Most crypto wallets only give you custody of your private keys. However, the Sparrow Wallet uses a suite of advanced features to take self-sovereignty some steps further. Here is everything you need to know about this wallet.

What is Sparrow? 

Sparrow is an open-source Bitcoin wallet launched in late 2020. Built for desktops, it is designed to provide users with a secure, private, and feature-rich platform for managing their BTC. It is maintained by developer Craig Raw and backed by a wider community of Bitcoin developers and users.

Sparrow’s clean, tab-based interface makes complex Bitcoin management workflows approachable while maintaining robust security standards. Key features include full UTXO management, support for Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBTs), and integration with hardware wallets like Ledger, Trezor, and Coldcard.

It also offers tools for creating multi-signature wallets, connecting to personal Bitcoin nodes, and utilizing CoinJoin for privacy.

How Sparrow Wallet Works

Sparrow Wallet is a tab-based desktop wallet. Like browsers, it lets users organize multiple sections of the application into tabs, with each tab representing a separate area of functionality or content. 

Sparrow, however, avoids browser technology. According to the developer, browsers’ wide capabilities give them a large attack surface, making them vulnerable.

Sparrow, on the other hand, is a dedicated desktop application. It is standard-based, meaning the wallet adheres to commonly accepted standards wherever possible to make it as interoperable as possible. 

This gives Sparrow compatibility with a wide variety of Bitcoin wallets, which users can import using a recovery phrase or keystore file. You can also create a new wallet with a new mnemonic phrase. 

Some of the things shaping Sparrow wallet’s design include:  

BIP 174

BIP 174 is a Bitcoin standard that supports Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBTs). A PSBT is an incomplete Bitcoin transaction that contains all necessary information except for some or all the required signatures.

PSBTs allow for enhanced security, interoperability, privacy, and flexibility. This has permitted Sparrow Wallet to implement things like multi-sig transaction support. 

Keystore Design

Sparrow Wallet organizes and manages its private keys with a keystore file. This file is highly flexible and compatible with various wallet setups. Users can import, store, and manage private keys in different forms, including: 

• Single-key wallets: A single private key to control the funds.
• Multi-signature wallets: Multiple private keys (or keyshares) are required to authorize transactions.
• Hardware wallets: Integration with devices like Ledger, Trezor, and Coldcard.
• Air-gapped setups: Keys are stored offline, with transactions signed securely using QR codes or USB.

Avoiding Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) and Implications

Sparrow connects directly to a user’s Bitcoin Core node or private Electrum server. This has two effects.

• It removes the need to download and verify the blockchain independently, keeping the application lightweight. Nonetheless, if you want to connect Sparrow to your own node, you’ll still have to download the blockchain for bitcoin core. 
• Sparrow can also leverage the prebuilt full index from an Electrum server or node to instantly access transaction history and wallet data, enhancing privacy. 

Sparrow avoids SPV because this relies on connecting to random Bitcoin nodes to query transaction data. This approach can leak sensitive information to those nodes, like your wallet addresses and balances.  

Sparrow Wallet Features

Thanks to its design choices, Sparrow Wallet offers a robust and versatile toolset for BTC management. Here’s an overview of its key features:

Comprehensive HD Wallet Support

Sparrow embraces flexibility by supporting a wide range of wallet types, including single-sig and multi-sig setups, with all legacy and Segwit script types. 

It supports BIP39 mnemonic seeds, watch-only xpub keystores, and all major hardware wallets, which can be connected via USB or imported using their specific file formats. It also supports importing and exporting Electrum wallets, including encrypted ones.

Users have complete control over wallet creation and can edit their configurations later. Advanced users can even configure wallets using output descriptors or run Sparrow in testnet or signet. 

Detailed Wallet History and Transaction Management

Sparrow leverages Bitcoin’s UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) model to provide users with an intuitive and detailed transaction history. 

In this model, Bitcoin balances are not stored as a single “account balance.” Instead, they exist as discrete unspent outputs from previous transactions. Each transaction consumes some of these outputs as inputs and creates new outputs. These outputs remain “unspent” until they are used in subsequent transactions.

Incorporating this model allows Sparrow to give users detailed wallet history and transaction management. You can explore transaction inputs, outputs, and addresses, and label them for better organization. 

Labels are applied automatically when sending transactions, creating a seamless experience, and with them, understanding the flow of funds is straightforward.

Full Control Over Transactions

Sparrow is designed for full transparency and precision during transactions. This is partly achieved by a transaction editor that displays your transaction inputs and outputs so you can optimize your UTXO usage and reduce fees. 

It supports PSBTs, allowing fine control over even multi-sig transactions, and lets you edit all transaction Metadata. Estimation tools and advanced coin selection strategies like Branch, Bound, and Knapsack are also supported for further efficiency. 

Transaction Signing

Sparrow Wallet supports USB and air-gapped hardware wallet signing as well as QR fountain codes. These codes provide users with a secure way to transfer transaction data when using air-gapped hardware wallets for PSBTs. The application collects transaction signatures directly in the transaction editor. 

Block Explorer

Because it can link all inputs and spent outputs, Sparrow’s transaction editor also doubles as a private blockchain explorer. You can use this ‘explorer’ to analyze your entire transaction history. You can also load specific transactions using their IDs or hexadecimal/base64 representations for detailed inspection.

Is Sparrow Wallet Safe?

Sparrow Wallet offers advanced features and robust security. Combined, these make it one of the best software wallets for Bitcoin maximalists. However, it’s not unheard of for the wallet’s users to experience issues. Here are some of the most common: 

Lost Password

Sparrow’s strong encryption with Argon2 protects your funds from unauthorized access. If you forget your password, you become the unauthorized access from whom protection is enforced. This means you’ll lose access to your wallet. 

If you have your mnemonic or password-encrypted keystore, this is an easy fix. You only have to use the backup to restore your wallet and regain access. But this isn’t always an option. 

Corrupted Wallet Files

Hardware failure, file system errors, and malware can corrupt wallet files, making it impossible for the application to load them or causing it to load with errors. This means that if you ever lose access to your Sparrow wallet, you cannot use corrupted keystore files to restore it. 

Again, if you have your mnemonic, no problem. But if not, you’ll have to reconstruct the damaged files to recover your private keys. This is easier said than done. Most of the time, users in this situation need the assistance of a recovery expert. 

Lost/Incomplete Mnemonic

The mnemonic phrase is how non-custodial wallets give you your private keys. With it, you can always recover your Sparrow wallet, no matter the situation. But if it is lost or incomplete, you need to act fast.

If you can still access your wallet, go to settings and click on view seed. This will reveal the seed phrase, which you should back up and store securely.

But if you can’t access the wallet, maybe because you don’t remember the password or your keystore files are corrupted, you’re in trouble. 

It’s impossible to recover a lost mnemonic phrase. You’ll have to look at other options, like recovering your password so you can get into the application or recovering your keys from the corrupted/damaged keystore files. You’ll need an expert for all these options.  

Lost Access to Your Sparrow Wallet? Begin Recovery Today 

Sparrow Wallet is a powerful tool for managing Bitcoin, offering advanced features like UTXO control, PSBT workflows, and seamless hardware wallet integration. This, however, doesn’t make it immune to common self-custody wallet issues like forgotten passwords, lost mnemonics, and corrupted wallet files. 

If you experience such and can’t find a fix, you don’t have to say goodbye to your BTC forever – Professional Crypto Recovery is here for you. With 5+ years in crypto recovery and two decades in IT, PCR can help you recover any BTC locked in your Sparrow Wallet. Contact us today to get started. 

FAQ Section

1. What is Sparrow Wallet best used for?

Sparrow Wallet is ideal for users who prioritize security, privacy, and advanced transaction management and can maximize features like UTXO control, multi-sig support, and integration with hardware wallets.

2. What should I do if my Sparrow Wallet file is corrupted?

Stop using the affected storage device to avoid further damage, and contact a recovery expert to attempt data repair and wallet restoration.

3. Is Sparrow Wallet a Block Explorer?

Sparrow’s transaction editor allows you to analyze and inspect a transaction, making it a block explorer of sorts. However, it is not a full-fledged explorer like BlockExplorer or Etherscan. 

The post Know Your Sparrow Wallet: a Guide to Bitcoin Privacy and Security appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

This means that anyone with your public address can see your on-chain activity, which is a privacy concern for some. Is there a solution? 

Well, transparency is just as crucial to cryptocurrencies as privacy. It’s built into most public blockchains; the network will always reveal your account details to other participants when queried with a block explorer. To avoid this some users prefer privacy-focused chains like Monero, which obfuscates transactions and account details. 

However, such blockchains exist outside the mainstream crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Switching to one typically means missing out on the rest of the crypto space, making it the wrong option for someone who still wants to use the popular cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and platforms. 

Fortunately, there is another way to ensure your privacy on-chain. Enter the extended public key (xPub). 

What Is an xPub?

An extended public key, commonly known as an xPub, is a fundamental element of hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets. HD wallets are those that use a single seed phrase to generate multiple addresses and private keys, i.e., most modern wallets, such as Electrum, Trezor, Trust Wallet, and Exodus. 

In these wallets, an xPub is a specialized type of public key that enables the generation of a vast number of child public keys without requiring access to the corresponding private keys. It is derived from the master public key and follows a standardized format. 

This key can be used to derive the entire series of public keys (addresses) for a particular account within the wallet. In practice, an xPub is represented as a long string of characters, typically starting with “xPub” followed by a series of letters and numbers encoding the key data.

How Does xPub Improve Privacy?

If you have only one wallet address, all your on-chain activity goes through that address. Anyone can see your assets, balances, and transactions by passing that address through a block explorer. 

But imagine if you had multiple addresses. 

You could perform different operations with different addresses. If anyone monitors one address, they can only see the activity associated with that specific address. All your other on-chain activity involving the other addresses is inaccessible to prying eyes.

One way to do this is to have several wallets. Each wallet has its public keys, and the address is shared with whomever, depending on the situation. However, managing multiple accounts while keeping track of all the corresponding addresses and keys is a lot of work. 

A simpler way would be to generate multiple addresses for the same account. This is where xPub comes in.  

At the fundamental level, xPub allows a wallet to generate an unlimited number of unique receiving addresses from a single source. Instead of using the same address for all transactions, users can create a new address for each transaction, making it harder to trace or link multiple transactions to them. 

xPub and Read-Only Wallet Access

A challenge that arises with generating a new address for each transaction is keeping track of all the addresses. Manually doing so would be cumbersome. Thankfully, xPub lets you create a watch-only wallet. 

This is a wallet that shows you the transactions and balances of all addresses generated from your xPub. It can track all wallet activity associated with your account. However, it doesn’t contain the private keys needed to access or transfer assets, offering a secure method to monitor cryptocurrency wallets without direct access to the funds. 

Is It Safe to Share an xPub Key?

Unlike private keys, which grant the ability to sign transactions and spend funds, xPub keys are used solely for generating addresses and viewing transaction histories. This separation of duties provides a crucial layer of security and privacy.

It also means that you can share the xPub with someone else, such as an auditor, accountant, or family member. This will allow them to view wallet activity in real-time. But because they don’t have the private keys, they cannot initiate or sign transactions. 

The private keys remain securely offline or with the wallet owner. So, you don’t have to worry about losing your assets due to compromised keys; something that happens quite often in crypto.

Safety and Address Tips for Using Extended Public Keys

Using an xPub provides convenience in managing your cryptocurrency addresses but comes with certain security and privacy considerations. Here are some tips to help you use xPub securely:

1. Limit Sharing to Protect Your xPub Key

Only share your xPub with trusted parties or services. While the xPub doesn’t allow others to spend your funds, it does expose your entire transaction history and all associated addresses. This means you should be careful not to post your xPub on public forums, social media, or any place where untrusted individuals can access it.

2. Use the Correct Extended Public Key Format

xPubs come in different formats depending on the type of address they generate, making it important to ensure you’re using the correct xPub format (xPub, yPub, zPub) compatible with your wallet’s address types (Legacy, SegWit, Native SegWit).

The main formats are:

1. xPub: Generates legacy Bitcoin addresses (starting with 1), following the BIP32 standard. These addresses are compatible with most older Bitcoin systems but offer less privacy and higher fees.
2. yPub: Generates SegWit (P2SH) addresses (starting with 3), following the BIP49 standard. These addresses are more efficient, reducing transaction fees while being partially backward-compatible.
3. zPub: Generates native SegWit (bech32) addresses (starting with bc1), following the BIP84 standard. Native SegWit addresses offer the lowest fees and better privacy but might not be supported by older wallets or exchanges.

Each format corresponds to a specific Bitcoin address type, affecting transaction efficiency and compatibility. Therefore, using the wrong format can lead to address mismatches and potential loss of funds.

How to Get xPub Address

Most modern non-custodial wallets grant users their xPub address. Here’s how to get xPub address on popular wallets:

Ledger

• Connect your Ledger device and open Ledger Live
• Go to the Accounts tab
• Select the account you want the xPub for
• Click on the wrench icon (settings)
• Select Advanced Logs. 
• This should show you your xPub 

Trezor 

• Connect your Trezor to the Trezor Suite
• Select the account you’re interested in
• Click on Show full address
• You should see an option to Show xPub

Electrum

• Go to the Addresses tab
• Right-click on an address
• Select Copy Master Public Key

Mycelium (mobile wallet)

• Go to Accounts
• Select the account you want
• Tap on Advanced
• You should see an option to view the xPub

Bitcoin Core 

For Bitcoin Core, you’ll have to use the command line interface. Use the command getmasterpubkey or getaccountxpub, depending on the version. This unique approach is due to Bitcoin Core being a core wallet. 

With your extended public key in hand, you can now explore the crypto ecosystem with an extra layer of privacy. This should give you more confidence in and control over your activities. However, it’s important to exercise caution over who sees this address and safeguard your seed phrase at all times. 

In the unfortunate event that you experience issues accessing the assets in your crypto wallet, Professional Crypto Recovery is here for you. With years of experience in helping crypto owners recover their assets, we offer fast and effective crypto recovery services at some of the most affordable rates in the market. 

The post What Is xPub in Crypto? Safeguarding On-Chain Privacy With an Extended Public Key appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

Nonetheless, in 2017, mounting technical challenges forced MultiBit to shut down. The project was discontinued, so users needed to move assets to other platforms. Many did. Some, whether by accident or circumstance, didn’t. If you’re in the latter category, you need to recover your MultiBit Bitcoin wallet. 

Types of MultiBit Bitcoin Wallets

MultiBit Bitcoin Wallets came in two flavors: MultiBit Classic and MultiBit HD. 

MultiBit Classic

MultiBit Classic is the original application developed by Jim Burton and his team. Announced in 2011, it was built on an open-source library that allowed developers to implement simplified payment verification (SPV). 

SPV is a lightweight client that verifies blockchain transactions without requiring the entire blockchain database. So, MultiBit users could transact without downloading the entire Bitcoin blockchain, which was around 25 GB at the time. They enjoyed a lightweight application that was easier to use than most alternatives. 

How to Recover MultiBit Classic Wallet

You’ll need to get your private keys to recover your MultiBit Classic wallet. If you still have the drive where your wallet is installed, these can be found in encrypted files ending with .key or .wallet in the following locations:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\MultiBit
• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MultiBit
• Linux: Look for a folder called multibit

You need to decrypt your wallet file using your MultiBit password and OpenSSL (a decryption tool) to get your keys. Once you have the keys, import them to another Bitcoin wallet, like Electrum or Bitcoin Core.

MultiBit HD

In 2014, MultiBit developers concluded MultiBit Classic needed improvements. Bugs were prevalent, and users got their private keys as a long hexadecimal string. They also received a private key for each address, which further complicated backup and recovery. 

Around this time, hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets were introduced. HD wallets enable the generation of public-private key pairs from a single root key. This root key is then given to the user as a phrase of 12-14 randomly generated words known as the seed phrase. 

The reimagined MultiBit Bitcoin wallet was an HD wallet. It was released in 2014 as MultiBit HD while MultiBit Classic entered maintenance mode. Compared to its predecessor, MultiBit HD was easier and more convenient to use, even for new users, which was quite an achievement at the time.   

How to Recover MultiBit HD Wallet

MultiBit HD gave users a seed phrase. This is a mnemonic of the private keys, which allows you to conveniently import your wallet into another wallet. So if you still have this phrase, all you have to do is download another Bitcoin wallet and use the mnemonic to recover your BTC. 

If you don’t have your seed phrase, you can still locate it if you have the drive with your MultiBit wallet. It is stored in the .wallet file in the app data files, which are in the following locations:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\MultiBit
• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MultiBit
• Linux: Look for the multibit folder  

After obtaining your .wallet file, the rest is simple. Use your password and OpenSSL to decrypt the file. Inside it, you’ll find your private keys and mnemonic phrase, which you can use to recover your MultiBit wallet. 

Common Issues and Solutions When Recovering MultiBit Bitcoin Wallet

Given the age and state of the Multibit Bitcoin wallet, recovering it can be challenging. Here are some of the most frequent issues and their solutions.

1. Corrupted Wallet Files

A corrupted wallet file is one of the most common issues encountered during recovery. It is typically a result of hard drive issues or malware infections and causes MultiBit files to become unreadable or unrecognizable. 

If the damage isn’t too severe, you can use file recovery tools like TestDisk or Recuva to recover the corrupted files. But this can get complicated quickly. So if data recovery is not your forte, it’s best to let a wallet recovery expert do it for you.

2. Encrypted Wallets With Forgotten Passwords

Multibit encrypts its wallet data with a password. Without it, you cannot open the wallet or decrypt its files to access the private keys.

If you have a good sense of what your password could be, you can use password recovery tools like Hashcat or John the Ripper to crack it. Success isn’t guaranteed, however, in which case, you’ll need professional services to recover your wallet. 

4. Compatibility Issues With Modern Wallets

The developers of the MultiBit Wallet stopped maintaining the wallet a long time ago. Therefore, users sometimes face compatibility issues when importing Multibit data files into other, more up-to-date Bitcoin wallets.

Electrum is the wallet that’s most compatible with Multibit’s private key format. If you’re having issues importing your keys on the latest version of Electrum, try older versions.

Can’t Recover Your MultiBit Bitcoin Wallet by Yourself?

MultiBit Classic and MultiBit HD are old wallets. As shown, recovery involves using cryptographic and file recovery (in some cases) tools, which can be too complicated for the average person. So if you want to rescue your BTC, you might want to consider professional services. 

Professional Crypto Recovery (PCR) is a top wallet recovery firm with an excellent record in recovering assets from old, discontinued wallets like MultiBit. Get in touch to begin your MultiBit wallet recovery. 

FAQs

Does the MultiBit Wallet Still Work? 

No. The MultiBit Bitcoin wallet was discontinued in 2017. 

What is the MultiBit Wallet? 

MultiBit is a Bitcoin wallet created in 2011 and supported up until 2017. During its lifetime, it was a popular wallet in the Bitcoin community before persistent bugs and an aging technology stack forced developers to discontinue it. 

How Do I Access MultiBit Wallet? 

You can launch the application if you somehow manage to get it running. But generally, the safest way to access assets in your MultiBit wallet is to recover the private keys yourself or with the help of a recovery professional. 

What is the Most Trusted Bitcoin Wallet?

Hardware wallets are considered the most secure medium for HODLing. Therefore, wallets like Ledger and Trezor are popular among BTC holders. For software wallets, Electrum and Exodus take the crown. 

The post Bitcoin Wallet Recovery for MultiBit HD and MultiBit Classic appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

It’s relatively easy to use but, just like any non-custodial wallet, you run the risk of losing access to your funds if something goes wrong. Read on to learn how to recover your Trust Wallet on PC or mobile in case you wind up in such a situation. 

How Does Trust Wallet Work?

Trust Wallet is a Web3 wallet available on mobile and PC. It comes in two versions: a mobile application for iOS and Android and a Chrome web extension for Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

Trust Wallet is self custody. So, you get a mnemonic of your public and private keys as soon as you create a wallet. It’s up to you to safeguard this mnemonic, commonly referred to as the seed phrase, from theft and loss. 

If someone obtains your private keys, they can access and spend your assets however they see fit. It’s just as bad, if not worse, when you lose the seed phrase. If that happens, your funds on the blockchain may become permanently inaccessible.

The wallet also uses passwords to prevent unauthorized entry in case someone accesses the device with your wallet on it. You set the password when setting up the mobile application or web extension and will be required to provide it whenever you open your wallet. 

Losing Access to Your Trust Wallet

Given how Trust Wallet works, there are generally two ways to lose access to your account. 

1. Password issues
2. Seed phrase issues

Password Issues

Your Trust Wallet password controls who can open the application. If you can’t provide the correct password, you won’t be able to open it. 

Seed phrase Issues

Your Trust Wallet seed phrase consists of 12 words. These are randomly generated, and within them, contain your wallet’s public and private keys. 

The latter are especially significant because they act as the account owner’s digital signature. Possession of a wallet’s private keys is taken as proof of ownership of the account and all funds associated with it. 

This allows your seed phrase to be used as a backup. Users don’t worry about deleting the wallet app or being locked out because as long as they have their seed phrase, they can always create a fresh copy of the wallet with full access to the funds. 

This is why a seed phrase is often called a recovery phrase. Trust Wallet gives it to you so that you have full control over your wallet and in case of anything, you can use it to restore your accounts and access your assets. 

There is a flip side to this though. When you create a wallet, you are the only one who has the seed phrase. So if you lose this phrase or it gets corrupted, you can’t restore your accounts. This may cause you to lose access to your funds. 

How to Recover Trust Wallet After Losing Access

It may be possible for you to recover your wallet depending on your situation. Here’s how to do it on PC and mobile:

How to Recover Trust Wallet on PC

Lost Password

Recovering your wallet after forgetting the password is relatively easy if you have the recovery phrase. 

• Open the Trust Wallet extension in your browser
• You’ll be prompted to provide the password
• Ignore that and click on Reset Wallet 

Doing so will erase the current copy of your wallet, allowing you to create a fresh copy using your seed phrase. But before you erase your current wallet, it’s best to make sure that the mnemonic is working by testing it on another device and/or wallet installation.

Seed Phrase Issues

Losing or forgetting the seed phrase is one of the worst things that can happen to a crypto owner. But you can save yourself if you haven’t deleted the web app since you last created a wallet. 

• Open your Trust Wallet web app
• Enter your password when prompted

The Trust Wallet Chrome extension has a copy of your seed phrase locally stored. You can access and view this phrase as long as you have the application’s password. To do this, click on Settings, and then on View Secret Phrase.

How to Recover Trust Wallet on Mobile

Lost Password

The formula for recovering a Trust Wallet on mobile after losing its password is similar to recovering the wallet on a PC. 

• Open your Trust Wallet mobile app
• Click on Reset Wallet (ensure your recovery phrase is valid before doing this)

You can then use your seed phrase to create a new copy of the wallet with a different password. 

Seed Phrase Issues

The Trust Wallet mobile app also stores your seed phrase locally. To get it:

• Click on Settings ‘
• Navigate to Wallets 
• Here, select the three dots next to the account whose secret phrase you want to recover. 
• In the next screen, under the Seed Phrase Backups section, tap on Manual to reveal your recovery phrase.

Once you reveal your Trust Wallet secret phrase on PC or Mobile, write it down and ensure the backup is securely stored. 

When to Contact a Crypto Recovery Professional

There are certain scenarios where you’ll find it hard to recover your Trust Wallet. For instance: 

• You’re locked out of the application but cannot use your recovery phrase to reset the wallet and create a new password. This could be because you lost it or you have an invalid or incomplete seed phrase.
• You don’t have the password needed to unlock the app and reveal your seed phrase

This essentially means that all recovery options discussed above will not work for you. Does that mean you’ve lost your assets forever?

Well, no. This is where recovery professionals come in. You can seek their services if you have an idea what your password was or have managed to assemble a partial seed phrase. They’ll also help you with an invalid seed phrase, i.e., you have the complete mnemonic but for some reason, it’s not working. 

Such issues are typically out of the scope of the average crypto user. So generally, you want to contact a crypto recovery professional if you’re unable to recover your Trust Wallet on your own.

Recover Your Trust Wallet Today

Finding a reliable crypto recovery service is not easy. Fortunately, you don’t have to look any further. Professional Crypto Recovery is a dependable wallet recovery service with 20+ years of experience in IT. We have been serving the needs of the crypto community since its early days and through the years, have gained the experience needed to safely recover your Trust Wallet. 

Contact us today to get started.

FAQs

Can you have Trust Wallet on multiple devices?

Yes. You can have the Trust Wallet app installed on different devices, all able to access and transact your crypto. This is possible with the help of the wallet’s recovery phrase.

Why is my Trust Wallet not showing any balance?

Missing/incorrect balances can occur if your Trust Wallet cannot sync with the blockchain properly. To avoid this, make sure your device is properly connected to the internet. You can also try resetting your wallet (make sure you have the seed phrase before attempting). 

The post Your Complete Guide to Trust Wallet Recovery on Mobile and PC appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

It’s generally accepted that once you’ve recorded your seed phrase, keeping it somewhere it can’t be stolen or damaged does the trick. This is why you’ll often come across advice telling you to write your recovery phrase on paper. It’s solid advice, but you don’t actually want a medium that is as fragile as paper. 

What would be better is storing your seed phrase on a more durable medium—one that could last a lifetime if needed. Though not mainstream, crypto users have been backing up keys on steel for quite some time. In most cases, this involves the help of special crypto metal steel wallets. 

What Are Steel Crypto Backup Solutions, and How Do They Work?

Steel wallets should not be confused with hardware wallets, which also store private keys offline and are, consequently, considered one of the safest ways to store crypto. 

Hardware wallets are actual electronic devices that can send and receive cryptocurrencies. Steel wallets, on the other hand,  are only tools, used for storing your mnemonic phrase offline on a medium that is secure and durable. So, you’ll need a separate crypto wallet before you can use one of these. 

A steel wallet is typically a small steel container or capsule containing metal tiles representing ASCII characters. To back up your crypto wallet, you have to arrange the tiles into the words making up your seed phrase. You then store these in the correct order inside the steel wallet. The value proposition here is that the mnemonic is recorded on a practically indestructible medium. 

Best Crypto Metal Steel Wallets

So, what are the best steel wallets available in the market? 

Cryptosteel Capsule

Cryptosteel Capsule is a sleek, capsule-style backup solution designed to securely store your crypto recovery phrase. Made from 304 stainless steel, this device is built for durability and resistance to heat and corrosion. It has machine-stamped tiles representing letters and symbols that you use to store a password or recovery phrase.

The capsule is a great option for users who prefer a stylish and compact design. It comes with detailed instructions that make it easy to get started. However, due to its compact size, recovering the seed phrase can be slow and cumbersome, as only one letter is visible at a time.

Cryptosteel Cassette

Cryptosteel Cassette offers a cassette-style design for storing up to 24 seed words in a secure, fire-resistant 304 stainless steel frame. The cassette’s packaging includes basic hand-drawn instructions to aid with setup.

The setup process, however, can be a bit frustrating due to the disorganized and warped character tiles. During shipping, tiles often shift and mix within the package, which leads to extra effort in sorting them out. But to make up for that, recovery with the Cryptosteel Cassette is relatively simple because the words are laid out like a text. 

Billfodl

Billfodl is another popular metal backup solution. Made from 316 marine-grade stainless steel, it is highly resistant to extreme heat, corrosion, and impact. Similar to other options, Billfodl uses a tile system in which users slide pre-stamped tiles with letters into slots to form their seed phrase. 

Setup can be time-consuming due to the need to individually insert each letter, but once complete, it offers a durable and tamper-resistant method for storing seed phrases. The letters are large enough to be easily readable, and unlike some other products, the tiles are organized in a manner that makes finding the correct characters faster. 

Billfodl’s clear instructions and organized packaging add to its user-friendliness. Even better, recovering the seed phrase is straightforward, as the full words are immediately visible once the device is opened.

Steelwallet

Steelwallet is another seed phrase backup solution that uses 304 stainless steel to offer solid durability against fire, corrosion, and mechanical damage. What sets it apart is the etching method. Instead of pre-made tiles, you manually engrave or stamp the seed words yourself onto two metal plates using a punch kit. 

This adds an extra layer of personalization. There is complete flexibility in formatting and spacing, and there’s no risk of tiles becoming warped or misplaced. However, this does require more effort, so setting up Steelwallet is more time-consuming than other options. 

Packaging is minimal, with basic instructions included. Recovery is also easy, as the words are visible on the metal plates.

Cryptotag Zeus

Cryptotag Zeus is a top-tier metal Bitcoin backup solution crafted from high-grade titanium to offer maximum protection for your crypto seed phrases. Like the Steelwallet, setting up the Cryptotag Zeus involves recording your seed phrase numbers on conversion sheets and then carefully stamping each number onto the titanium plates.

Recovery with the Zeus is straightforward if the initial setup is done accurately. The engraved characters are permanent and easy to read. This ensures reliable access to your seed phrase when needed.

Problems You Might Run Into

Steel wallets are highly durable and secure. But that doesn’t mean things cannot go wrong. Here are some (un)common issues with metal steel wallets:

• User Error: The most common issue is human error, typically when the user incorrectly assembles the seed phrase or private key tiles. This could lead to an unusable backup, locking the user out of their funds.
• Loss or Misplacement: If the wallet is lost or misplaced, it becomes very difficult (or impossible) to recover the stored cryptocurrency, especially if it’s the only backup.
• Physical Theft: While the wallet is tamper-resistant, it’s not immune to theft. If someone physically steals the wallet, they can eventually access the private key or seed phrase unless other precautions (like storing it in a safe) are taken.
• Partial Damage: Extreme conditions, like prolonged high heat or intense force, could still deform or damage the steel enough to make some tiles unreadable, particularly if they are misaligned or loosely arranged inside the wallet.
• Complexity: Manually encoding a long seed phrase or private key with metal tiles can be tedious and lead to mistakes, especially for people unfamiliar with the system.
• Corrosion Over Time: Although the wallet is corrosion-resistant, exposure to certain extreme environments over long periods (e.g., highly acidic environments) could still potentially cause the steel to degrade.

These issues are relatively rare and stem from how securely the user manages the backup. In such an occurrence, you’ll find an incomplete or invalid seed phrase when you open your wallet.  

Dealing With Metal Steel Wallet Issues

Having an invalid seed phrase means you cannot recover your wallet. To access your crypto, you’ll have to, first, recover the complete, valid seed phrase. You can attempt on your own, in which case, you’ll find our guide to recovering incomplete and invalid mnemonics useful.

Generally, recovering an invalid seed phrase is difficult. It requires the right cryptographic tools, the hardware to run them, and the technical know-how to use them. This is why you want the services of a crypto wallet recovery expert; someone who specializes in solving issues with crypto wallets, including invalid/incomplete mnemonics. 

Professional Crypto Recovery is a specialist in crypto recoveries. Having been in IT for more than 20 years, we have the expertise to recover your seed phrase from its crypto metal steel backup. Our services are fast and affordable. Contact us today to get started.

The post Secure Your Seed Phrase With the 5 Best Crypto Metal Steel Wallet Solutions appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

But for the same reasons, it has also attracted its fair share of criminals, with hacks and scams a relatively regular occurrence. So, security is one of the industry’s biggest concerns. Let’s see what the statistics say.

Over 20% of Bitcoin Is Considered Lost

Bitcoin (BTC) is not only extremely popular, but it is also the most valuable crypto asset out there. Over the years,  a surprisingly large number of bitcoins have been lost, though. The exact number and value are not known, but the blockchain analysis platform IntoTheBlock estimates that 29% of BTC hasn’t moved in 5+ years. 

While some of this BTC is certainly in the hands of investors who are Holding On for Dear Life (HODLing), experts believe that a large portion of it is lost. These are coins in wallets that owners can no longer access for one reason or another and many are thought to be lost forever. But that doesn’t mean it is impossible to recover BTC stuck in a wallet.  

Depending on your specific situation, a crypto recovery expert can help you get back the BTC stuck in your wallet.  

The Value of Crypto Stolen Grows in H1 2024

Reporting on security stats, Beosin says total losses caused by hacks and scams in the first half of 2024 in crypto stands at $1.54 billion. This is a more than 100% increase from the $670 million stolen in H1 2023, although it should be noted that rising crypto values likely inflate the more recent figures.  

Overall though, this signals a reversal from 2023. Data from Chainalysis shows that $1.7 billion was stolen last year, a 54.3% decline from the previous year, which was the worst year in crypto security. The space lost approximately $3.7 billion in 2022.  

The Chainalysis report cites a fall in DeFi protocol hacks as the main reason behind 2023’s decline in exploits. The high losses in 2022 likely prompted a significant upgrade in preventive and responsive security measures. 

As such, the value lost in protocol hacks declined by 63.7% year-over-year in 2023, though the bear market also influenced the figures. If the second half of 2024 is like the first, this trend should reverse. 

Centralized Platforms Suffer the Highest Loses in H1 2024

The report by Beosin also found that centralized exchanges (CEXs) suffered the highest losses among crypto platforms in H1 2024. There have been four CEX-related incidents so far. These resulted in a total loss of approximately $392 million, accounting for 32.8% of losses so far this year. 

This is in sharp contrast to last year. According to CoinTelegraph centralized platforms lost an estimated $256 million across 7 cases throughout the year.

Gaming platforms are a close second having lost $389 million following an increase in attacks. This represents 32.6% of the total loss. DeFi, on the other hand, has lost $157 million (13.2%) after 38 incidents (the most of any project type). 

Compromised Private Keys Were Responsible for 75% of Hacks

According to Chainalysis, compromised private keys were responsible for 33% of DeFi hacks in 2023. Private keys are a wallet’s master key. They give anyone who has them total access to the assets contained in the account. As such, they are a valuable target for hackers and scammers online. 

These figures have dramatically increased according to Beosin, who reports that private key compromise accounts for 75% of total losses in H1 2024. Some major private key incidents this year include DMM Bitcoin ($300 million), Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen ($112 million), PlayDapp ($290 million), and BtcTurk ($55 million).

Atomic Wallet Users Lost $129 Million

In July 2023, the non-custodial Atomic Wallet was hacked for approximately $129 million. The specifics of the attack remain unclear but it is believed that the hackers compromised users’ private keys and seed phrases. This allowed them to access and transfer victims’ funds. 

The FBI attributes this attack to TraderTraiter, a North Korea-affiliated hacking group that they also believe to be behind the Alphapo (a crypto payment processor hacked for $23 million) and Coinspaid (a crypto payment gateway hacked for $37 million) attacks. 

TraderTraiter’s ties to North Korea represent a trend that’s common in DeFi but one that was on the decline by the end of 2023. 

The Number of North Korea-Linked Hacks Climbs While the Total Value Stolen Drops

North Korea-affiliated hacker groups have been a thorn in crypto’s side for some time. The most infamous, the Lazarus Group, is responsible for some of the largest hacks in DeFi history. Other groups include Kimsuky and TraderTraiter. 

These hacker groups hit the most targets ever last year with 20 hacks. They stole 58% of the record $1.7 billion they managed in 2022. This included $127 million from wallet providers, $150 million from centralized services, $330.9 million from exchanges, and $428.8 million from DeFi platforms. 

Ethereum Lost the Most to Hacks

The annual 2023 report of the security app, De.Fi, puts the total value lost to crypto hacks, scams, and exploits at $2 billion. According to the report, the Ethereum blockchain was the most affected in 2023, losing an estimated $1.35 billion in about 170 incidents.  

BNB suffered 213 incidents that cost users assets worth around $110 million while zkSync Era and Solana lost $5.2 million (two incidents) and $1 million (one incident) respectively. 

In 2024, Ethereum is still the blockchain with the highest loss amount. The network has witnessed a total of 32 incidents causing $470 million in losses. This figure accounts for 39.4% of total losses in H1 2024. 

Approval Phishing Scams Grew in 2023

Approval phishing scams involve schemes where scammers trick the victim into giving the scammer’s address permission to spend certain tokens in the victim’s wallet. According to data from Chainalysis, victims lost an estimated $374.6 million to these scams between January and November 2023. This was a significant drop from the $516.8 million lost in 2022. 

Chainalysis tracked the approval phishing revenue of 1,013 addresses between May 2022 and November 2023. The most successful of these stole an estimated $44.3 million from thousands of victims, accounting for 4.4% of an estimated $1 billion stolen during the study period. In total, 73 of the biggest addresses accounted for half of all the value stolen. 

Outlook H2 2024

2024 has already seen an uptick in the amount lost to hacks and scams. In part, this can be attributed to higher valuations of cryptocurrencies compared to 2023. However, a bear market will also bring out more hacks as prices continue to rise.

As such, security remains an important consideration for anyone in the crypto space. Whether you’re a trader, investor, or protocol, taking measures to protect your assets is crucial. This means keeping your private keys safe; some of the biggest hacks this year were enabled by compromised private keys.

The post Crypto Security Stats 2024 (Everything You Need to Know) appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

But while most users were able to save their assets, others were not. They have unreachable tokens stuck in their Jaxx Liberty wallets. If you’re in this situation, you’re probably wondering whether your assets are gone forever. 

Well, there’s good news. It may be possible to save the crypto in your Jaxx Liberty wallet. Keep reading to learn how. 

About Jaxx Liberty Wallet 

Jaxx Liberty is a non-custodial wallet developed by Canadian blockchain startup, Decentral. It was launched in 2016 as a successor to Jaxx, another decentralized application developed by the same company. The wallet was available on both Windows and iOS.

Jaxx Liberty users received a 12-word seed phrase as a mnemonic for the wallet’s keys. The user was the only one to receive it; even Decentral did not keep a copy of an account’s private keys. This ensured that users were in full control of their wallets and the funds associated with them. 

Decentral, however, decided to discontinue the wallet to focus on building other blockchain infrastructure. As Jaxx Liberty wallets are non-custodial, their respective owners are responsible for securing the funds in them. 

Users were advised to transfer funds to other crypto wallets before March 27th. After this, both the desktop and mobile applications ceased supporting transactions. So from this point on, the only way to access assets in the wallet was to restore an account in a different wallet application. 

Jaxx Liberty remained online for some weeks after March 27th. During this period, users could only view their seed phrase. 

How to Recover Your Jaxx Liberty Wallet

The recovery of Jaxx Liberty wallets, like all non-custodial wallets, is largely dependent on the seed phrase. This is a phrase consisting of 12 randomly generated words that can be used to derive the wallet’s public and private keys, effectively creating a copy of the account. As such, the seed phrase is also known as the recovery phrase. 

A Jaxx Liberty wallet recovery phrase can be used to restore its crypto accounts on another wallet application. This should work on any compatible Web3 wallet, and given the widely accepted seed phrase generation standards in the industry, many Web3 wallets fall into that category.

Nonetheless, in their announcement of the app’s retirement, the developer specifically mentions Edge Wallet and Exodus Wallet because “they share Jaxx Liberty’s standards for interoperability.” They also claim that both companies offer support to Jaxx Liberty users migrating their wallets in case of any issues. 

So generally, if you have your Jaxx Liberty wallet seed phrase, all you need is an Exodus Wallet or Edge Wallet installation. You can then import your Jaxx wallet accounts and access your crypto. 

Potential Issues During Recovery

Your wallet recovery may not be possible and may not go as you expect for several reasons. For example, if you have lost your seed phrase, recovery is not possible without the help of an expert. You need the keys contained in the phrase to restore your wallet on another application. 

Jaxx Liberty would allow users to view their seed phrase in-app. To do this, you’d navigate to the Security tab and click on the View Backup Phrase button. The software would then request your password before revealing the 12-word recovery phrase. 

Unfortunately, the wallet has since gone offline, making it impossible to view your seed phrase that way, even if you have never deleted the app. So if you’ve lost your recovery phrase, you’ll need professional help to get your assets from the wallet. 

Even then, having your seed phrase doesn’t guarantee a successful full recovery. If something is wrong with your seed phrase, you’ll have a problem recovering your Jaxx Liberty crypto wallet. Here are some common seed phrase issues affecting wallet recovery: 

• Invalid Seed Phrase: Your Web3 wallet returns an invalid seed phrase error when you enter it. This could indicate the presence of spelling mistakes and wrong words in the Jaxx Liberty recovery phrase.

Learn more about invalid seed phrases here [link to the invalid seed phrase article]

• Incomplete Seed Phrase: You don’t have all the 12 words. You need to find the missing words and their correct positions in the phrase to recover your assets. 

In any case, you’ll need expert help. Jaxx Liberty’s status as a discontinued wallet makes recovery extremely complicated and challenging. So for the best chance at regaining access to any assets in your Jaxx Liberty wallet, you need a professional crypto recovery service. 

Wondering Which Crypto Recovery Service to Use? 

Professional Crypto Recovery (PCR) has 20+ years in IT and many successful crypto recoveries under its belt. We offer quick and efficient wallet recovery services at some of the lowest rates in the industry. So, if you want to recover assets stuck in a Jaxx Liberty wallet, we give you the best shot at the best price. 

Contact us today to begin recovering your Jaxx Liberty wallet.   

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why can’t I use my Jaxx Liberty wallet? 

The Jaxx Liberty Wallet was discontinued in March 2023 by its parent company, Decentral. The team decided to focus on another project, officially retiring the non-custodial wallet on March 27th, 2023. 

How do I recover my Jaxx Liberty wallet?

You can recover your Jaxx Wallet assets by using its seed phrase to open a new account on another wallet application. Decentral recommended that users do so with an Edge or Exodus crypto wallet. If this isn’t an option, you’ll need professional help to recover your wallet. 

Why can’t I see my Jaxx crypto wallet seed phrase? 

After announcing they would be retiring the Jaxx Liberty Wallet, Decentral kept the wallet online for a limited time to allow users to view and back up their recovery phrases. Once this period elapsed, the wallet went offline. 

What is the cost of recovering my crypto wallet? 

The cost of recovery depends on the amount stored in your wallet. At Professional Crypto Recovery, we do not accept any upfront payment and only charge after a successful recovery. The cost is a percentage of the value of the recovered assets.

The post How to Recover Assets Stuck in Your Jaxx Liberty Wallet appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

However, some users still have funds stuck in their BTC.com accounts, unable to access and withdraw them. Since the platform is no longer supported, what options do you have if you end up in this situation?

First, let’s examine how the wallet works.

The BTC.com Blocktrail Wallet Work

BTC.com is a non-custodial crypto wallet. It was initially created by Blocktrail as a Bitcoin (BTC) wallet and later updated to support Bitcoin Cash (BCH) after the fork. In July 2016, Blocktrail was acquired by Bitmain, a Chinese company specializing in the research, development, and sale of custom BTC miners and mining chips.

Being non-custodial, the BTC.com Blocktrail wallet gave users their private keys. It provided users with a recovery phrase (seed phrase) during the initial setup. This phrase could be used to recover the wallet in case the user lost access to their device or forgot their password. But the whole thing worked differently than your average crypto wallet. 

Non-custodial wallets typically display the mnemonic phrase during setup for you to copy. That’s not the case with the BTC.com wallet. 

After setting up their Blocktrail wallet, users received a Bitcoin Wallet Recovery Data Sheet. This is a PDF document containing all the information and instructions needed to recover your Bitcoin wallet. In case of a problem, you should first visit Blocktrail’s recovery website and use the data in this sheet to recover your wallet. 

BTC.com Blocktrail Wallet Recovery

Click on Begin Recovery, which will take you to a page with two forms.  You’re supposed to fill in the data in your backup document in the first form. This includes: 

• Your wallet version.
• The encrypted primary seed found on page 1 of the document.
• The backup seed, also found on page 1.
• The password-encrypted secret phrase found on page 2.
• Your wallet’s password.

The sUecond form only requires your Blocktrail public keys. 

Once properly filled in, click next. The platform will guide you through the steps to recover your wallet. 

What If It Doesn’t Work? 

Blocktrail’s Bitcoin recovery tool doesn’t always work. When that happens, there’s nothing you can do by yourself to recover the BTC.com wallet. This doesn’t mean your assets are lost forever, you just need the services of a wallet recovery professional. 

Why?

Cryptocurrency recovery immediately becomes a challenging task when conventional channels (recovery phrases and backup files) fail. At this point, someone with a good understanding of cryptography and data recovery is better placed to help you. 

Recover your BTC.com wallet

Professional Crypto Recovery (PCR) is a crypto recovery service that helps people salvage their lost crypto. With many years of experience and many more successful wallet recoveries under our belt, we give you the best chance of recovering your BTC.com wallet. No upfront payment is required–we only accept payment after a successful recovery. 

Contact us now to recover your BTC.com wallet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I download the Blocktrail Wallet?

Unfortunately, the BTC.com Blocktrail wallet is no longer supported. The app is no longer available on Google’s Play Store or Apple’s AppStore. 

How do I recover my BTC.com Wallet?

To recover your wallet, use the recovery tool on the BTC.com website and enter your recovery phrase. This will restore access to your funds. If that doesn’t work, contact a wallet recovery expert. 

What cryptocurrencies does the BTC.com Wallet support?

The BTC.com Wallet supports Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).

The post How to Recover Your BTC.com Blocktrail Wallet appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

There is a condition for it though. When you use it, your seed phrase has to be in the exact form it was given to you. Otherwise, it is considered invalid, and you cannot use an invalid mnemonic phrase to restore your account. 

So, what do you do?

This article will tell you everything you need to know about an invalid seed phrase and how to recover it. To get a better sense of the problem, let’s start with how a valid seed phrase works. 

How Does a Seed Phrase Work? 

A seed phrase, also known as a recovery or mnemonic phrase, is a human-readable representation of the master seed used to generate all public-private key pairs for a given cryptocurrency wallet. A series of cryptographic processes underlie this tool’s effectiveness. 

Without getting into too many technical details, here’s how it works: 

Generating a Seed Phrase

The process begins with the generation of a random number and ends with this number converted into the series of words (usually 12 or 24) that you get as your seed phrase. Your wallet:

• Generates a random number.
• Converts this random number into the mnemonic seed phrase.
• Uses the seed phrase to derive the master private key.
• Generates the master public key from the master private key.
• And, can derive additional private and public key pairs as needed.

To ensure consistency across different wallets, words are selected from a standard list of 2048 words. This is typically referred to as the BIP-39 standard. If it is 12 words, the resulting seed phrase might look something like this:

“apple banana cat dog elephant frog gold house igloo jazz kite lion”

Such a phrase looks like a random assortment of words. Nonetheless, it contains all the information needed to rebuild your entire wallet structure. 

How does it do that? 

How Wallets Use the Seed Phrase

This is what happens when you input a seed phrase into the application to recover your wallet:

• The software converts the words back into a unique 512-bit seed through a standardized process.
• It then uses this seed to generate a master private key.
• From the master private key, it derives a corresponding master public key.
• Using the master keys, the wallet creates a “tree” of private and public key pairs. Each pair corresponds to a different address in your wallet.
• The wallet uses these key pairs to generate the addresses you see and use for transactions.

How an Invalid Seed Phrase Occurs

The 12-24 words that make up your seed phrase collectively contain your wallet’s entire structure. So, losing a single word means losing some of the information needed to rebuild your wallet when the need arises. Therefore, having an incomplete seed phrase is one way mnemonic phrases become invalid. 

Having a different word in place of the correct one won’t work. For one, the new word might not be among the 2048 words used in the BIP-39 mnemonic generation. And even if it is, using another word will result in a different combination of words that probably represent an entirely different wallet structure.  

But a complete seed phrase is just one of the requirements for validity. It’s also crucial that the words are in the exact order that they were originally generated. If even two words are out of place, e.g., the first word last and the last word first, your seed phrase no longer contains the information needed to restore your wallet. 

Even the spelling of the individual words matters. You might have all the words present and in the correct order. But if you get the spelling of one word wrong, your mnemonic is invalid. Thus, a valid seed phrase is only one that has all the original words, in the original order and the correct spelling. 

How to Fix It

For this guide, we can group invalid seed phrase problems into two categories: missing words and those with no such obvious error (i.e., you have a seemingly complete seed phrase but it keeps returning an error when parsed into a wallet). 

1. Missing Words

An incomplete seed phrase is the easiest issue to diagnose. But it can also be the hardest one to solve. This is because you have to find the missing word(s) and their position(s) in the phrase. 

If you had memorized your seed phrase, you probably have an idea of which word is missing and its location in the mnemonic. So, you can start this process by brainstorming, guessing, and testing possible word combinations. 

If this doesn’t work, the other option is to attempt a DIY seed phrase recovery using specialized cryptographic and wallet recovery tools. These let you provide a partial recovery phrase alongside another piece of information, like the wallet’s address, which they then use to (attempt) to recover the complete seed phrase. 

Examples include Ian Coleman’s BIP39 Mnemonic Code Converter, Seed Savior, and BTCRecover.

2. No Obvious Errors

It may also be that you have a complete seed phrase. However, for one reason or another, the wallet software keeps rejecting it as invalid. Here are some potential solutions to try:

• Double-check the spelling of every word in the phrase. It could be you’re getting the spelling wrong, which may not be immediately obvious as some words have different spellings, like color and colour, centre and center, flavor and flavour, etc. 
• Watch out for similar words, like prey and pray, their and there, hare and hair, etc. You could have unknowingly substituted one for the other, rendering your seed phrase invalid.

If none of these work, the seed phrase recovery tools mentioned above can come in handy. The process is the same. Feed the tool your seed phrase and any other relevant information and it might help you find the correct version. 

But what if it doesn’t? 

Professional Wallet Recovery 

If none of your DIY attempts work, it’s time to call in the cavalry. This means seeking the services of an expert; someone who specializes in helping people recover their cryptocurrency wallets. Drawing on their training, experience, and toolkit, a recovery professional gives you the best chance of recovering your invalid seed phrase. 

Professional Crypto Recovery (PCR) is one of the best recovery services in the market. With more than 20 years of experience, our recovery services are quick and efficient. We also charge some of the lowest prices in the market. Contact us today to get started. 

The post How Do You Fix an Invalid Seed Phrase appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.

The Schildbach BTC wallet was one of the first Bitcoin wallets developed for Android. Known for providing a user-friendly way to manage Bitcoins (BTC), the wallet has amassed more than 5 million downloads on the Play Store. 

In some ways, the Schildbach Bitcoin wallet is similar to the average modern hot wallet. But in other ways–like backup and security–it takes a unique approach. 

So, how does it do it? 

Here’s everything you need to know about the Schildbach Bitcoin Wallet, including how to backup and restore it and what to do in case of an issue with the process. 

How Does Schildbach Wallet Work? 

The Schildbach Wallet is an Android Bitcoin wallet. It was created by Andrew Schildbach, a software developer who played a significant role in developing early Bitcoin applications. He designed the app to offer a simple and secure way for users to manage their bitcoin (BTC) directly on their Android devices. 

The wallet emphasizes security, ease of use, and decentralization, which align with Bitcoin’s core principles. This means it requires no registration or personal data to set up and use. It’s ready as soon as you download the app on the PlayStore or install it via GitHub. It is also non-custodial, leaving you full control and custody of your keys and funds. 

And while created by one person, the Schildbach Wallet is open-source. Anyone can access and look at its codebase and even make improvements. As such, it is actively supported and maintained by members of the Bitcoin community. They conduct code audits, schedule updates, implement new features, fix vulnerabilities, and prepare documentation. 

Making and Receiving Payments

The Schildbach Wallet is designed to make Bitcoin payments on mobile quick and convenient. You can pay by copying the recipient’s Bitcoin address or alternatively, scanning a QR code of the address. NFC is an even more convenient option–it only requires you to position your phone close to the recipient’s to trigger a transaction. 

There is also a Sweep Paper Wallet option. This transfers bitcoins from the paper wallet or coupon to your device. It is performed by scanning the keys on the paper wallet (usually a QR code) with your smartphone. This immediately sweeps the paper wallet to top up your Schildbach Wallet with the amount. 

Privacy and Security

Like any app managing assets, the Schildbach Wallet has noteworthy privacy and security features. For instance, your public address changes every time you receive BTC to protect your privacy. 

The current version of the app doesn’t require a PIN or password to open. But for security, you can set a spending PIN. This will request the PIN every time someone initiates an outgoing transaction. If they don’t have the pin, they can’t spend BTC, thus protecting your assets from unauthorized spending. 

Your pin must be hard to guess. One way to ensure that is to use a long pin. The more numbers in your PIN, the harder it will be to guess. 

Schildbach Wallet Backup and Restore

The ability to back up and restore your wallet at will is a crucial feature of self-custody. Generally, this involves letting you have your wallet’s keys. As long as you have these, you can always create a copy of your Bitcoin account on any application that supports it. 

Many wallets will give you a mnemonic of your public and private keys. This is usually a phrase of 12-24 words called the seed phrase. To restore such an account, you only need to copy its seed phrase to a wallet that supports it. 

Schildbach Bitcoin wallet doesn’t generate a mnemonic of your keys for you to write down, though. Instead, it stores the keys in a file. 

Backing Up and Restoring Schildbach Wallet

You can easily create a Schildbach Bitcoin Wallet backup. To begin, Click on the three dots at the top right of your screen. 

Then, select Safety followed by Backup Wallet. The application will prompt you to create a password to encrypt your backup. Make sure to use a robust password that is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. You can then download and store your encrypted Schildbach Wallet backup. 

You should save multiple copies of this file and store them in different locations. Ideally, they should be stored offline on multiple external drives. 

Because the file is encrypted, you can also store a backup copy in the cloud–but only do that if you don’t store your passwords online and are confident you have a strong password that cannot be hacked.

By default, the backup file’s name contains the date and time of creation. It’ll have the following format:

bitcoin-wallet-backup-<yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm>

Restoring your wallet is pretty straightforward. Click the three dots at the top right of your screen, select Safety and then Restore Wallet. You’ll be taken to your internal storage. Identify and select your Bitcoin Wallet backup. Enter the password it’s encrypted with and click RESTORE. 

Note that the Bitcoin Wallet backup file isn’t compatible with other wallet apps. This means that you can only restore your wallet on a Schildbach Wallet app. 

Issues During Restore 

Restoring your Bitcoin wallet is easy enough. However, some issues may prevent you from doing it well.

For example, the newest app versions cannot read backups made by the earliest version. This is because while backups of earlier versions contained private keys, newer backups contain a seed phrase. 

In this case, your only option is to decrypt the Schildbach Wallet backup file and access the private keys directly. These keys can then be used to restore your wallet. 

Restoration will also be impossible if you forget the password used to encrypt the file during backup. Schildbach Wallet requires you to provide this password to restore a wallet using its backup file. 

So What Do You Do? 

If you’ve lost your password, begin by making attempts to guess. You want to think hard about what the password could have been or what inspired it, i.e., birthday, pet, anniversary, graduation, etc. Then, write down all the ideas before trying them out one by one. 

If this doesn’t work, you can try brute-forcing the password. This involves using special software that attempts numerous password combinations. 

Generally, decrypting the backup file (in the case of older backup file versions) and brute forcing your Bitcoin Wallet password/pin require some technical knowledge and experience. You’ll also need the right tools. 

This is why you should seek the services of a recovery professional rather than attempt to recover a Schildbach Wallet on your own. This person has the right skills and tools to recover a crypto wallet and rescue funds. 

Professional Crypto Recovery has a long track record of helping clients successfully recover Bitcoin wallets. So, if you’ve forgotten your password or are having backup compatibility issues, we can help restore your Schildbach Wallet. Our services are efficient and come at some of the most affordable rates in the recovery market. 

Contact us today to start your Schildbach Wallet recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ensure my wallet is secure?

To ensure your wallet’s security, always keep private keys secure and offline. Set a spending pin, use a strong password, and regularly update the Bitcoin Wallet app to benefit from the latest security enhancements. 

What steps should I take if my device with the Bitcoin Wallet is lost or stolen?

If your device is lost or stolen, immediately restore your wallet on a new device using your Bitcoin Wallet backup. Once restored, transfer your funds to a new wallet. This will ensure that the old wallet on the lost/stolen device cannot be used to access your funds.

My transaction is unconfirmed and seems stuck. What should I do?

Your transaction might be stuck due to high network congestion. You can wait for the network to clear up. Alternatively, you can use a transaction accelerator service like BTC.com, ViaBTC, Antpool, and more. 

The post How to Backup and Restore Your Schildbach Wallet appeared first on Professional Crypto Recovery.