Cashing out a paper wallet made in 2013

[thelongcoin]

Guys, could really use your help and expertise here.  I found a paper wallet I made with a 12 word seed from bitaddress.org back in 2018.  It's not got much, but it'll cover some bills.  So I already have a Coinbase account.  What's the safest way to get the paper wallet into Coinbase?  I downloaded Coinbase Wallet on the Apple store, and when I run the app, it asked if I had a 12 word seed.  I thought 'this is too easy' and wondered if they meant a 12 word seed from some other wallet program, not a 12 word seed from bitaddress.org.  Also, from my account on coinbase.com, there is no import paper wallet or load private key option.  And one more thing, the receive address for my coinbase account starts with a 3 and my bitcoin address starts with a 1.  Is there some incompatibility issues I need to be aware of?  Finally, I heard that bitcoin 'forked' once or twice and I might have more coins than just bitcoin??  How's that work for sweeping my paper wallet?

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[Charles-Tim]

Are you sure the 12 word seed phrase is from bitaddress.org? All I know is that paper wallet generate a private key and an address. Maybe you generated another wallet which is not paper wallet.

I do not know how the 12 word seed phrase is generated, but you can import it on electrum wallet (download from electrum.org and verify) to check if you have the bitcoin on it.

Or, do you have the private key to the address the bitcoin is sent too, such private key generated by paper wallet. In this case, you will need to open the electrum, click on import Bitcoin addresses or private keys, and import the private key to see your coin. You can send it to coinbase.com irrespective of the bitcoin address.

You can enter the bitcoin address on blockchair.com to check for the forked coins. You can reply here if you see any forked coin.

About sweeping, transaction fee will be needed for it, I will advice you to import the private key on electrum wallet as directed above.

[vapourminer]

as charles-tim mentioned, i dont think bitaddress.org around that time (or any time maybe) used seed words, it only generated private keys and public addys. at least thats what i remember when i made paper wallets back then.

[thelongcoin]

On an offline computer, I used a copy of bitaddress.org to enter a brainwallet passphrase of 12 words and the private key and public key were displayed.   I printed that offline, and keep the info safe until now.   I'm confident I have the public and private key.  Just trying to move the coins safely to coinbase.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

So I already have a Coinbase account.  What's the safest way to get the paper wallet into Coinbase?

Why Coinbase?

You have better options for bitcoin wallet: Electrum, Wasabi. With those wallets, you totally control your bitcoin and you don't need any account to control your bitcoin. No one can shut down your wallet.

Sweeping your private keys into Electrum
Importing your private keys into Electrum
How to back up your Electrum wallet?

Bitaddress.org
You have two options when you create your wallet:
- Compressed address
- Non-compressed address (if you don't check the box, it will create a non-compressed address)

You will have two different bitcoin addresses and bitcoin private keys with two options.

Import it into Electrum.
- File > New/ Restore
- Name a wallet file > Next
- Import Bitcoin addresss or Private keys
- Paste your private key (from Bitaddress.org) > Next
- Create a password for your wallet file > Next
- Click on the Address tab to get your bitcoin address.

[thelongcoin]

I'm trying to sell the coins on coinbase.  I already have an account with coinbase.  I'm just not sure how to send to coinbase and what the bitcoin addresses that start with 3 have to do with the transfer.

[BurtW]

On an offline computer, I used a copy of bitaddress.org to enter a brainwallet passphrase of 12 words and the private key and public key were displayed.   I printed that offline, and keep the info safe until now.   I'm confident I have the public and private key.  Just trying to move the coins safely to coinbase.

So:

1: get a reliable wallet like those mentioned in this thread and sweep the private key into that wallet.

2: now, simply transfer the coins from that wallet to coinbase

3: sell the coins

[Maus0728]

I'm trying to sell the coins on coinbase.  I already have an account with coinbase.  I'm just not sure how to send to coinbase and what the bitcoin addresses that start with 3 have to do with the transfer.

P2SH address format is a bitcoin addresses that starts with number '3' and is supported by coinbase, that is why you have given a deposit address starting from 3 in your coinbase account. Also, you really don't have to worry about sending your bitcoin from your legacy address (address starting from '1') to P2SH address (coinbase) since it is widely accepted and can be used to deposit funds from both legacy and bech32 (address starting from 'bc1') address format.

What you can do is to follow the steps provided by other members before me in importing the paper wallet's private key to a verified electrum wallet[1] so that you can transfer your bitcoin to your coinbase account and start selling your bitcoin. More importantly, you need to be aware that the paper wallet is no longer secure and can be considered as compromised after importing your private to another wallet since paper wallet is intended only for single use.

[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5240594.0

[o_e_l_e_o]

On an offline computer, I used a copy of bitaddress.org to enter a brainwallet passphrase of 12 words and the private key and public key were displayed.   I printed that offline, and keep the info safe until now.   I'm confident I have the public and private key.  Just trying to move the coins safely to coinbase.

bitaddress.org does not accept 12 word seed phrases in the normal sense. If you entered them as a brain wallet, then it has simple hashed those words and produced a private key and address from the hash. You will not be able to import those words in to another wallet and recover the same private key.

If you have the private key printed on the paper wallet, then that is what you will need to use. Follow Maus0728's link above to download and verify Electrum, import the private key to an Electrum wallet, and then send the funds to your Coinbase exchange account to be sold.

I downloaded Coinbase Wallet on the Apple store, and when I run the app, it asked if I had a 12 word seed.

Note that the Coinbase Wallet App and the Coinbase Exchange are two completely separate platforms. If you send the coins to the wallet app you will not be able to sell them on the exchange. Make sure you transfer them to your exchange account.

[odolvlobo]

On an offline computer, I used a copy of bitaddress.org to enter a brainwallet passphrase of 12 words and the private key and public key were displayed.   I printed that offline, and keep the info safe until now.   I'm confident I have the public and private key.  Just trying to move the coins safely to coinbase.

A brainwallet with 12 words is not a seed/recovery phrase. That is the source of your problem.

To recover your bitcoins, go to bitaddress.org and use the brain wallet phrase to generate the private key again. Then sweep or import that private key into a wallet of your choice.

Note that bitaddress.org can generate two private keys: compressed and uncompressed. Use the one that gives the correct address.

[LoyceV]

So is this a different wallet than your Dice wallet with a twist of regret?

What's the safest way to get the paper wallet into Coinbase?

This:

Install Electrum on your PC.
Import your address to create a watch-only wallet.
Preview the transaction, Copy the unsigned transaction. Put it on a USB stick.

Offline and running without hard drive storage:
Get a Linux LIVE DVD. Use Knoppix for instance, or any other distribution that comes with Electrum pre-installed.
Unplug your internet cable. Close the curtains. Reboot your computer and start up from that DVD. Don't enter any wireless connection password. Keep it offline.
Start Electrum. Import your private key.
Copy your unsigned transaction from the USB stick, load it into Electrum.
CHECK the transaction in Electrum. Check the fees, check the amount, check all destination addresses (character by character).
If all is okay, sign the transaction. Copy it back to your USB stick.
Turn off the computer. That wipes the Live LINUX from memory and all traces are gone.

Online:
Use your normal online Electrum to (check again and) broadcast the transaction.

Bonus:
After moving all your Bitcoin, and once the transaction confirmed, check if you own Forkcoins.

On an offline computer, I used a copy of bitaddress.org to enter a brainwallet passphrase of 12 words and the private key and public key were displayed.   I printed that offline, and keep the info safe until now.

If you have the private key to your brain wallet, you don't need the 12 words to access your funds.
Note: if you exposed those 12 (brain wallet) words to a hot wallet app like this:

I downloaded Coinbase Wallet on the Apple store, and when I run the app, it asked if I had a 12 word seed.  I thought 'this is too easy' and wondered if they meant a 12 word seed from some other wallet program, not a 12 word seed from bitaddress.org.

It means your former cold wallet is now by definition not cold anymore.

the receive address for my coinbase account starts with a 3 and my bitcoin address starts with a 1.  Is there some incompatibility issues I need to be aware of?

No.

I heard that bitcoin 'forked' once or twice and I might have more coins than just bitcoin??  How's that work for sweeping my paper wallet?

Sweep your Bitcoins first. Don't do anything until they're safely on another address.
After that, see for instance my Bitcoin Fork claiming guide (and service).

[UserU]

Finally, I heard that bitcoin 'forked' once or twice and I might have more coins than just bitcoin??  How's that work for sweeping my paper wallet?

Yes, you'd be granted several forks such as Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV and Bitcoin Gold on a 1:1 ratio.

As long as you sweep them into a compatible wallet (i.e. that support those forks), you could retrieve them.

[Oshosondy]

[Yes, you'd be granted several forks such as Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV and Bitcoin Gold on a 1:1 ratio.

As long as you sweep them into a compatible wallet (i.e. that support those forks), you could retrieve them.

If having the forked coin, he can just import the private key on a compatible wallet which will make the forked coins appear and spendable but bitcoin was sent to the wallet in 21018, all those cryptocurrencies forked before 2018 aside bitcoin SV, which means only bitcoin SV is likely to be seen if he sent bitcoin to the wallet before bitcoin SV forked in November 2018.