Damaged paper wallets with balance of 43 BTC and 5 BTC. Pre-New Year adventures.

[Sergey Magalyas]

Just before the New Year, my child inserted a sheet of paper with a paper wallet from my desk into the shredder. The shredder was plugged in and started shredding the sheet. I managed to pull it out, but some of the private key symbols were destroyed. In my paper wallet, I have 2 addresses with a balance:
1GkL2vdtkStT5Wa4YG1pN3f9w2P6WJQyqJ balance 43.8 BTC (41 WIF symbols survived)
1PkM3Hgw7xDrBeGWhs2zdNXSmam2BikAKX balance 5.5 BTC (31 WIF symbols survived)

http://postimg.su/image/odLUU6GK/1.jpg

There was less than a week left until the New Year and I started studying GPU software for recovering unknown characters at the end of a private key.
I decided to start with the address 1GkL2vdtkStT5Wa4YG1pN3f9w2P6WJQyqJ, where 41 characters are known.
WifSolverCuda could not solve the problem. It only recovers characters in the middle and beginning of a private key.
FinderOuter refused to start on my computer, there is only Linux (I have Windows).
BTCRecover seems to be able to recover WIF, but I could not figure out how to do it.
BITCOIN-WIF-Recovery can solve this problem, but the search time was very long.

I realized that I need to search through HEX keys.
Knowing the first 41 characters of the key, I calculated the WIF ranges
5J*9611114bdqKK
5J*9711115thGTG
The WIF keys are in sequential order relative to the private keys. I was able to determine the HEX ranges.
188****249bceb92
188****24fb771b7
With the help of keyhunt I was able to determine the private key in a minute. And a few days before the new year I successfully got access to the coins))))))

http://postimg.su/image/e4KZw6W2/2.jpg

On the second wallet 1PkM3Hgw7xDrBeGWhs2zdNXSmam2BikAKX the situation is more complicated, but I had outgoing transactions from this address. I decided to use the algorithm "Baby Step Giant Step (BSGS)"
Knowing the first 31 characters of the key, I calculated the WIF ranges and HEX ranges.
5K***wh111111111111112n4ctq
5K***wi111111111111113ZdYQK
b67****fe3eb1fcb518100e5daa7cc30
b67****fe40ede330771f36e75571c83
Total 43211566443142029589303379 HEX key variants.

Unfortunately, I was not able to quickly restore the key. I have a very powerful computer, but with my speed of 506 Pkeys/s (506359533900084483 keys/s) the required time for selection is more than 2 years.

http://postimg.su/image/Wl7Au1Jx/3.jpg

I have studied all the best programs for brute-forcing a private key, and BSGS is the fastest algorithm at the moment. I do not want to look for the key for 2 years. I decided to postpone the search for the key until programs with greater performance than now appear. Perhaps quantum computers will be able to do this in a few seconds in a couple of years.
By that time, Bitcoin will be worth much more. So I will only benefit from waiting.

I hope my experience in recovering keys will help someone recover damaged keys.

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to all!!!!

[Ultegra134]

I don't know how to help you, but you claim that the second address (1GkL2vdtkStT5Wa4YG1pN3f9w2P6WJQyqJ) has 44 BTC, but in reality, those were moved just a few days before New Year's Eve, on 28th of December. Am I seeing something wrong here?

Also, even though it's going to be a tedious process, can't you find the shredded pieces and attempt to figure out the missing digits? It'll take some time but perhaps you'll figure it out. Since you've already recovered the second wallet, you can rule out any letters or numbers from the shredded pieces, you certainly won't figure out the entire private key, but you'll perhaps find a few more digits that'll assist you into bruteforcing and finding the rest, just like you did previously.

Edit: I apologize, I didn't notice in this huge wall of text that you managed to move the 44 Bitcoin. Good job! At least you saved the major wallet.

[NeuroticFish]

Nice story. However, especially seeing OP trust rating, I don't trust it.
It can easily be only a cover story to sell some worthless string of characters for big money.

OP, just for the sake of it, can you at least sign from 1GkL2vdtkStT5Wa4YG1pN3f9w2P6WJQyqJ a message containing a date from this year? It could give a tad of credibility to all this.

[Sergey Magalyas]

Also, even though it's going to be a tedious process, can't you find the shredded pieces and attempt to figure out the missing digits? It'll take some time but perhaps you'll figure it out. Since you've already recovered the second wallet, you can rule out any letters or numbers from the shredded pieces, you certainly won't figure out the entire private key, but you'll perhaps find a few more digits that'll assist you into bruteforcing and finding the rest, just like you did previously.

Checked Schroeder, empty, probably threw garbage before the New Year.

Nice story. However, especially seeing OP trust rating, I don't trust it.
It can easily be only a cover story to sell some worthless string of characters for big money.

OP, just for the sake of it, can you at least sign from 1GkL2vdtkStT5Wa4YG1pN3f9w2P6WJQyqJ a message containing a date from this year? It could give a tad of credibility to all this.

I have no goal to sell this key. I will leave these 31 symbol of the key to myself. I just shared history.
I do not know how to sign a message in Bitcoin. I no longer have the lower two keys. I took off the coins, cut the sheet and threw out unnecessary keys so as not to get confused.

http://postimg.su/image/G0TGC4vM/Screenshot_2025-01-04-14-55-12-53_33d451c556a6e6f31d43996663571c40~2.jpg

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[Ramil111]

Why haven't you used these coins for more than 10 years? There was a temptation, right?

[Sergey Magalyas]

Why haven't you used these coins for more than 10 years? There was a temptation, right?

I had more than one paper wallet.

[LDL]

Undoubtedly, this is a sad incident but it is normal for investors who unwisely write down the password/security of Bitcoin holdings in paper wallets. However, this could be seen as an important sign in the new year as investors who have not been aware of their bitcoins until now may become aware of this phenomenon. But in my case I keep my holdings of bitcoins in a paper wallet as well as in an important place so that my wallet phase is not lost forever due to water or weather.

[Sergey Magalyas]

Undoubtedly, this is a sad incident but it is normal for investors who unwisely write down the password/security of Bitcoin holdings in paper wallets. However, this could be seen as an important sign in the new year as investors who have not been aware of their bitcoins until now may become aware of this phenomenon. But in my case I keep my holdings of bitcoins in a paper wallet as well as in an important place so that my wallet phase is not lost forever due to water or weather.

A paper wallet is the safest storage, I think.
only the wallet needs to be created on a computer without the Internet. I have seen many complaints that coins were stolen from wallets created using the BitAdress website. Maybe their website is hacked. I don't know for sure.

[Knight Hider]

my child inserted a sheet of paper with a paper wallet from my desk into the shredder. The shredder was plugged in and started shredding the sheet. I managed to pull it out,

Checked Schroeder, empty, probably threw garbage before the New Year.

Do you always always throw away everything that can help you restore your Bitcoin after a disaster happened?

[Sergey Magalyas]

my child inserted a sheet of paper with a paper wallet from my desk into the shredder. The shredder was plugged in and started shredding the sheet. I managed to pull it out,

Checked Schroeder, empty, probably threw garbage before the New Year.

Do you always always throw away everything that can help you restore your Bitcoin after a disaster happened?

I've never had such disasters before)))))
It wasn't me who threw out the trash from the shredder, but my wife. Unfortunately.

[NotATether]

I believe that WIF private keys have a checksum at the end, since it's encoded in Base58Check. So you may not have that many characters that you need to recover, that's the good news.

The bad news is that I don't know of any software that can help you find missing characters at the end. Have you tried running BTCrecover under WINE runtime?

[Sergey Magalyas]

I believe that WIF private keys have a checksum at the end, since it's encoded in Base58Check. So you may not have that many characters that you need to recover, that's the good news.

The bad news is that I don't know of any software that can help you find missing characters at the end. Have you tried running BTCrecover under WINE runtime?

Yes. But it only restores the seed phrase.

[Sergey Magalyas]

Please advise. Does the "Pollard's Kangaroo" method search for keys faster than the "Baby Step Giant Step (BSGS)" algorithm? Or do these methods have the same search speed?

[memehunter]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
You could have asked for the probable solution without revealing the public addresses/amount of Bitcoin. But you made sure that your target audience do not miss .
And when you mentioned that you are willing to sell one of those addresses/imaginary leftover  characters of private key, I have no doubt that you are a scammer.

[Sergey Magalyas]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
You could have asked for the probable solution without revealing the public addresses/amount of Bitcoin. But you made sure that your target audience do not miss .
And when you mentioned that you are willing to sell one of those addresses/imaginary leftover  characters of private key, I have no doubt that you are a scammer.

Why are you attacking me? I'm not going to prove that the paper wallet is real. I already wrote that I'm keeping the key for myself. Someday I'll find the key myself. Go look for scammers in other forum threads. I described in detail how I looked for the key to help others with my experience.
Now I just asked for advice on how Kangaroo and BSGS work. What is their speed under the same conditions.

[memehunter]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
You could have asked for the probable solution without revealing the public addresses/amount of Bitcoin. But you made sure that your target audience do not miss .
And when you mentioned that you are willing to sell one of those addresses/imaginary leftover  characters of private key, I have no doubt that you are a scammer.

Why are you attacking me?

Because I can see a scam brewing.

Just before the New Year, my child inserted a sheet of paper with a paper wallet from my desk into the shredder.

Why will someone loosely place a paper (worth millions) for 12 years on the work table so that his child can just pick it up and put it in the shredder . I do not know what is imaginary; paper wallet, shredder, or the child itself .
Maybe your entire story.  

Now I just asked for advice on how Kangaroo and BSGS work. What is their speed under the same conditions.

Do you think somehow this will help you in cooking your story like you registered a new account just to support your scam . After all, you are quite good at generating fake accounts. It might be good idea to tag someone who exposed you in the past @lovesmayfamilis

I might be wrong about the new account registration by OP but I have no doubt about all other facts. (I mean 99% is quite good when dealing with potential scam attempt).

 

[Sergey Magalyas]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
You could have asked for the probable solution without revealing the public addresses/amount of Bitcoin. But you made sure that your target audience do not miss .
And when you mentioned that you are willing to sell one of those addresses/imaginary leftover  characters of private key, I have no doubt that you are a scammer.

Why are you attacking me?

Because I can see a scam brewing.

Just before the New Year, my child inserted a sheet of paper with a paper wallet from my desk into the shredder.

Why will someone loosely place a paper (worth millions) for 12 years on the work table so that his child can just pick it up and put it in the shredder . I do not know what is imaginary; paper wallet, shredder, or the child itself .
Maybe your entire story.  

Now I just asked for advice on how Kangaroo and BSGS work. What is their speed under the same conditions.

Do you think somehow this will help you in cooking your story like you registered a new account just to support your scam . After all, you are quite good at generating fake accounts. It might be good idea to tag someone who exposed you in the past @lovesmayfamilis
https://talkimg.com/images/2025/01/06/OEQD2.jpeghttps://talkimg.com/images/2025/01/06/OEMZc.jpeg
I might be wrong about the new account registration by OP but I have no doubt about all other facts. (I mean 99% is quite good when dealing with potential scam attempt).

 

You must have gotten bored at Christmas? Decided to quarrel with someone? Good luck. I'm not going to quarrel with you.
I haven't had a paper wallet on my desk for 12 years. What nonsense. I was looking through the documents at the end of the year and got it out.
And I didn't create a new account. You're a liar. I know the forum rules that second accounts can't be created.
Your arguments made me laugh. The old story with the photos at the ICO))))) I explained everything then. In Russia, cryptocurrency is prohibited as a means of payment. We got out of it as best we could. All normal people understood me.
Admins, I ask you to delete the phrase about selling the wallet from my first message in the topic. And close this topic for new messages. Someone might need this topic in the future to restore the key. I don't want to listen to dirt addressed to me. Thank you.


I was able to delete the phrase about selling the wallet myself.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[memehunter]

You must have gotten bored at Christmas?

On the contrary, me and Santa had great fun together

Decided to quarrel with someone? Good luck. I'm not going to quarrel with you.

No, I am just exposing a dumb scammer  .

I haven't had a paper wallet on my desk for 12 years. What nonsense. I was looking through the documents at the end of the year and got it out.

LoL, cool story bro. You must be looking through documents (book of scams  )

And I didn't create a new account. You're a liar. I know the forum rules that second accounts can't be created.

This one I can grant you the benefit of the doubt but circumstantial evidence is there. Let other people decide.

Your arguments made me laugh. The old story with the photos at the ICO))))) I explained everything then. In Russia, cryptocurrency is prohibited as a means of payment. We got out of it as best we could. All normal people understood me.
Admins, I ask you to delete the phrase about selling the wallet from my first message in the topic. And close this topic for new messages. Someone might need this topic in the future to restore the key. I don't want to listen to dirt addressed to me. Thank you.

My reply to the first bolded part;  
My reply to the second bolded part; You are a dumb scammer who did not know about basic posting functions even after spending much time here. And if you are not devoting enough time here maybe this is the reason for your dumbness, I can not say the reason for your corrupt scammy behavior (maybe your weak character).

[DrBeer]

....
I do not want to look for the key for 2 years.
.....

I am heartily glad that I was able to regain access to the first wallet
And about the second... Maybe 2 years is the period that will preserve and multiply for you the value of this stock !? ? Maybe it's for the best - in 2 years, maybe the value of bitcoin will be 1 million dollars !

[memehunter]

....
I do not want to look for the key for 2 years.
.....

I am heartily glad that I was able to regain access to the first wallet
And about the second... Maybe 2 years is the period that will preserve and multiply for you the value of this stock !? ? Maybe it's for the best - in 2 years, maybe the value of bitcoin will be 1 million dollars !

I can see that the wallet suddenly became active. If you can provide evidence that this belongs to OP and the whole story is true I will change my feedback and apologize publicly.
It is always good to be a skeptic.
A signed message from the new/old wallet will do.
It is quite odd though why would OP will create a topic on 4/01/2025 when the wallet already regained on 28/12/2024, 06:17:23?