<p>Do not confuse passphrases with recovery words. A passphrase is used to decrypt a wallet file. Without an encrypted wallet file, a passphrase is useless.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T20:43:44.050Z
2020-06-24T20:43:44.050Z
David Schwartz
<p>I believe the only possible answer for this time (assuming you mean 2009, no wallets existed before then with recovery mnemonics) is that the wallet was blockchain.info. Different to now, at the time it used a "recovery mnemonic", which was an encoding of your password rather than the keys in your wallet. Unfortunately if this is the case you need to also know either the 'wallet identifier' (looks like <code>fbb4b1dd-1b30-4cc2-b745-b586e4f3cb57</code>), or the original <code>wallet.json.aes</code> file. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T07:20:57.213Z
According to Wikipedia, blockchain.info didn't start until 2011.  Bitcoin itself only started in January 2009, so if the dates are right, GPHM was an *extremely* early adopter.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T07:46:44.907Z
Yes. I assume they misremember.
Claris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T04:03:29.673Z
2019-01-31T04:03:29.673Z
Claris
<p>The BTC core wallet lets me choose my own passphrase with 12-16 words. The latest would be late January, early February 2009. What wallet was I using? I can't find a reference online. Everyone says that passphrases weren't used until 2013. I am trying to get my wallet back. I now remember my passphrase.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T04:05:06.567Z
Are you sure about that? The whole "wallet recovery words" system did not exist in 2009.
Raghav Sood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-31T04:06:12.757Z
Moreover, no version of Bitcoin Core has ever had a recovery phase. The earliest was 2011 with Blockchain.info.
Claris
<bitcoin-core><wallet-recovery>
How can I use my pass phrase from 2009 to recover my wallet?
GPHM
# How can I use my pass phrase from 2009 to recover my wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-31)

The BTC core wallet lets me choose my own passphrase with 12-16 words. The latest would be late January, early February 2009. What wallet was I using? I can't find a reference online. Everyone says that passphrases weren't used until 2013. I am trying to get my wallet back. I now remember my passphrase.

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

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you sure about that? The whole "wallet recovery words" system did not exist in 2009.  
> **username_2**: Moreover, no version of Bitcoin Core has ever had a recovery phase. The earliest was 2011 with Blockchain.info.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-24. Score: 1

Do not confuse passphrases with recovery words. A passphrase is used to decrypt a wallet file. Without an encrypted wallet file, a passphrase is useless.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-31. Score: 0

I believe the only possible answer for this time (assuming you mean 2009, no wallets existed before then with recovery mnemonics) is that the wallet was blockchain.info. Different to now, at the time it used a "recovery mnemonic", which was an encoding of your password rather than the keys in your wallet. Unfortunately if this is the case you need to also know either the 'wallet identifier' (looks like `fbb4b1dd-1b30-4cc2-b745-b586e4f3cb57`), or the original `wallet.json.aes` file.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: According to Wikipedia, blockchain.info didn't start until 2011.  Bitcoin itself only started in January 2009, so if the dates are right, username_0 was an *extremely* early adopter.  
> **username_2**: Yes. I assume they misremember.  

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