Anthropic's Claude helped recover password to a Bitcoin wallet locked for more than 11 years

An X user with the handle **cprkrn** successfully recovered access to a Bitcoin wallet locked for over 11 years after using Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude. The wallet, last active in 2015, held 5 Bitcoin originally purchased for $250 each. After failing to unlock it with a mnemonic phrase alone, cprkrn uploaded old files from a college computer into Claude, which identified an older wallet backup that could be decrypted using the recovered phrase. The breakthrough occurred when Claude processed the files and located an encrypted wallet file that matched the mnemonic phrase. Since Bitcoin private keys remain unchanged even after password changes, decrypting the old file allowed cprkrn to regain control of the funds. The wallet address, beginning with **14VJyS**, showed activity again on May 13 after years of inactivity. The story went viral on X, drawing over 10 million views and igniting discussions about AI’s potential to bypass password protections. Some users questioned whether large language models like Claude could compromise digital security, while others speculated about broader implications for cryptocurrency security. Cprkrn attributed the loss to a past incident involving forgetting a password while intoxicated. Anthropic, the AI developer behind Claude, has not publicly commented on the incident. The case highlights both the capabilities of AI in data recovery and concerns about its misuse in cybersecurity. The recovered Bitcoin, now worth significantly more than the original $1,250 investment, underscores the long-term value of cryptocurrency holdings.