The wallet format library

“A wallet” is not one thing. The word covers files, apps, devices, printed sheets and online accounts, and each has different rules after a death. This library is the index: find what you have, read the rule that applies to it, and follow the deep guide. See also Bitcoin in an estate for what to preserve with Bitcoin.

The rules that apply to every format

• Preserve it exactly as found. No opening, importing, scanning, updating or “checking”.
• Never photograph or send recovery words, private keys or passwords. In this first phase, also do not send wallet files and do not enter secret access material anywhere just because a website or app looks official. Specialised technical recovery may later require an encrypted wallet file or a limited extraction; provide it only after what is needed and the secure process to follow have been agreed in writing in advance. First check in the current official documentation of the wallet concerned where and how recovery is supposed to take place. With some hardware wallets you enter recovery words only on the device itself; with other wallets, an official app, software environment or web recovery procedure can be part of the normal recovery process. If what you see on screen differs from the official recovery procedure, or you are unsure, do not enter anything.
• Record only that you found it, what, where, when.
• Possession is not authority. See legal authority vs technical access.

The library

Format	What it is	What it means for access	Safe approach
wallet.dat files	Software wallet file used by Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin-family clients (Litecoin, Dogecoin, Dash)	Depending on version and configuration, the file can contain private keys, descriptors, scripts and/or watch-only data and may be encrypted; treat it as sensitive until the wallet configuration is safely established	Preserve the original unchanged. First establish which wallet software and format it belongs to. Only then work on a controlled copy with suitable, verified software.
Ethereum keystore (UTC--…)	Encrypted private key file used by Ethereum wallets (MyEtherWallet and geth-compatible software)	File + password together; the wrong network can show an empty wallet	Keep file and password securely and appropriately; import only in the right tool, after authority
Electrum wallet	Bitcoin desktop wallet in Electrum’s own format (files, often with a recovery phrase)	File + password, or the recovery phrase; some wallet types (such as imported-private-key or watch-only) have no seed; older Electrum wallets can use different wallet or seed formats; many older wallets can be opened, recovered or migrated with a current Electrum version, while some very early formats may need a different recovery route. An empty result does not prove the wallet is empty or that historical Electrum software is needed	Preserve the wallet file and any passwords or recovery details. For recovery, only use verified software that supports the Electrum type found; that does not always have to be Electrum itself.
MultiBit wallet (.wallet, .key)	Legacy Bitcoin desktop wallet (2011–2017), discontinued	File or private-key export; password only if the file is encrypted; the recovery route depends on the MultiBit generation and the file found; old MultiBit software is not always needed	Preserve file and password; never download “MultiBit” from random sites
Blockchain.com legacy backup (wallet.aes.json)	Encrypted backup of a Blockchain.info/Blockchain.com wallet	Backup file + main password; some older double-encrypted wallets may additionally need a second password; import only through Blockchain.com’s official route	Keep file and password; never use third-party “import” sites
BIP38 encrypted key (6P…)	Encrypted private key (paper-wallet era)	Key + password; the password matters as much as the key	Keep key and password securely and appropriately; never type or photograph either
Blockchain.com wallet	Can be a custodial Trading Account, a current non-custodial Wallet, or an older/legacy non-custodial wallet	Trading Account: official support procedure; current or older non-custodial Wallet: Blockchain.com’s official recovery procedure	Classify first: Trading Account, current Wallet or legacy wallet, the route differs
Wallet apps (MetaMask, Trust, Exodus…)	Mobile and desktop apps holding seeds and keys	Many non-custodial wallet apps can be fully or partly restored with the corresponding recovery material; which accounts and assets return depends on the wallet standard, derivation, imported accounts and any additional configuration	Preserve the device; do not unlock, sync or update it
Paper wallet	Printed address plus private key or other recovery material	The private key material can give technical control over the corresponding funds. Once a private key is digitally exposed, it must afterwards be considered potentially compromised.	Preserve the whole original document unchanged and avoid unnecessary exposure of the private part.
Hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor, Tangem…)	Device holding the keys	How access and recovery work varies by brand, model and configuration. It can work, for example, through a functioning device, recovery words, backup cards or devices, shares, or another wallet-specific recovery method	Preserve the device and everything found with it. First establish the exact brand, model and configuration; do not reset, update or guess anything
Seed phrase (paper or metal)	12–24 recovery words (BIP-39); restores in compatible wallet software	The words in the correct order. If an extra passphrase was set up, that is also needed. Use the correct or compatible wallet software, because the same words can sometimes show a different or empty result in another wallet	Keep it flat, dry and private; the words are the access path
Private key (WIF or hex)	The secret string itself	Can be used to create valid signatures for the corresponding key material; whether a single key is enough depends on the configuration	Treat as potentially secret; never type it into an arbitrary website, app or ‘checker’ and use it only according to the current official import or recovery procedure; never photograph or share it
Extended public key (xpub, ypub, zpub)	Read-only key material for a specific HD derivation scope	Can show addresses and transaction history within the corresponding derivation scope, but cannot sign or spend. A single xpub, ypub or zpub is not automatically a complete picture of all accounts or derivation branches of the wallet.	Privacy-sensitive; treat it as technical wallet data and do not treat a single extended public key as proof that the whole wallet has been inventoried
Extended private key (xprv, yprv, zprv)	Secret HD key material; can derive descendant private and public keys within the relevant derivation subtree	Spending-capable key material	Treat as private-key material: never photograph, share, upload or include it in a secret-free inventory; do not confuse it with xpub/ypub/zpub — it can cover an account or subtree, not necessarily the whole wallet
QR code	May for example contain a public address, a payment URI, a private key or other wallet or account data.	Sensitivity depends on the actual payload; it is only known after the code is decoded.	Treat an unknown QR code as potentially secret until it is identified. Do not use an arbitrary website or online scanning service to determine its content. If identification is necessary, use a controlled method that does not upload the decoded data and does not automatically run links or actions.
Recovery cards / SLIP-39 shares	Multi-part wallet backup. A simple setup can have a single X-of-Y threshold; SLIP-39 additionally supports groups with both a group threshold and a threshold within each group.	The number of shares found alone does not always tell you whether recovery is possible. The shares must belong to the same backup/configuration and the configured group and member thresholds must be met.	Preserve every share found unchanged and note where it was found. First establish which shares belong together and which threshold/group structure was used before bringing shares together for recovery.
Encrypted drive/container (VeraCrypt, TrueCrypt, BitLocker, encrypted archive)	A protection layer around whatever is inside, often the wallet files or backups	The access material required varies by system and configuration: it can be a password/passphrase, but also a recovery password or recovery key, keyfile, PIM, certificate, security token, or a combination of these	Preserve the medium and all access material and configuration information found; first identify the exact encryption system; never format, mount-and-write or upload

Hardware wallets

Hardware wallets look different by brand, but the estate rules are the same for every device: preserve it with its box and cable, never guess the PIN, never reset or update it. The recovery words are often crucial, but also preserve the device itself. To identify a device by brand and find its official support, see how to preserve a hardware wallet.

Old wallet apps you may still meet

Apps from the 2010s are still found on old phones and computers. The app itself may be discontinued, but the recovery phrase or files it created are the access path, the format matters more than the app. This table is identification only: never update the old app, never unlock it carelessly and never let it sync. See old devices with a possible wallet.

App	Era	Access and recovery material	Status note	Safe approach
Breadwallet / BRD	2014–2022	12-word recovery phrase (BIP-39)	BRD app phased out in 2022 after the BRD team joined Coinbase; no longer available as an active wallet	Preserve the phrase; restore via compatible software, with the correct derivation path
Jaxx / Jaxx Liberty	2014–2023	12-word backup phrase	Discontinued since 27 March 2023; no active official support or reliable current Jaxx download	Preserve the original data and the backup. Do not download a program that now presents itself as Jaxx/Jaxx Liberty; determine the right recovery route safely first
Coinomi	2014–present	12, 15, 18 or 24-word backup, with an optional passphrase	App still available	Preserve the phrase and any passphrase
Mycelium	2014–present	BIP39 recovery phrase (12 words); older installs may also contain legacy accounts or older backup formats that do not work through the same route	App still available	Preserve the phrase and any found backup material; determine the account or backup format first
Toast Wallet	2015–2020	Encrypted wallet backup + passphrase and 6-word recovery phrase (XRP)	Removed from app stores; no active official download	Preserve the wallet backup, recovery phrase and any passphrase; the recovery words alone are not a wallet backup
Armory	2011–present (community continuation)	.wallet file; can be a signing wallet or a watching-only wallet. A watching-only file does not contain the private keys needed to sign	Legacy wallet; open-source project continued by the community	Preserve the file and also look for associated backups, signing wallets and any needed password; for restoration, check current status and releases via the official project channels and do not automatically use an arbitrary old build

Do not download anything on a guess. The discontinued apps in this table (BRD) are no longer available from official stores, and random downloads that claim to be them (or tools that promise to “open” or “repair” their files) are frequently fake. If you cannot verify the source, do not install anything; work with someone who has verified experience with old wallets instead.

Electrum, MultiBit and Blockchain.com legacy wallets have their own deep guides, see the library above.

How to use this library

1. Find your format in the table.
2. If it has a deep guide, read that page for the specific rules.
3. If it does not, the general identification page (what did you find) covers every common item, and the golden rules above apply regardless.
4. When in doubt, preserve and wait: the preservation checklist and old computer or phone with a wallet cover the device side.

This library answers “what format is this?” The other half of the identification question (where the crypto was held) is answered by where was the crypto held.

New wallet formats appear regularly. The names change; the rules do not: preserve, never share without a clear reason, record only, and let the estate process decide what happens next.

Before anything is opened or entered, verify the official channel, see official channels and source verification.