<p>Technically the Bitcoin can only be spent if you have the private key for the address. The private key is stored in a wallet. If you do not have access to that wallet then you will not be able to spend the money.</p>

<p>Try to <a href="https://support.coinbase.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">contact the customer service of CoinBase</a> to see what you can do with the information you have, also tell them if you have made any backups or wrote down any initial parameters (<strong>do not</strong> give away the exact parameters as it might be used to recover your wallet, just the fact that you have it or not).</p>

<p><strong>Update:</strong></p>

<p>In the comment below you mentioned they told you to never tell anyone the "Long"# you received, this is good, it is very likely to be a private key (about 51 random lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers) or some kind of "seed" (English words).</p>

<p>In case of the former you need to download a client and try to import that key. If you have the disk space (133 GB) I suggest using the official <a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/download" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bitcoin Core client</a>, then after the initial synchronization finishes load your private key in the debug window follownig the <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/5941/how-do-i-import-a-private-key-into-bitcoin-qt">How do I import a private key into Bitcoin-Qt?</a> question. (Note: you are really likely to need to skip step 5 as your wallet is not encrypted.)</p>

<p>For the latter (if the "Long"# is a "seed") you need to use the same website/software you used when generated it but I really cannot help you out more than directing you to the customer service.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T17:20:48.523Z
I think the question is whether it is possible to recover the private key using the information that OP has.  It will depend on what those numbers mean in the context of Coinbase.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T17:34:50.303Z
@NateEldredge: Thanks, I updated the answer.
Gábor Héja
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T20:39:38.050Z
I DO HAVE 2 KEYS. (One is a "share code" - a shorter #) and (I have a long # - i was told to never give that out)  - Maybe the long code is the private key. Can I spend them with the long # or do I have to be able to get into the wallet?
jonathanbryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T22:37:30.147Z
(@JLBryan: comment is too short for a response, updated the answer.)
Gábor Héja
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T11:49:42.407Z
Thank you so much Gábor - I'll give it a try and let you know how it worked out.
jonathanbryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-01T14:34:12.687Z
GABOR HERA, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! IT WORKED. I was able to retrieve my 4500 bitcoins!  - Just kidding - only 1  : ) but $2500 is $2500. Thanks again.
jonathanbryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-01T15:30:34.823Z
I am happy you got it back :) Could you please mark this answer as correct then? Thanks!
Gábor Héja
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T16:13:05.047Z
2017-07-11T23:49:36.110Z
2017-07-11T23:49:36.110Z
Gábor Héja
<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>I bought bitcoin about 2 years ago. Put it in coinbase wallet. I have the lost my ability to log in and cannot remember my old phone# to reopen the wallet. I DO have my "share code #" for the bitcoin and I DO have the "Long"#.</p>

<p>Am I out of luck to get access to my bitcoin or is there another way to spend it or transfer it because I have the 2 different codes?</p>

<p>Can I spend my bitcoin without knowing how to get into my bitcoin wallet?</p>

<p>Please give me feedback THANKS!</p>

<wallet-recovery>
Can I spend my bitcoin without knowing how to get into my bitcoin wallet?
jonathanbryan
# Can I spend my bitcoin without knowing how to get into my bitcoin wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-28)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I bought bitcoin about 2 years ago. Put it in coinbase wallet. I have the lost my ability to log in and cannot remember my old phone# to reopen the wallet. I DO have my "share code #" for the bitcoin and I DO have the "Long"#.

Am I out of luck to get access to my bitcoin or is there another way to spend it or transfer it because I have the 2 different codes?

Can I spend my bitcoin without knowing how to get into my bitcoin wallet?

Please give me feedback THANKS!

**Tags:** wallet-recovery


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-06-28. Score: 1

Technically the Bitcoin can only be spent if you have the private key for the address. The private key is stored in a wallet. If you do not have access to that wallet then you will not be able to spend the money.

Try to [contact the customer service of CoinBase](https://support.coinbase.com/) to see what you can do with the information you have, also tell them if you have made any backups or wrote down any initial parameters (**do not** give away the exact parameters as it might be used to recover your wallet, just the fact that you have it or not).

**Update:**

In the comment below you mentioned they told you to never tell anyone the "Long"# you received, this is good, it is very likely to be a private key (about 51 random lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers) or some kind of "seed" (English words).

In case of the former you need to download a client and try to import that key. If you have the disk space (133 GB) I suggest using the official [Bitcoin Core client](https://bitcoin.org/en/download), then after the initial synchronization finishes load your private key in the debug window follownig the [How do I import a private key into Bitcoin-Qt?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/5941/how-do-i-import-a-private-key-into-bitcoin-qt) question. (Note: you are really likely to need to skip step 5 as your wallet is not encrypted.)

For the latter (if the "Long"# is a "seed") you need to use the same website/software you used when generated it but I really cannot help you out more than directing you to the customer service.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I think the question is whether it is possible to recover the private key using the information that OP has.  It will depend on what those numbers mean in the context of Coinbase.  
> **username_1**: @NateEldredge: Thanks, I updated the answer.  
> **username_0**: I DO HAVE 2 KEYS. (One is a "share code" - a shorter #) and (I have a long # - i was told to never give that out)  - Maybe the long code is the private key. Can I spend them with the long # or do I have to be able to get into the wallet?  
> **username_1**: (@JLBryan: comment is too short for a response, updated the answer.)  
> **username_0**: Thank you so much Gábor - I'll give it a try and let you know how it worked out.  
> **username_0**: GABOR HERA, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! IT WORKED. I was able to retrieve my 4500 bitcoins!  - Just kidding - only 1  : ) but $2500 is $2500. Thanks again.  
> **username_1**: I am happy you got it back :) Could you please mark this answer as correct then? Thanks!  

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