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Today at 11:13:49 AM |
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(Took help of ChatGPT to make it more readable)
Hello everyone,
I’m new to this forum and would really appreciate some guidance from experienced Bitcoin users, particularly anyone familiar with the earliest Coldcard hardware wallets from around 2018.
I’m trying to help a friend recover Bitcoin that he stored back in 2018. He isn’t technically knowledgeable, and the original setup was done using someone else’s first-generation Coldcard (possibly Mk1).
He remembers that a USB flash drive was involved in storing or backing up the wallet, but he doesn’t remember the exact process.
Here’s what we know:
1. The wallet was set up around 2018 using an early Coldcard device belonging to someone else.
2. He still has the USB flash drive associated with the original setup.
3. He has a piece of paper containing 12 words written in sequence.
4. He also has a handwritten 6-digit PIN.
5. He previously checked the Bitcoin balance using a public address, most recently around 2020.
6. He hasn’t accessed or made any transactions from the wallet since the original setup.
7. We’re currently unsure whether the original Coldcard device is still available.
Unfortunately, he’s now dealing with a medical emergency in his family and urgently needs access to these funds. He’s asked me to help him because I’m more comfortable with computers and newer hardware wallets, although I don’t have experience recovering older Bitcoin wallets.
What I’ve researched so far:
From what I understand, Coldcard supported encrypted wallet backups protected by a separate 12-word password. This makes me wonder whether the 12 words he wrote down are actually the password to an encrypted backup rather than the BIP39 seed phrase itself.
I also understand that Bitcoin isn’t literally stored on a USB drive, so I’m trying to determine whether the drive contains an encrypted backup, wallet file, or something else.
My questions:
1. Did the original Coldcard Mk1 support encrypted .7z backups in 2018?
2. Is there a way to determine whether the 12 words are a BIP39 seed phrase or a Coldcard backup password without exposing them?
3. How should I safely inspect the USB drive to identify its contents? Should I be looking for particular filenames or extensions?
4. If the USB contains an encrypted Coldcard backup, can it be restored on a newer Coldcard without the original device?
5. Is the handwritten 6-digit PIN relevant to recovery, or would it only unlock the original Coldcard?
6. Could there be complications because someone else’s Coldcard device was used during the original setup?
7. What would be the safest recovery process, including verifying that we’ve recovered the correct wallet and transferring the BTC to a newly initialized hardware wallet?
Our goal:
We want to recover access to the original wallet, confirm the balance, and transfer the Bitcoin to a new hardware wallet under my friend’s exclusive control.
We haven’t entered the 12 words into any websites or shared the PIN, recovery words, or backup files with anyone. We don’t intend to do so.
I’m not looking for anyone to handle the funds or provide a paid recovery service. I’m hoping to learn the correct technical procedure so that I can assist my friend safely.
If anyone here has experience with Coldcard Mk1 devices, especially their backup and recovery mechanisms from 2018, I’d be extremely grateful for your guidance or links to relevant documentation.
I’ll update this thread as we identify the files on the USB drive and make progress, so the information might help others in a similar situation.
Thank you for reading and for any assistance you can provide!
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