's almost 1 year ago (why didn't you post it earlier ?)

And you have also mentioned that you were using android 9 beta. But the beta got released May 2018.
That's 6 months AFTER your funds got 'lost'.


Could you please explain this to me (preferably with a CORRECT timeline of all incidents) ?

[HCP]

I emptied one of my paper wallets into Samourai here, to have funds available in my “Everyday Wallet”: https://www.blockchain.com/btc/tx/1e692406e1d4cdf7842130e550ec3a2610fcd62a96ee8eb6f3706f1153fd804a

Are you sure about that? Both the outputs in that transaction are to "1"-type legacy addresses... not a "3"-type address as you are implying that your Samourai wallet was (or should be) producing...

Last used address:

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1DnSQYHWGBqhhb7DHgmJH2Lc7jK7ZzBbih

I can see my bitcoin are still there, nothing stolen.

Again, you're saying that your wallet was producing "1"-type addresses?


Can you please clarify why you think the address *should* be "33ukyLpUc8HL4GXfPcAUtVR3KyV2g2JCPN"? when all the other addresses that you've apparently used for your wallet were "1"-type legacy addresses?

[Crypt0naire]

I hope that isn't your seed in the video? if it is, take it down. Try recovering with electrum first but with legacy instead of segwit. you could also manually look for the address with this tool https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

No, No, don't worry. these are just fictionous seeds, and people from samourais telegram group who are very nicely trying to help me, told me to add the videos to show that i properly know how to restore a wallet.

Regarding the "wrong change address format", that bug seemed linked to a faulty address generation in that wallet's code.
I've seen something similar, not in a wallet but in a mining app but the bug seems to be the same. Something to do with the address' "Hash 160" which was  wrongly used in the process.

I heard that it has the "self-destruct" function or whatever that is.
Have you tried the SMS recovery function?

To remotely retrieve your wallet seed for backup/restore. Send an SMS to your phone with the following message
SW seed YOUR_PIN_CODE
You will receive the HEX seed of your wallet in response which you can use to restore access to your bitcoin.

No, i never used this function. I also never used any of the other functions like PayNym, Routing or others, i just used it simply as an everyday wallet.

Something doesn't add up here.

You said you emptied your paper wallet -> samourai to have it on your mobile wallet.
The transaction you posted was done 25.11.2017. That's almost 1 year ago (why didn't you post it earlier ?)

And you have also mentioned that you were using android 9 beta. But the beta got released May 2018.
That's 6 months AFTER your funds got 'lost'.


Could you please explain this to me (preferably with a CORRECT timeline of all incidents) ?

This is correct, i created the wallet in November 2017 and emptied a paperwallet on it to have funds on it available to use as a simple everyday wallet.

I used the wallet happily, without any problems and even restored it 2 times (after the initial creation and precautionary direct restore in November) until around June 2018, when i lost access.

And yes... since June i am trying.. First i try anything i can, then i asked around and well, now i am at the point of asking for public help, since i am out of ideas and even the "Pros" were just shocked and/or out of words.
It just makes no sense at all.
I might be victim of a unknown bug, maybe something highly complex, maybe something super simple... its unbelievable

I emptied one of my paper wallets into Samourai here, to have funds available in my “Everyday Wallet”: https://www.blockchain.com/btc/tx/1e692406e1d4cdf7842130e550ec3a2610fcd62a96ee8eb6f3706f1153fd804a

Are you sure about that? Both the outputs in that transaction are to "1"-type legacy addresses... not a "3"-type address as you are implying that your Samourai wallet was (or should be) producing...

Last used address:

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1DnSQYHWGBqhhb7DHgmJH2Lc7jK7ZzBbih

I can see my bitcoin are still there, nothing stolen.

Again, you're saying that your wallet was producing "1"-type addresses?


Can you please clarify why you think the address *should* be "33ukyLpUc8HL4GXfPcAUtVR3KyV2g2JCPN"? when all the other addresses that you've apparently used for your wallet were "1"-type legacy addresses?

Yes, i emptied funds from a non segwit, offfline generated paperwallet into samourai and used it without any problems.

The last Transaction made until i lost access, was ironically to a non segwit, offline generated paperwallet, which was a gift.

All change then went to a non segwit address (produced by samourai), and there i can see my coins laying and waiting for me, unaccessible.. 

[HCP]

No, No, don't worry. these are just fictionous seeds, and people from samourais telegram group who are very nicely trying to help me, told me to add the videos to show that i properly know how to restore a wallet.

Ahhhhh ok... that explains it.

So the addresses and wallets in the demo video have absolutely nothing to do with your actual wallet. That was very confusing and of no real help to be honest.

Which puts us back at square #1... you have a seed, it isn't generating the wallet/addresses you have been using, which means that while your seed is "valid", either the seed or the passphrase you're using aren't the same as what was originally used... yet, you claim you have used this exact seed/passphrase combo to restore the wallet before?

Given that you cannot copy/paste into Samourai, I can only assume you have somehow managed to enter either the incorrect seed word or, more likely, typed in the incorrect passphrase when setting up your Samourai wallet before... which would result in a different wallet and addresses.


The only other explanation that I can think of would be that Samourai modified their code to use a different derivation path at some point (it is apparently "alpha" software)... Have you asked the devs?

[Rickorick]

From what i can see, the first address you emptied the paper wallet to was a non-segwit address and then later on, you posted a segwit address sending to a non-segwit address??

what if the change went to the initial non-segwit account you first emptied the paper wallet to? how many bitcoin accounts do you have in samurai?

[Crypt0naire]

No, No, don't worry. these are just fictionous seeds, and people from samourais telegram group who are very nicely trying to help me, told me to add the videos to show that i properly know how to restore a wallet.

Ahhhhh ok... that explains it.

So the addresses and wallets in the demo video have absolutely nothing to do with your actual wallet. That was very confusing and of no real help to be honest.

Which puts us back at square #1... you have a seed, it isn't generating the wallet/addresses you have been using, which means that while your seed is "valid", either the seed or the passphrase you're using aren't the same as what was originally used... yet, you claim you have used this exact seed/passphrase combo to restore the wallet before?

Given that you cannot copy/paste into Samourai, I can only assume you have somehow managed to enter either the incorrect seed word or, more likely, typed in the incorrect passphrase when setting up your Samourai wallet before... which would result in a different wallet and addresses.


The only other explanation that I can think of would be that Samourai modified their code to use a different derivation path at some point (it is apparently "alpha" software)... Have you asked the devs?

Yes, the demo videos have nothing to do with it. They wanted me to add it to show that im not a total noob who doesnt know what he is doing, i guess.

Yes, i have the seed and i have the corresponding password. And yes, i restored it precautionary directly after creating the wallet, and 2 more times until i lost access in june.  I would say exactly the same like you, which is why i tell my experience, which is just the truth i experienced and makes it so strange.

You can copy and paste in Samourai and i restored it successfully via copy and paste 3 times. Only since june it suddenly doesnt work anymore with the exact same data copy and pasted.

The Samourai Devs didnt help me, they just say they hope i will remember my password. But very friendly people from Samourais Telegram group are actively helping me and trying to recover it with me.

From what i can see, the first address you emptied the paper wallet to was a non-segwit address and then later on, you posted a segwit address sending to a non-segwit address??

what if the change went to the initial non-segwit account you first emptied the paper wallet to? how many bitcoin accounts do you have in samurai?

Correct, the first transaction ever to the new generated samourai Wallet was from a non segwit paperwallet. and the last transaction made with this wallet before loosing access, was to a non segwit paperwallet.

The initial non-segwit-account was a single address paperwallet and in samourai i had only one account /wallet generated which i used.

[igor72]

Did you try to install the old version of Samourai? I found this one https://www.mediafire.com/file/ympoeza670xx9mx/Samourai.ver.0.97.03.build.79.apk

[TryNinja]

Did you try to install the old version of Samourai? I found this one https://www.mediafire.com/file/ympoeza670xx9mx/Samourai.ver.0.97.03.build.79.apk

Hey, I was the one who uploaded this APK, and it's legit (as proved in my full post). But I suggest that you always show some evidence that the files you are linking to someone is legit (in case it's not coming from an official website). This APK could be infected with any address changer or private-keys/seed stealer.

That's how you can verify if the file is legit:

You can't find the apk anywhere else.

I uploaded the APK from the PlayStore for you. But of course you can't trust me, right? So you can verify that the file is legit by doing this:

1. Visit https://md5file.com/calculator or any other SHA256 file calculator.
2. Download the APK file and select it in the MD5File website.
3. You will see that the SHA-256 generated is the same as the one found in the Samourai's github for the Release 0.97.03.

APK file: https://www.mediafire.com/file/ympoeza670xx9mx/Samourai.ver.0.97.03.build.79.apk