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.

The rules that apply to every format

• Preserve it exactly as found. No opening, importing, scanning, updating or “checking”.
• Never photograph or send any words, keys, passwords or wallet files, and never type them into a website, app or form. The only legitimate place it is entered is the official device or wallet software from the official channel that you are certain is genuine, after authority is confirmed.
• 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	How access works	Best next step	Guide
wallet.dat files	Software wallet file used by Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin-family clients (Litecoin, Dogecoin, Dash)	File + password together; unencrypted by default in Bitcoin Core, so the file alone is the secret	Preserve on its original medium; never open it in fresh software	wallet.dat files
Ethereum keystore (UTC--…)	Encrypted private key file used by Ethereum wallets (MyEtherWallet, MetaMask and other Ethereum software)	File + password together; the wrong network can show an empty wallet	Keep file and password apart; import only in the right tool, after authority	Ethereum keystore (UTC—)
Electrum wallet	Bitcoin desktop wallet (files and seed) in Electrum’s own format	File + password, or the seed phrase; very old formats can look empty in modern software	Preserve files and any password; restore only in Electrum itself	Electrum wallets
MultiBit wallet (.wallet, .key)	Legacy Bitcoin desktop wallet (2011–2017), discontinued	File + password together; only era-appropriate software shows anything	Preserve file and password; never download “MultiBit” from random sites	MultiBit wallets after a death
Blockchain.com legacy backup (wallet.aes.json)	Encrypted backup of a Blockchain.info/Blockchain.com wallet	Backup file + password; import only through Blockchain.com’s official route	Keep file and password; never use third-party “import” sites	Blockchain.com wallets after a death
BIP38 encrypted key (6P…)	Encrypted private key (paper-wallet era)	Key + password; the password matters as much as the key	Keep key and password separate; never type or photograph either	Paper wallets
Blockchain.com wallet	Custodial account or legacy non-custodial wallet on Blockchain.com’s own platform	Custodial: official support procedure; legacy: keys + password	Classify first: custodial or legacy, the route differs	Blockchain.com wallets
Wallet apps (MetaMask, Trust, Exodus…)	Mobile and desktop apps holding seeds and keys	The seed phrase restores the wallet; the app itself is not the funds	Preserve the device; do not unlock, sync or update it	Wallet apps
Paper wallet	Printed address plus private key or QR	The private part IS the wallet; spending exposes the key once	Keep flat, dry and unphotographed	Paper wallets
Hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor…)	Device holding the keys	Device + PIN, or the seed phrase restores the wallet on compatible hardware	Preserve with box and cable; a guessed PIN can wipe the device	Hardware wallet preservation
Seed phrase (paper or metal)	12–24 recovery words (BIP-39); restores in any BIP-39-compatible wallet	The words, in exact order, plus the passphrase if one was set	Keep it flat, dry and private; the words are the wallet	What is a seed phrase
Private key (WIF or hex)	The secret string itself	The key alone opens the wallet in compatible software	The key is the wallet; never type, photograph or share it	What is a private key
Extended public key (xpub, ypub, zpub)	Read-only view of a wallet (watch-only tools)	View-only: shows balances, can send nothing	Sensitive read-only data, not spendable, not public	What did you find
QR code	Address, payment request (or a private key	Depends what it encodes) an address (public) or a key (secret)	Identify it before scanning; it may be a private key	What did you find
Recovery cards / Shamir parts	Multi-part backup (SLIP-39 shares)	All shares together recombine the secret	Every share matters; preserve all parts together	Crypto inheritance tools
Encrypted drive/container (VeraCrypt, TrueCrypt, BitLocker, encrypted archive)	A protection layer around whatever is inside, often the wallet files or backups	Password (and software version) unlock the layer around the contents	Preserve medium and password; never format, mount-and-write or upload	Encrypted storage

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 matter more than the device. 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	What it produces	Status note	First move
Breadwallet / BRD	2014–2021	12-word recovery phrase (BIP-39)	BRD app discontinued (no longer available	Preserve the phrase) it restores in any BIP-39-compatible wallet
Jaxx	2014–present	12-word backup phrase	App still distributed; support is limited, verify current status before relying on it	Preserve the phrase; do not update the old app
Coinomi	2014–present	12/18/24-word backup, optional passphrase	App still available	Preserve the phrase and any passphrase
Mycelium	2014–present	12-word backup phrase (older versions use their own word list)	App still available	Preserve the phrase; restore through Mycelium’s own flow
Toast Wallet	2015–2019	12-word backup phrase (XRP)	Removed from app stores; no active official download	Preserve the phrase, restore only via carefully verified compatible XRP wallet software
Armory	2011–2018	Encrypted .wallet files with a passphrase	No longer actively maintained	Preserve the files and any passphrase; restoration uses Armory software itself

Do not download anything on a guess. The discontinued apps in this table (BRD, Armory) 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, 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.