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Forgotten passphrase

Recovering a forgotten passphrase is possible when the seed phrase is complete.

Is this your case

How the problem usually shows up

01

You restored the seed on a Ledger, Trezor or app and the wallet looks empty: the seed is right, but the funds sit in the passphrase protected wallet.

02

You set up a hidden wallet on Trezor or a passphrase on Ledger years ago and cannot recall the exact text.

03

The passphrase was written down with an error, or on a note that is now partially lost.

04

You used a phrase of your own (a verse, a name, a sequence of words) and no longer know the spacing, capitalisation or punctuation.

05

The address with the balance is visible in a block explorer, but none of the passphrase variations you tried reproduces it.

Materials

What we need to assess the case

The initial call happens without any secret. If the case is accepted, the material is handled through the channel defined in the contract.

  • The complete seed phrase (12, 18 or 24 words), confirmed as the seed that generated the wallet.
  • A public address, xpub or transaction from the wallet you want to recover, to validate each candidate.
  • The wallet type and network (Bitcoin, Ethereum, others), because this defines the derivation paths to test.
  • Everything you remember about the passphrase: length, words, language, use of spaces, numbers and symbols, and phrases you used to rely on at the time.
  • Proof of identity and ownership, verified before any technical work.

Process

How we handle a forgotten passphrase case

The path is the same as in every other case: triage without secrets, a 30 minute assessment, a proposal, offline execution and an assisted transfer to a new wallet.

  1. Step 01

    Tell us what happened

    Complete a short form with the wallet type, the problem and what you still have. Do not submit any secret.

  2. Step 02

    Speak with a specialist

    Have a free technical assessment lasting 30 minutes in English or Portuguese.

  3. Step 03

    Receive an initial assessment

    Understand preliminary viability, which materials may be required and the next steps.

  4. Step 04

    Authorize the work

    After ownership verification and service formalization, we request only what is strictly necessary.

  5. Step 05

    Pay only after a recovery

    When successful, you move the assets to a new wallet during an assisted session and pay the agreed success fee.

Viability

What determines viability

A BIP39 passphrase has no length limit and no checksum. Any text produces a valid wallet, so only the known address tells whether a candidate is the right one.

Reference address
Without an address, xpub or transaction from the correct wallet there is no way to confirm the passphrase. This is the indispensable item of the case.
Passphrase structure
Phrases made of known words with formatting doubts are feasible. Long random strings generated by a password manager, with no clue at all, are not.
Derivation paths
Each passphrase has to be tested on the paths the original wallet used (BIP44, BIP49, BIP84, BIP86, Ledger Live or Trezor Suite accounts). Knowing which software created the wallet reduces the work.
Cost per attempt
BIP39 derivation runs PBKDF2 with 2048 iterations per candidate, followed by address derivation. It is slower than many file passwords, and the time estimate accounts for that.

Service limits

What we cannot do

  • We cannot recover a passphrase without the matching seed phrase. We also cannot recover a seed from a passphrase.
  • We cannot recover the passphrase of a wallet whose address you do not know and cannot identify in history, exchange records or statements.
  • We do not guarantee recovery. Open search spaces with no remembered structure are reported as unfeasible during the assessment.

Security and confidentiality

Your data is treated as the most sensitive asset in the process.

We minimize data collection for every case. Recovery attempts are performed offline on equipment controlled by Vault, with access restricted to the specialists responsible.

Never send a seed phrase, private key or password to someone who contacts you without your request. Always verify Vault Recovery's official channels.

01

No secrets are requested in the initial form.

02

Work begins only after identity, ownership or legal authority is verified.

03

We request only the material required for the specific case.

04

Recovery attempts take place in a controlled offline environment.

05

You participate in moving the assets to a new wallet under your control.

06

Sensitive files and data are permanently deleted after the case is concluded.

Commercial model

A fee only if the passphrase is found

The assessment is free. If the case is accepted and the passphrase is recovered, the fee applies to the value transferred to your new wallet, according to the brackets below. Without success, there is no fee.

Assess my case

No recovery commission if recovery fails

Recovered value
Up to USD 100,000
Success fee
20%
Recovered value
Over USD 100,000 up to USD 200,000
Success fee
17.5%
Recovered value
Over USD 200,000
Success fee
15%

Cases that require device shipping, replacement parts or laboratory work may involve operational costs disclosed in advance and charged separately from the success fee.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about this case.

The same questions and answers visible here feed the structured data of the page.

Free assessment

Seed complete and passphrase lost? Let us assess it.

In 30 minutes a specialist reviews the passphrase structure you remember, confirms the reference address and explains viability, without asking for any secret.

Free assessment · English or Portuguese · No secret is requested at this stage

Step 1 of 3

Initial case assessment

Share only what is necessary so we can direct the conversation to the right specialist.

Never enter a seed phrase, password, passphrase, private key, or sensitive file in this form.
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