<p>If you have encrypted your Bitcoin.org wallet with a passphrase, then only having that passphrase will allow that to be decrypted.</p>

<p>If you have a backup of your wallet prior to performing the encryption step, then any coins from that wallet that still have not been spent can be recovered.</p>

<p>Otherwise, without that passphase to open the wallet you cant get to the private keys inside the wallet, and thus cannot spend those funds.</p>

<p>There is no difference between "lost coins" and "unspent" coins, so no there are nothing more than <a href="http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=83794.0">anecdotal evidence</a> as to how many coins have been lost.</p>

<p>There are ways to try to recover your wallet <a href="http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=131619.msg1409498#msg1409498">based on hints</a> about what you remember about your passphrase.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-22T22:22:27.187Z
I supose we could use the librarys/API to write a program
BitCoin New Guy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-23T23:33:06.137Z
The source is here: http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=85495.msg942171#msg942171   But that is probably not something the typical user would use.  They might use a service that tried to crack it.
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-22T18:00:51.510Z
2012-12-22T18:00:51.510Z
Stephen Gornick
<p>After reading about all the hacks I created a passphrase that I cant remember.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Are Coins lost forever in the blockchain?</p></li>
<li><p>There must be a lot of coins in this state… Is there any way to see what coins are active?</p></li>
<li><p>Trying to retrieve these coins via the public key would break the security of the whole network??</p></li>
<li><p>If I know 80-90% of what the passphrase is… Is there a piece of software that can brute force attack using my knowledge of the passphrase as a educated library attack??</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-22T11:17:32.070Z
1 and 3) Yes. 2 and 4) Don't know.
aland
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-22T17:54:11.760Z
There are various clients that work different ways.  Are you describing the passphrase used for encrypting the bitcoin.org wallet?
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-22T22:20:36.840Z
Yes it is the passphrase to encrypt the standard client
BitCoin New Guy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-20T09:21:12.440Z
Related question: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3313/are-there-bitcoin-password-crackers-i-can-use-to-recover-forgotten-passwords
Stéphane Gimenez
<wallet><bitcoin-core><passphrase>
I lost my Bitcoin wallet passhrase. Are my Bitcoins lost?
BitCoin New Guy
# I lost my Bitcoin wallet passhrase. Are my Bitcoins lost?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-12-22)

After reading about all the hacks I created a passphrase that I cant remember.

1. Are Coins lost forever in the blockchain?
2. There must be a lot of coins in this state… Is there any way to see what coins are active?
3. Trying to retrieve these coins via the public key would break the security of the whole network??
4. If I know 80-90% of what the passphrase is… Is there a piece of software that can brute force attack using my knowledge of the passphrase as a educated library attack??

**Tags:** wallet, bitcoin-core, passphrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 1 and 3) Yes. 2 and 4) Don't know.  
> **username_2**: There are various clients that work different ways.  Are you describing the passphrase used for encrypting the bitcoin.org wallet?  
> **username_0**: Yes it is the passphrase to encrypt the standard client  
> **username_3**: Related question: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3313/are-there-bitcoin-password-crackers-i-can-use-to-recover-forgotten-passwords  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-12-22. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

If you have encrypted your Bitcoin.org wallet with a passphrase, then only having that passphrase will allow that to be decrypted.

If you have a backup of your wallet prior to performing the encryption step, then any coins from that wallet that still have not been spent can be recovered.

Otherwise, without that passphase to open the wallet you cant get to the private keys inside the wallet, and thus cannot spend those funds.

There is no difference between "lost coins" and "unspent" coins, so no there are nothing more than [anecdotal evidence](http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=83794.0) as to how many coins have been lost.

There are ways to try to recover your wallet [based on hints](http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=131619.msg1409498#msg1409498) about what you remember about your passphrase.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I supose we could use the librarys/API to write a program  
> **username_2**: The source is here: http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=85495.msg942171#msg942171   But that is probably not something the typical user would use.  They might use a service that tried to crack it.  

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