🪙 Recover lost cryptocurrencies · honest 2026 guide
"I lost my crypto" can mean many things. This guide classifies the 6 types of crypto loss + what can be recovered, what can't, and how to evaluate your case before paying any service (including ours). Most importantly: distinguishing scams from legitimate services.
The 6 types of crypto loss
Type 2 — Device loss (hardware/HDD): Ledger/Trezor without seed phrase, physically broken HDD. Sometimes recoverable with chip-extraction services.
Type 3 — Seed phrase loss (paper): paper with 12-24 words thrown out/burned/lost + locked wallet. NOT recoverable unless you remember some words.
Type 4 — Phishing/scam (sent to fraud address): you sent BTC/ETH to scammer's address. Almost NEVER recoverable; blockchain is immutable.
Type 5 — Hack to your wallet/exchange: someone stole your keys or exchange was hacked. If exchange: possible refunds (Mt.Gox, Cryptopia). If personal wallet: NOT recoverable.
Type 6 — Custodial exchange blocked your account: KYC issues, account freeze. Recoverable via legal channels + KYC re-submission, not via crypto recovery.
Legitimate services vs scams: how to distinguish
- Guarantee recovery ("100% guaranteed")
- Charge upfront WITHOUT prior diagnostic (>USD 500 initial)
- Ask for your seed phrase / private key / wallet.dat via Discord/Telegram DM
- Appear in replies to "I lost my crypto" tweets
- No verifiable track record (fake testimonials)
LEGITIMATE service green flags:
- Cheap/free prior diagnostic (USD 35-100)
- Honest about low chances in some cases
- Transparent pricing in writing
- Clear NDA + privacy policy
- Physical address + verifiable contact
- Track record with public cases
Serious services worldwide (comparison)
KeychainX (Switzerland): specialized in hardware wallets + complex cases. High custom pricing. USD 50K+ cases typical.
ReWallet (Germany): new player since 2022. Mid-tier pricing. Accepts more wallet types.
UnlockFile (Argentina): us. USD 35 diagnostic, USD 2000 AI Scan, 30-40% success fee. Advantage: pricing in pesos via MercadoPago, no Stripe USD friction. Full NDA. 5×RTX 3090 GPU cluster.
When NOT to pay (be honest with yourself)
- Your balance is
- You sent BTC to fraud address (CANNOT be undone, anyone telling you otherwise is lying)
- You only remember "it was random" without patterns (almost zero chances, you waste diagnostic)
- Your hardware wallet was wiped by PIN attempts (chip extraction is viable but only for >USD 50K)
- It's a scam to hire another "recovery service" to recover from a "recovery service scammer" (it's scam within scam)
Steps before contacting any service
- Backup everything: wallet.dat, keystore JSON, screenshots, papers. Don't try passwords on original wallet.
- Document memory: sit calmly, write everything you remember about the passphrase: length, char type, language, context when you chose it, external hints.
- Search external hints: old emails, .txt files on old computers, Google Drive/Dropbox with backups, physical papers in drawers.
- Calculate current balance: use the address on blockchain.com/etherscan.io to see real balance today.
- Categorize your case: type 1-6 (previous section). Identify if viable.
- Contact service: start with cheap diagnostic (USD 35-100). DON'T pay big fees without knowing real chances.
Frequently asked questions
If Binance has my BTC and blocked my account?
Not crypto recovery area — it's legal/KYC area. Re-submit KYC documents, contact Binance via official channel. If they don't respond, legal recourse in exchange jurisdiction.
Can you recover BTC from Mt.Gox 2014?
Mt.Gox has official claims process with Japanese trustee. See mtgox.com for your situation. Recovery via crypto-recovery service does NOT apply to this case.
And airdrops to old wallets?
If you have access to wallet (with password), claim airdrop normally. If you don't have password, first recover wallet (USD 2000 AI Scan), then claim. Fees 30-40% on EVERYTHING recovered (including airdrop value).
Do you recover lost NFTs?
NFTs are at ETH addresses. If we recover the wallet → you have NFTs. Same process. We CAN'T recover NFTs sold by scam (on-chain transaction is immutable).
How much is the diagnostic?
USD 35. We confirm category 1-2-3-4 of viability. Then if you decide AI Scan: USD 2000. If you decide not to continue, you only lost USD 35 (not the $2000).
Complex case? We can help
5×RTX 3090 GPU cluster + ML engineer. USD 35 diagnostic, USD 2000 AI Scan, success fee 30-40% only if we recover.
🔐 Wallet Recovery →