bitaddress.org and MY Wallet

[aardvark15]

Question:  I created an account with My Wallet and it gave me a public Bitcoin address and it also gave me what I thought was a passphrase that they used to generate the public address and private key.  The passphrase is a list of about 12 random words in case I lose my address.  They did not give me a private key as far as I know.  To check and to get the private key, several days later I went to bitaddress.org and entered that passphrase in the Brainwallet section.  I assumed that it would generate the same public address and also show me the private key.  However, the public address was not the same as the one My Wallet gave me.  Shouldn't it be the same, or am I missing something?

[bardi.harborow]

I can only assume that you mean blockchain.info's My Wallet. If so, the passphrase was the password to your web wallet, not to the address. You can export your private key by logging back into My Wallet with that password and your username (looks something like 67d16919-7f0e-473e-a8e8-de3c20df5a78).

If you can't remember your username check in your history, there should be a url like:

https://blockchain.info/wallet/67d16919-7f0e-473e-a8e8-de3c20df5a78

Blockchain.info's My Wallet is a web wallet (a highly secure, client side one at that). It is a service that stores your private keys in a manner that you can retrieve them but they can't. You can also make transactions with this but it all happens client side. I would recommend using My Wallet, but remember, the password is to encrypt the web wallet, not the private key's passcode.

If you need any help recovering your money, send me a PM. =)

[aardvark15]

bardi,

Thanks for the info.  Yes, I was referring to blockchain info's My Wallet.  I get the passphrase now.

So if I "export" the private key, does that mean it will be available to me by being shown on my computer screen?  And if so, does that mean I risk having it exposed and seen by a hacker?  Would it be better to not see it at all for security?