Next scheduled rescrape ... never
Version 2
Last scraped
Scraped on 19/06/2025, 17:51:27 UTC
my private key is base64, has 44 characters, and ends in an equal sign.
To quote myself:Bitcoin private keys (this section is largely based on data from bitaddress.org)
But you probably already know that - Private Key (44 characters base64) (less common).
Example: ypoGFxC4vFguG4u2DQ8/J1F5GIirXBhzdiAIer33SgU=
I think it would be better to use bitaddress.org instead of Python. ~
I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Stop right there! You can keep it offline, I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Quote
Bitaddress gives 2 public keys: the public key ( 130 characters ) and the compressed public key ( 66 characters ). Are both the master public key ? Which of the 2 public keys do I need to create a watch only wallet ? It’s important not to expose the private key.
In Electrum, you'll just use the Bitcoin Address. Considering it's old, you probably need the one that isn't "Compressed". If you use my test-key from the quote above, it's this address:1DBZmNMC69PPbC1wjGYaagXQKiba2e5NdS
You won't need the 130 or 66 character hex keys, you'll need the WIF (again: not Compressed):
5KMWmYkn5YWkJnUDG4utD9L1HXQv3DBseqqCGsQXmthcEerbA7k
Quote
I think in addition to having Electrum on the laptop offline, it can also be necessary to buy a hardware wallet.
It's good to have a plan where to send your Bitcoin before doing it. I'd buy a Trezor and not a Ledger.Quote
- 2 Bitcoin addresses with QR codes.
Don't use the QR-codes. Phone scanners are online and some instantly steal your funds.Quote
Do you recommend using bitaddress offline ?
Yes. NEVER use it online. Never enter your keys on any system with an internet connection.Quote
Could you help me ?
Yes.Warning: you should ignore all PMs you may receive! Read How can we protect Newbies from getting scammed?, Bitcointalk is filled with scammers.
For offline signing in Electrum (after you've bought a hardware wallet to send your coins to), read this:
Online:
Install Electrum on your PC.
Import your address to create a watch-only wallet.
Preview the transaction, Copy the unsigned transaction. Put it on a USB stick.
Offline and running without hard drive storage:
Get a Linux LIVE DVD. Use Knoppix or Tails for instance, or any other distribution that comes with Electrum pre-installed.
Unplug your internet cable. Close the curtains. Reboot your computer and start up from that DVD. Don't enter any wireless connection password. Keep it offline.
Start Electrum. Import your private key.
Copy your unsigned transaction from the USB stick, load it into Electrum.
CHECK the transaction in Electrum. Check the fees, check the amount, check all destination addresses (character by character).
If all is okay, sign the transaction. Copy it back to your USB stick.
Turn off the computer. That wipes the Live LINUX from memory and all traces are gone.
Online:
Use your normal online Electrum to (check again and) broadcast the transaction.
Bonus:
After moving all your Bitcoin, and once the transaction confirmed, check if you own Forkcoins.
Install Electrum on your PC.
Import your address to create a watch-only wallet.
Preview the transaction, Copy the unsigned transaction. Put it on a USB stick.
Offline and running without hard drive storage:
Get a Linux LIVE DVD. Use Knoppix or Tails for instance, or any other distribution that comes with Electrum pre-installed.
Unplug your internet cable. Close the curtains. Reboot your computer and start up from that DVD. Don't enter any wireless connection password. Keep it offline.
Start Electrum. Import your private key.
Copy your unsigned transaction from the USB stick, load it into Electrum.
CHECK the transaction in Electrum. Check the fees, check the amount, check all destination addresses (character by character).
If all is okay, sign the transaction. Copy it back to your USB stick.
Turn off the computer. That wipes the Live LINUX from memory and all traces are gone.
Online:
Use your normal online Electrum to (check again and) broadcast the transaction.
Bonus:
After moving all your Bitcoin, and once the transaction confirmed, check if you own Forkcoins.
It is possible your old Bitcoins were sent to pubkey instead of the Bitcoin address. If that's the case, Electrum can't handle "send to pubkey" inputs so you can't use it to sign offline. But Bitcoin Core can. We'll get there if it's needed.
Don't rush things, take your take, and make sure you understand what you're doing before doing it. Handling private keys means you're one fuckup away from losing your coins.
Enjoy your treasure hunt.
Version 1
Scraped on 19/06/2025, 17:26:13 UTC
To quote myself:
1DBZmNMC69PPbC1wjGYaagXQKiba2e5NdS
You won't need the 130 or 66 character hex keys, you'll need the WIF (again: not Compressed):
5KMWmYkn5YWkJnUDG4utD9L1HXQv3DBseqqCGsQXmthcEerbA7k
postenter your keys onlineon any system with an internet connection.
Warning: you should ignore all PMs you may receive! Read How can we protect Newbies from getting scammed?, Bitcointalk is filled with scammers.
For offline signing in Electrum (after you've bought a hardware wallet to send your coins to), read this:
It is possible your old Bitcoins were sent to pubkey instead of the Bitcoin address. If that's the case, Electrum can't handle "send to pubkey" inputs. We'll get there if it's needed.
Bitcoin private keys (this section is largely based on data from bitaddress.org)
But you probably already know that - Private Key (44 characters base64) (less common).
Example: ypoGFxC4vFguG4u2DQ8/J1F5GIirXBhzdiAIer33SgU=
I think it would be better to use bitaddress.org instead of Python. ~
I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Stop right there! You can keep it offline, download the Bitaddress repository from Github, and use an USB stick to copy it to your offline system.I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Quote
Bitaddress gives 2 public keys: the public key ( 130 characters ) and the compressed public key ( 66 characters ). Are both the master public key ? Which of the 2 public keys do I need to create a watch only wallet ? It’s important not to expose the private key.
In Electrum, you'll just use the Bitcoin Address. Considering it's old, you probably need the one that isn't "Compressed". If you use my test-key from the quote above, it's this address:1DBZmNMC69PPbC1wjGYaagXQKiba2e5NdS
You won't need the 130 or 66 character hex keys, you'll need the WIF (again: not Compressed):
5KMWmYkn5YWkJnUDG4utD9L1HXQv3DBseqqCGsQXmthcEerbA7k
Quote
I think in addition to having Electrum on the laptop offline, it can also be necessary to buy a hardware wallet.
It's good to have a plan where to send your Bitcoin before doing it. I'd buy a Trezor and not a Ledger.Quote
- 2 Bitcoin addresses with QR codes.
Don't use the QR-codes. Phone scanners are online and some instantly steal your funds.Quote
Do you recommend using bitaddress offline ?
Yes. NEVER use it online. Never Quote
Could you help me ?
Yes.Warning: you should ignore all PMs you may receive! Read How can we protect Newbies from getting scammed?, Bitcointalk is filled with scammers.
For offline signing in Electrum (after you've bought a hardware wallet to send your coins to), read this:
Online:
Install Electrum on your PC.
Import your address to create a watch-only wallet.
Preview the transaction, Copy the unsigned transaction. Put it on a USB stick.
Offline and running without hard drive storage:
Get a Linux LIVE DVD. Use Knoppix or Tails for instance, or any other distribution that comes with Electrum pre-installed.
Unplug your internet cable. Close the curtains. Reboot your computer and start up from that DVD. Don't enter any wireless connection password. Keep it offline.
Start Electrum. Import your private key.
Copy your unsigned transaction from the USB stick, load it into Electrum.
CHECK the transaction in Electrum. Check the fees, check the amount, check all destination addresses (character by character).
If all is okay, sign the transaction. Copy it back to your USB stick.
Turn off the computer. That wipes the Live LINUX from memory and all traces are gone.
Online:
Use your normal online Electrum to (check again and) broadcast the transaction.
Bonus:
After moving all your Bitcoin, and once the transaction confirmed, check if you own Forkcoins.
Install Electrum on your PC.
Import your address to create a watch-only wallet.
Preview the transaction, Copy the unsigned transaction. Put it on a USB stick.
Offline and running without hard drive storage:
Get a Linux LIVE DVD. Use Knoppix or Tails for instance, or any other distribution that comes with Electrum pre-installed.
Unplug your internet cable. Close the curtains. Reboot your computer and start up from that DVD. Don't enter any wireless connection password. Keep it offline.
Start Electrum. Import your private key.
Copy your unsigned transaction from the USB stick, load it into Electrum.
CHECK the transaction in Electrum. Check the fees, check the amount, check all destination addresses (character by character).
If all is okay, sign the transaction. Copy it back to your USB stick.
Turn off the computer. That wipes the Live LINUX from memory and all traces are gone.
Online:
Use your normal online Electrum to (check again and) broadcast the transaction.
Bonus:
After moving all your Bitcoin, and once the transaction confirmed, check if you own Forkcoins.
It is possible your old Bitcoins were sent to pubkey instead of the Bitcoin address. If that's the case, Electrum can't handle "send to pubkey" inputs. We'll get there if it's needed.
Original archived Re: Please, I need help for converting a very old btc private key to WIF.
Scraped on 19/06/2025, 17:21:29 UTC
To quote myself:
1DBZmNMC69PPbC1wjGYaagXQKiba2e5NdS
You won't need the 130 or 66 character hex keys, you'll need the WIF (again: not Compressed):
5KMWmYkn5YWkJnUDG4utD9L1HXQv3DBseqqCGsQXmthcEerbA7k
Warning: you should ignore all PMs you may receive! Read How can we protect Newbies from getting scammed?, Bitcointalk is filled with scammers.
Bitcoin private keys (this section is largely based on data from bitaddress.org)
But you probably already know that - Private Key (44 characters base64) (less common).
Example: ypoGFxC4vFguG4u2DQ8/J1F5GIirXBhzdiAIer33SgU=
I think it would be better to use bitaddress.org instead of Python. ~
I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Stop right there! You can keep it offline, download the Bitaddress repository from Github, and use an USB stick to copy it to your offline system.I would use a laptop that has never been connected to the internet.
The first step would be to connect it to the internet
Quote
Bitaddress gives 2 public keys: the public key ( 130 characters ) and the compressed public key ( 66 characters ). Are both the master public key ? Which of the 2 public keys do I need to create a watch only wallet ? It’s important not to expose the private key.
In Electrum, you'll just use the Bitcoin Address. Considering it's old, you probably need the one that isn't "Compressed". If you use my test-key from the quote above, it's this address:1DBZmNMC69PPbC1wjGYaagXQKiba2e5NdS
You won't need the 130 or 66 character hex keys, you'll need the WIF (again: not Compressed):
5KMWmYkn5YWkJnUDG4utD9L1HXQv3DBseqqCGsQXmthcEerbA7k
Quote
I think in addition to having Electrum on the laptop offline, it can also be necessary to buy a hardware wallet.
It's good to have a plan where to send your Bitcoin before doing it. I'd buy a Trezor and not a Ledger.Quote
Do you recommend using bitaddress offline ?
Yes. NEVER use it online. Never post your keys online.Quote
Could you help me ?
Yes.Warning: you should ignore all PMs you may receive! Read How can we protect Newbies from getting scammed?, Bitcointalk is filled with scammers.