Your wallet.dat file is the oldest wallet format in crypto — and one of the most recoverable. If you mined or bought Bitcoin between 2009 and 2017, ran Bitcoin Core (or Litecoin, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash — they share the same format), and are now locked out, there's a good chance I can help. I've been recovering Bitcoin Core wallets since 2017.
Situations I recover from
Forgotten passphrase. I brute-force wallet passwords on dedicated GPU hardware, guided by every password fragment, habit, and pattern you can remember. The more you recall about how you built passwords back then, the better your odds — I'll tell you honestly whether your case is worth attempting before you commit to anything.
Corrupt wallet.dat. Bitcoin Core wallets are Berkeley DB files, and they corrupt in predictable ways — interrupted writes, failing drives, half-finished copies. I extract private keys directly from damaged files, including keys the wallet software itself can no longer see. My free guide to recovering a corrupt or deleted Bitcoin Core wallet covers what you can safely try yourself.
Deleted wallet file. If the drive hasn't been heavily overwritten since deletion, forensic recovery of the wallet file is often possible. Stop using the drive now, then see the shipment instructions.
Old or unsupported versions. Wallets from 2009–2013 predate many of today's formats and tools. I keep the legacy software running and know the historical formats.
What to do right now
- Make no further writes to the drive or wallet file. Don't reinstall Bitcoin Core, don't "try one more tool" that rewrites the file.
- Make one read-only copy of
wallet.datif you can do so safely. - Write down everything you remember about the password: length, words you used in that era, substitutions, endings.
- Get a free assessment — describe what you have and I'll give you an honest read on your odds before any contract or fee.
How the recovery works
The process is the same five steps I use for every recovery: an honest assessment, a written contract, secure transfer of your wallet file (encrypted upload, tracked shipping, or in person in Denver), the recovery work itself, and return of your coins to an address you control. You pay nothing unless I succeed — the fee is published openly: 20% of the recovered amount for wallets under 10 BTC.
Unlike anonymous recovery operations, you'll know exactly who is responsible for the job: David Veksler, operating through a Colorado-registered LLC with a physical address, a written contract, and a published PGP key. For password-recovery cases, ask what material is actually needed before sending a full wallet file; the first assessment should not require private keys or seed words.