Recovering old Blockchain BTC wallet with only JSON file

[hooksets]

I had bitcoin on blockchain when it was still called blockchain.info around 2012 - 2013.
I found the old email where they sent me the "wallet.aes.json" file and it says it is all I would ever need to recover it.

How do I go about restoring my wallet with only a JSON file ?
any help would be highly appreciated  

[nc50lc]

I do not know the password to it.

With this statement, you can't.

When they said "it is all I would ever need to recover it", it means that you don't need to use their online wallet service to recover your Bitcoins.
But that file is encrypted with your password, without it, your only option is to bruteforce.
But to bruteforce the password, you'll have to at least know a good portion of your possible passwords, it can't start from blank.

[hooksets]

I do not know the password to it.

With this statement, you can't.

When they said "it is all I would ever need to recover it", it means that you don't need to use their online wallet service to recover your Bitcoins.
But that file is encrypted with your password, without it, your only option is to bruteforce.
But to bruteforce the password, you'll have to at least know a good portion of your possible passwords, it can't start from blank.

I do have ideas of what it could be.
Where do I go to use the JSON file?

[BlackBoss_]

I had bitcoin on blockchain when it was still called blockchain.info around 2012 - 2013.
I found the old email where they sent me the "wallet.aes.json" file and it says it is all I would ever need to recover it.
I do not know the password to it.
How do I go about restoring my wallet with only a JSON file
any help would be highly appreciated 

You will need to brute force your wallet password. Succeed or fail with wallet brute force, it will depend on how strong or weak your wallet password is, and how many clue words or characters of wallet password you have. It seems you have no clue for it.

It will be affected by your computer computational power to brute force the password too.

A video guide on Youtube.

If your password is too strong, forget about brute forcing it.
https://www.hivesystems.com/blog/are-your-passwords-in-the-green

[hooksets]

I understand cracking the password. I just dont understand where to use the JSON file. As in where do i import it

[nc50lc]

-snip-
But to bruteforce the password, you'll have to at least know a good portion of your possible passwords, it can't start from blank.

I do have ideas of what it could be.
Where do I go to use the JSON file?

Only do it on an Air-Gap machine with good specs and preferably, with supported GPU of the Bruteforce tool.
Do not use any tool that requires to be online and do not blindly trust anyone to do it for you if it has any significant amount.

One recommended and well-reviewed bruteforce tool that supports wallet.aes.json file is "BTCRecover": https://github.com/3rdIteration/btcrecover
Here's its documentation for setup and basics: https://btcrecover.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

If you need help with the creation of a "token" file based from what you have, reply with a good description of your known passwords, not the possible passwords themselves.
Something like this: "It's 14 characters, the first 6 are something like asdfgh, qwerty or zxcvbn, the 7th and 8th are numbers, I'm missing the last 6"
Now, depending on the situation (number of missing or how accurate the known characters are), it may be easy or impossible to bruteforce.

[marcotheminer]

If you wish to use blockchain.info (now .com) again, here is their direct upload: https://login.blockchain.com/beta/legacy-pages/import-wallet.html

[hooksets]

If you wish to use blockchain.info (now .com) again, here is their direct upload: https://login.blockchain.com/beta/legacy-pages/import-wallet.html

Thanks, when i use this link and drag my wallet in it prompt me to set a new password.
After setting new password it takes me all the way back to the beginning of the process?
What does this mean?

[marcotheminer]

If you wish to use blockchain.info (now .com) again, here is their direct upload: https://login.blockchain.com/beta/legacy-pages/import-wallet.html

Thanks, when i use this link and drag my wallet in it prompt me to set a new password.
After setting new password it takes me all the way back to the beginning of the process?
What does this mean?

I believe the new password is for the creation of a new account, which would have the wallet file imported.
Odd if there is a feedback-loop-bug thing going on though.. Tell their support if you can't figure it out. Good luck.

[nc50lc]

Thanks, when i use this link and drag my wallet in it prompt me to set a new password.

Do you mean this prompt after dragging the wallet.aes.json file?:

Because that's asking for the dropped wallet's password (when the 'wallet.aes.json' backup is created).
Without the correct password, you will not be able to restore it to their online wallet.

But I've tested that link and it seems broken in their v5 beta online wallet, even provided with the correct password, it'll just send you back to their home page.

Please be careful on restoring your wallet to their website if you think it has high balance though since it's all done online.
It would be safer to decrypt it using their old but working "my wallet decryption tool" (GitHub Link) after recovering the correct password, which can all be done entirely offline.

[hooksets]

Thanks, when i use this link and drag my wallet in it prompt me to set a new password.

Do you mean this prompt after dragging the wallet.aes.json file?:
https://www.talkimg.com/images/2024/12/10/p55q3.png
Because that's asking for the dropped wallet's password (when the 'wallet.aes.json' backup is created).
Without the correct password, you will not be able to restore it to their online wallet.

But I've tested that link and it seems broken in their v5 beta online wallet, even provided with the correct password, it'll just send you back to their home page.

Please be careful on restoring your wallet to their website if you think it has high balance though since it's all done online.
It would be safer to decrypt it using their old but working "my wallet decryption tool" (GitHub Link) after recovering the correct password, which can all be done entirely offline.

yes, upon entering the correc password it propts e to create a new one and then does nothing... it says "Private keys successfully imported, please enter a password for the new wallet. It must be at least 10 characters in length."

Thanks, when i use this link and drag my wallet in it prompt me to set a new password.

Do you mean this prompt after dragging the wallet.aes.json file?:
https://www.talkimg.com/images/2024/12/10/p55q3.png
Because that's asking for the dropped wallet's password (when the 'wallet.aes.json' backup is created).
Without the correct password, you will not be able to restore it to their online wallet.

But I've tested that link and it seems broken in their v5 beta online wallet, even provided with the correct password, it'll just send you back to their home page.

Please be careful on restoring your wallet to their website if you think it has high balance though since it's all done online.
It would be safer to decrypt it using their old but working "my wallet decryption tool" (GitHub Link) after recovering the correct password, which can all be done entirely offline.

What would decrypting it provide??

[nc50lc]

yes, upon entering the correc password it propts e to create a new one and then does nothing... it says "Private keys successfully imported, please enter a password for the new wallet. It must be at least 10 characters in length."

I though you don't know the password?
Anyways, it's good news if you remembered it since all you have to do is to decrypt the wallet.aes.json file to get your keys.

-snip-

What would decrypting it provide??

With their decryption tool?
If provided with the correct password; it'll show you the contents of you wallet file with plain "Base58" private keys (not encrypted).

Then you can use any reputable tool to encode that to WIF (Wallet Import Format) aka "Base58Check" to be able to import to another client like Electrum.
E.g.: Brainwallet's fork (link) has a built-in "converter" that can be used offline (in the Air-Gap machine where the description should be done).

[hooksets]

yes, upon entering the correc password it propts e to create a new one and then does nothing... it says "Private keys successfully imported, please enter a password for the new wallet. It must be at least 10 characters in length."

I though you don't know the password?
Anyways, it's good news if you remembered it since all you have to do is to decrypt the wallet.aes.json file to get your keys.

-snip-

What would decrypting it provide??

With their decryption tool?
If provided with the correct password; it'll show you the contents of you wallet file with plain "Base58" private keys (not encrypted).

Then you can use any reputable tool to encode that to WIF (Wallet Import Format) aka "Base58Check" to be able to import to another client like Electrum.
E.g.: Brainwallet's fork (link) has a built-in "converter" that can be used offline (in the Air-Gap machine where the description should be done).

Well i happened to guess the correct password. I just want to bring it into my blockchain account. and its not letting me

[ifeelit]

yes, upon entering the correc password it propts e to create a new one and then does nothing... it says "Private keys successfully imported, please enter a password for the new wallet. It must be at least 10 characters in length."

I though you don't know the password?
Anyways, it's good news if you remembered it since all you have to do is to decrypt the wallet.aes.json file to get your keys.

-snip-

What would decrypting it provide??

With their decryption tool?
If provided with the correct password; it'll show you the contents of you wallet file with plain "Base58" private keys (not encrypted).

Then you can use any reputable tool to encode that to WIF (Wallet Import Format) aka "Base58Check" to be able to import to another client like Electrum.
E.g.: Brainwallet's fork (link) has a built-in "converter" that can be used offline (in the Air-Gap machine where the description should be done).

Well i happened to guess the correct password. I just want to bring it into my blockchain account. and its not letting me

Hi all, have same issue...

i have json file from 2013 , have correct password.

https://i.ibb.co/5xfhCz6J/2025-11-14-08-59-46.png

https://i.ibb.co/Fq4WJ0cy/2025-11-14-09-01-29.png

but i am getting

Verification failed
Please return to Blockchain.com to try again.
Internal Server Error

any ideas ?