Wallet
Ethereum Presale or ICO Wallet Recovery
Locked out of a 2014 Ethereum presale wallet or an ICO-era wallet? We help with forgotten presale and keystore passwords, lost or damaged files and incomplete phrases. Free assessment; no recovery, no fee.
Request an assessment+31 85 109 1211
- Since 2019Recovery specialist
- KvK 75927276Registered in the Netherlands
- AmsterdamPhysical office
- Non-custodialYou move the coins
Quick answers
What file does a 2014 Ethereum presale wallet use?
An encrypted presale JSON file created during the purchase. It is different from a later UTC/keystore file and requires the original presale password.
Can an Ethereum presale password be reset?
No. The password is not held by a provider. Recovery is an offline candidate search against the encrypted presale file, and any reliable password memory helps define that search.
Can an Ethereum address alone recover the wallet?
No. A public address can confirm where the funds are, but it cannot recreate the private key, recovery phrase or encrypted wallet file.
Our Ethereum presale and ICO wallet recovery services
Forgotten Ethereum presale password
The 2014 presale gave each buyer an encrypted wallet file, opened with the password set during the purchase, not with a keystore password. The Ethereum Foundation recommended a very strong one, so what you remember of its structure matters: the words, dates and symbols you used then, variants with capitals, and the keyboard layout you typed on. Recovery is a structured offline search against a copy of the file, and each case needs its own assessment. How to open a 2014 presale wallet
Lost or deleted presale file
The file and the password are both required: the encrypted seed exists only in the file and its copies. The sale also emailed buyers a backup copy, so the mailbox you used in 2014 is worth searching, along with old computers, USB sticks and cloud backups. A deleted file can sometimes be recovered from the original drive, as long as nothing has overwritten it. Wallet on a broken computer or drive
Presale file that will not open
The presale file is not a standard keystore, so a wallet that imports UTC/JSON files may reject it as invalid. Software that reads the presale format, Geth among them, imports it with the password. If it still fails with a password you are sure of, the file may be damaged, or only a partial copy survived on an old drive that needs data recovery first. An intact file is a short block of text with fields such as encseed and ethaddr. Legacy wallet recovery
ICO-era keystore or private key
ICO-era wallets (2015-2018) were usually created with browser tools such as MyEtherWallet, which produced a keystore (UTC/JSON) file or a raw private key. A keystore with a forgotten password is a password search against a copy of the file. A private key that was written down or printed and does not open the expected address may contain a misread character. Ethereum keystore recovery
Incomplete or reordered recovery phrase
Later MyEtherWallet wallets use a 12- or 24-word recovery phrase. If a phrase is partial or the order is uncertain, the BIP-39 checksum and word list bound the search, and we reconstruct phrases with up to four missing words. Which positions are known and whether the funded address is known decide feasibility. A passphrase set on top of the phrase is required as well. How missing seed words are recovered
Several old files, unsure which one holds the funds
A presale file stores its Ethereum address in plain text, in the ethaddr field, and a keystore usually holds its address too. Most files can therefore be matched to a funded address on a block explorer without any password. We work out which of several old files, keys or notes belongs to the address that holds the ETH and tokens. How wallet files are identified
Before you contact us
Mistakes to avoid
- Don't upload a presale or keystore file to a website, and don't paste its contents into one.
- Don't work on the only copy. Copy the file first and keep the original untouched.
- Don't type a presale password, private key or phrase into a site you reached through an ad, an email or a direct message. Lookalike wallet sites are built to collect them.
- Don't format, reinstall or keep using an old computer or drive that may still hold the file.
- Don't conclude the ETH is gone because a wallet app shows nothing. Check the address on a block explorer first.
- Never share the password, private key or phrase with anyone, including us, to get an assessment.
Information that helps the assessment
- Whether you bought in the 2014 presale or in a later ICO, and which tool created the wallet.
- What you still have: the presale file, a keystore (UTC--) file, a hex private key, a phrase or old notes. Describe it; don't send it.
- The Ethereum address, from the file's ethaddr field or your notes. A block explorer shows whether the ETH and tokens are still there.
- What you remember about the password: its structure, the words, dates and symbols you used in that period, and the keyboard layout and language you typed on.
- Where copies might be. Search every old computer, USB stick, email account and paper note from that era, including the mailbox used for the purchase and any cloud backups.
- What happened, and what you have already tried.
Boundaries
What we do not do
Theft, scams or a wrong address
A confirmed blockchain transaction cannot be reversed, cancelled or redirected, by us or by anyone.
A completely lost recovery phrase
With no phrase, wallet file, device, backup or partial information left, there is nothing to reconstruct from.
Guaranteed outcomes
No honest service can guarantee success. Whether recovery is possible depends on what you still have, and the assessment tells you before you commit.
We tell you honestly what is realistic before you commit — including when the answer is no.
How it works
A clear process from first contact to handover.
Tell us what happened
Share the wallet or software name, approximate year, device, problem and what material still exists. Do not send a seed phrase, private key, password, wallet file or ID document.
Initial feasibility view
Once we have enough information, we usually explain the likely recovery route, the main uncertainties and an initial indication of duration.
Verify and agree
We verify identity and ownership or legal authority. Scope, working method, fee and sensitive-material handling are agreed in writing before sensitive work begins.
Transfer or hand over material
PGP, our secure encrypted upload environment, in-person handover or agreed shipment may be used. We request only what is needed and work with copies where possible.
Technical recovery
We test the agreed recovery route in a controlled environment. You receive meaningful updates when findings affect the outlook, scope or next decision.
Client-controlled handover
Access is handed back through the agreed route. You open the wallet and move the assets to a wallet you control; case material is then handled according to the agreement and privacy policy.
Trust
A real company with a verifiable process.
Registered & named
Registered in the Netherlands (KvK 75927276) with a named team and a physical office in Amsterdam.
A written agreement first
Scope, fee and security measures are agreed in writing before any work. If you prefer, we can sign an NDA before you share substantive case details.
Always non-custodial
We restore access; you move the coins yourself. We never hold, manage or transfer your assets.
Ownership is verified
Identity, ownership and legal authority are verified with risk-based KYC/AML checks.
Good to know about Ethereum presale and ICO wallet recovery
- The presale encryption. The presale password is stretched with PBKDF2 over 2,000 iterations to decrypt the seed stored in the file, and the private key is derived from that seed. That is a far lighter setting than a standard Geth keystore, so a well-defined search covers more candidates in the same time. An unconstrained one still does not finish.
- Every format needs its own key material. A presale file needs its presale password and a keystore its keystore password. A phrase needs any passphrase that was set on it. A private key needs nothing else, and an address on its own opens nothing.
- Private keys. An Ethereum private key is 64 hexadecimal characters. One wrong character gives a different, valid key with a different address, so a known address is how a corrected key is confirmed.
- Tokens. ERC-20 tokens bought in an ICO sit on the same Ethereum address as the ETH, so restoring access to the address restores the tokens too. A wallet may need to be told to display them. Tokens not showing
- Ethereum Classic. Ethereum Classic split off at block 1,920,000 in July 2016 and kept the ledger up to that point. Presale ETH that had not moved by then also exists there as ETC, controlled by the same key.
- The address proves the file. Keep the address visible on the file or in your notes: it shows which wallet a file belongs to, and checking it needs no password.
Ethereum presale and ICO wallet recovery FAQ
Does a 2014 presale wallet have a recovery phrase?
No. The presale wallet was generated from a random seed that is stored, encrypted, in the file. There are no words to restore from, which is why the file and its copies matter so much.
How do I check whether my presale wallet still holds ETH?
Look up the address from the file's ethaddr field on a block explorer such as Etherscan. It needs no password and moves nothing. If the ETH left the address years ago, no password brings it back.
Does a wrong password lock or damage a presale wallet?
No. The file is tested offline, and wrong attempts neither lock it nor change it. Still, make every attempt on a copy and keep the original untouched.
How much does crypto wallet recovery cost?
It depends on the wallet's value and how complex the case is: our success fee runs from 20% of the recovered amount down to 2%. The exact rate is agreed in writing before any work starts — no hidden costs and no hourly rates.
Do you take custody of the assets at any point?
No. We restore access; you open the wallet and move the funds yourself. We cannot initiate a transaction on your behalf.
Do I need to send my seed phrase or password?
No — first contact needs no sensitive material, and we never ask for it through forms or chat. Under a written agreement we can work with copies of wallet files in a controlled environment, so your keys stay under your control.
What if my wallet was stolen or I was scammed?
We do not take stolen-crypto or scam cases, and blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. That is a police and legal matter.
