This is what I got:
That Trezor rebuilding the same wallet is the proof you were after, not something to worry about. Two different things are getting tangled here.
The 24 words are your BIP39 seed. Those come from the fixed 2048-word list and carry a checksum, which is why a Ledger can only ever make BIP39 ones.
Your passphrase (the 25th-word feature) sits on top and works differently. It's an arbitrary string: any letters, any case, spaces included, and it's not meant to come from the BIP39 list at all. So your "custom English words" passphrase is completely normal. Nothing non-standard is happening.
The two get fed together through the same PBKDF2 step on any BIP39 wallet, and that spits out one specific set of keys. Same 24 words plus the same passphrase gives the same keys on a Ledger, a Trezor, or Electrum. That's why the Trezor came back with the identical balance and history. You've already shown you can restore it on other hardware, which was your original question.
Worth sitting with the fake-passphrase test you ran. It "didn't succeed" because a wrong passphrase never errors out, it quietly opens a different wallet that's empty. The passphrase carries no checksum and nothing to validate it against, so any string you type opens some valid wallet, just not yours. That makes it the one piece you can't afford to lose or mistype: if the 24 words survive but the exact passphrase doesn't, the coins are gone, and a 12-word custom phrase like yours can't be brute-forced back. Back it up character for character, case and spacing included, same care as the seed.
Then keep verifying the way you just did: rebuild on a second device and confirm the first receive address matches. The seed and passphrase always produce the same keys, but a wallet only shows the same addresses if it uses the same derivation path, so that address match is the real check.
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Thank you — the story is real, and it happens more often than people think. Many do need help after losing their seed phrase or password. But you rarely hear someone say, “I got my 10 BTC recovered.” Most prefer to stay quiet to avoid unwanted attention and the risks that come with it. What people do talk about openly is being scammed. This silence naturally contributes to the bias against recovery services.
This message is simply a reminder: don’t lose hope, and keep searching for your wallet backups.
As I understand, direct advertising is not allowed here. Still, we’d like to become part of this forum community, just as Dave did. He also faced a lot of criticism at first, but over time, he managed to establish himself here.
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nc50lc's read fits: a padding error means those ckeys sit under a different master key, not a wrong IV (a wrong IV still pads clean and just mismatches the pubkey), so it's a half-finished passphrase change. Note that btcrecover and john only ever test the mkey, so you cracked the password to one master key, never proof the funded keys decrypt. The one shot without an old backup is that the old mkey may still be in the file: wallet.dat is Berkeley DB and it doesn't zero overwritten records, so on a copy, dig through it with db_dump or a hex editor for a second mkey-like record in the free pages (pywallet's --recover scans raw space for key structures but has no dedicated mkey carving, so it's a long shot on its own). Pull any extra mkey candidate and brute it with the same wordlist. If there's no old backup, no second mkey anywhere, and no memory of the old password, those keys are gone.
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It's a lot to write, but I will try.
Your raw Base58 numbers are right, but they aren't the interval you hand Kangaroo. The last 4 bytes of the payload are the Base58Check checksum, and in both your cases that checksum sits entirely inside the unknown suffix. It's a double-SHA256 of the key, so it's fully determined the moment the key is fixed, which means it carries no search entropy at all. Drop those 32 bits and case A is a ~50-bit interval, case B ~62 bits, not 82 and 94.
Derivation that gives you exact bounds:
1. Take your known prefix. Decode prefix + "1"*N and prefix + "z"*N as plain Base58 integers, not Base58Check. Those two strings have invalid checksums, so a checked decode will just reject them. Call the results W_min and W_max.
2. Strip version and checksum:
k_min = (W_min - (0x80 << 288)) >> 32
k_max = (W_max - (0x80 << 288)) >> 32
The subtraction removes the 0x80 version byte, the >>32 drops the 4 checksum bytes.
3. range = k_max - k_min + 1, which lands at about 58^N / 2^32.
Yes, it's effectively one continuous interval. The true W sits in [W_min, W_max] and the subtract-and-shift is monotonic, so the real key is always inside [k_min, k_max] by construction. I enumerated one full interval end to end and every key in it reproduces the fixed prefix, bar a single key at each boundary, so it's one contiguous block. The 2^32 for the checksum is already baked into the interval width, so it doesn't strip anything further out inside the range.
The checksum is not a filter you apply while searching. Kangaroo solves against the pubkey, so it walks straight to the key inside the interval and never touches the checksum. The checksum only shows up in how you derive the bounds.
Set your Kangaroo range to the interval width, so around 50 and 62 bits, and start = k_min. Overstating range to 82 just wastes some time, but the real trap is skipping the >>32: feed it the raw W interval and your k sits ~2^32 too high, so it finds nothing and it looks like the whole method failed. Also keep every test vector strictly mainnet uncompressed, 37-byte payload, no 0x01 flag. One compressed key (52 chars) throws off both the offset and the shift.
On the 3090 both are trivial once the interval's correct. 50 bits is ~2^25 jumps, sub-second; 62 bits is ~2^31, a second or two at your 2.24 GK/s. Post the synthetic vector if you want a second pair of eyes on the bounds before you trust the derivation.
I hope you will find this information useful.
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I also want to report this user. He was recently active and his posts were detected by AI.
User:
alex.b.oIs self-custody still the best option for holding Bitcoin long term?
Guys, just want you to know my point of view.
It can be a good option to hold Bitcoin for the long term, but it comes with more responsibility.
The benefit is controlling the private keys on your own rather than relying on a custodian.
I also recommend offline or hardware wallets for savings.
The risk is losing or exposing your seed phrase unintentionally. If someone gets it, they can potentially take your BTC; if you lose it, recovery may not be possible.
So, my view: for long-term Bitcoin, self-custody makes sense if you’re willing to learn basic security and keep your backup offline and secure.
I also want your opinion. Why do you think, guys?
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I agree that storing Bitcoin across multiple wallets can reduce the risk of losing everything if one wallet is compromised. However, I don’t think changing wallet addresses every few years is necessary by itself. Good security practices, such as protecting your seed phrase, using wallets that security is high, and avoiding phishing links, are more important. I personally use Oppi Wallet for keeping some of my Bitcoin separate from other holdings.
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I think buy-and-hold is probably the simplest approach for a small investor. Bitcoin can still have major price swings. Trading, lending, or other strategies may offer additional benefits, but they also come with more risk. Personally, I’d keep things simple and only invest what I’m comfortable holding for the long term.
But guys, can you tell me which wallet I should use to keep my bitcoin?
I have using one right now!
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This user is the same. He seems to be in such a rush to create a post so he can report it and earn merit that he doesn't care that it's AI-generated.
User:
Ethan151I agree with this. The search function is more useful than many new members realize. Before starting a thread, I think it is worth checking not only the title but also a few related keywords, because an older discussion may already contain the answers or experiences you are looking for.
It also helps us contribute something new instead of repeating the same points. Sometimes the best way to start a good discussion is to search first, learn from what has already been shared, and then add a fresh perspective. I believe that habit can make the forum more useful for everyone.
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This is a good example of why beginners like me should take wallet security seriously. A seed phrase is not something to type or display casually, especially in a public place where someone could be watching.
I think many people focus on learning how to buy or use Bitcoin but don't spend enough time learning how to protect it. Simple habits like keeping your seed phrase private and being aware of your surroundings can prevent a serious loss.
Sometimes, being careful with the basics is more important than knowing everything about crypto.
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As a beginner, I’m learning that Bitcoin isn't just about buying and making money. Security, carefulness, and having the right information are very important.
Some key lessons I’ve learned:
•Always protect your wallet and recovery information.
•Double-check wallet addresses before sending.
•Be careful with scams and unrealistic promises.
•Never invest money you cannot afford to lose.
•Do your own research before making decisions.
I’m still learning, so I’d appreciate any additional safety tips from experienced members.
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I don't think changing a wallet address every 3–8 years should be treated as a security rule. It can be useful for privacy, especially when an address has been used repeatedly, but it does not automatically make the funds more secure.
If the seed phrase or private key has been compromised, simply generating a new address from the same wallet will not solve the problem. In that situation, the important step is to move the funds to a completely secure wallet with a new seed.
For long-term holders, I think the priority should be protecting the seed phrase, using a properly secured wallet, keeping reliable backups, and avoiding unnecessary transactions. Address changes should mainly be considered from a privacy perspective rather than as a fixed 3–8 year security routine.
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