<p>TL;DR: <strong>No</strong>. Your bitcoin-core pass-phrase cannot be used to recover your bitcoin.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>i was told the need of a private key</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you have the private key, you can recover access to your bitcoin.</p>
<p>If you have a recovery phrase and know which bitcoin wallet you used, you can recover the private key and recover access to your bitcoin.</p>
<p>Otherwise <em><strong>those bitcoin are gone forever</strong></em>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>i promise a reward to anyone who helps me out?</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Expect to receive lots of email from scammers and very convincing professional conmen.</p>
<p>Don't give anyone your private-key or your recovery-phrase. The only circumstances you should ever do that is in front of a lawyer paid by you with proof of the helper's identity and a signed contract in her hand. Otherwise you will lose even more money.</p>
<p>People can help you without knowing your private-key or recovery-phrase. If they say they can't help you without those things, they are conmen.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>If i installed the latest version of Bitcoin core with the same wallet phrase will i see that old address back with the balance.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>No.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Any suggestions would be appreciated</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Are all of the words in your passphrase in the <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/bip-0039-wordlists.md" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BIP39</a> list? If so it is a recovery-phrase not a pass-phrase. If so it would be associated with a different type of wallet than the &quot;bitcoin core&quot; wallet.</p>
<p>If so, download a <a href="https://support.ledgerwallet.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005297709-On-which-wallet-can-I-restore-my-wallet-if-I-lose-my-Ledger-device-" rel="nofollow noreferrer">wallet application that uses BIP39</a> and try using your recovery phrase in it. Be very careful not to download malware. Start with wallets that don't require an online service to work.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Bitcoin core &quot;passphrase&quot;</h2>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kf8eP.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kf8eP.png" alt="Bitcoin Core Settings menu" /></a></p>
<p>Note that in the &quot;bitcoin core&quot; wallet, the Passphrase is used to encrypt your wallet. It is not a recovery phrase. You cannot recover access to your bitcoins using only the pass-phrase of a lost wallet.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Importing private keys into a new &quot;bitcoin core&quot; wallet</h2>
<p>See also</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/5941/13866">How do I import a private key into Bitcoin-Core?</a> where <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/5944/13866">Rick's answer</a> is</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Run Bitcoin-Core</li>
<li>Select Help (to the right of Settings)</li>
<li>Select Debug Window</li>
<li>Select Console</li>
<li>If you encrypted your wallet, unlock it by entering <code>walletpassphrase &quot;YourLongPassphrase&quot; 600</code> next to the &gt; input box</li>
<li>Next to the &gt; input box type <code>importprivkey &lt;bitcoinprivkey&gt;</code> (Note that the private key must not have spaces, remove them if they are included in your backup)</li>
</ul>
<p>Example: <code>importprivkey 5KJvsngHeMpm884wtkJNzQGaCErckhHJBGFsvd3VyK5qMZXj3hS</code></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note that the 'bitcoin core' wallet does not use a recovery phrase. You cannot recreate your private key from a recovery phrase using bitcoin core. The only &quot;pass-phrase&quot; used with bitcoin core grants access to the wallet, it is not the private key and cannot be used to recreate the private key.</p>
<p>Without the private key, the bitcoins are gone forever.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-03T02:51:55.403Z
Thank you so much for all ur comments but my i am pointing to a particular query which stands as.... If i download the latest bitcoin core and enter the pass phrase which i used for my old core client will it still show up my old btc address which has my old mined coins. I dont have a back up of old wallet.dat file. Thanks once agian for ur suggestions
user755926
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-03T11:38:44.343Z
@user755926: See amended answer. Your old pass-phrase for bitcoin core only protected access to your wallet, it is not a recovery key. You need to know the private key. If you don't have the private key, your bitcoins are gone forever.
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-02T18:12:08.100Z
2018-06-03T12:08:48.417Z
2020-06-16T11:10:03.350Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I used bitcoin core late in 2016. Since then i haven't used bitcoin and have huge sum in my wallet. Lately when i wanted to get them back then i was told that i need private key. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If i installed the latest version of Bitcoin core with the same wallet
  phrase will i see that old address back with the balance</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Also would like mention i don't have the old computer as i scrapped it and unfortunately no back up to. Is there anyway or am i out of luck. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Any suggestions would be appreciated. i promise a reward to anyone who
  helps me out?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>have a nice week end all of you out there. you van reach me on narenderthind@gmail.com with solution or suggestion</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-02T01:11:46.887Z
Bitcoin core does not use a recovery phrase. If you have a recovery phrase, you were using another wallet
Raghav Sood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-03T02:48:25.977Z
NO Mr Sood not a recovery phrase rather a pass phrase to enter the Bitcoin core wallet. Do u think if i enter that in to a new core client it will get mky old address to which has those bitcoins as i dont have an old wallet back up
user755926
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-03T04:28:26.347Z
If you don't have the original wallet.dat, you don't have any BTC. The passphrase only encrypts the data, it can not be used to recover it without the wallet.dat
Raghav Sood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-27T17:25:58.500Z
@RaghavSood is this still true as of 2023? (bitcoin core/qt still does not support recovery phrase. If so it's pretty sad
Jus12
<bitcoin-core>
Recovery on Bitcoin Core
user755926
# Recovery on Bitcoin Core

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-06-01)

I used bitcoin core late in 2016. Since then i haven't used bitcoin and have huge sum in my wallet. Lately when i wanted to get them back then i was told that i need private key.

> If i installed the latest version of Bitcoin core with the same wallet
> phrase will i see that old address back with the balance

Also would like mention i don't have the old computer as i scrapped it and unfortunately no back up to. Is there anyway or am i out of luck.

> Any suggestions would be appreciated. i promise a reward to anyone who
> helps me out?

have a nice week end all of you out there. you van reach me on narenderthind@gmail.com with solution or suggestion

**Tags:** bitcoin-core

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Bitcoin core does not use a recovery phrase. If you have a recovery phrase, you were using another wallet  
> **username_0**: NO Mr username_1 not a recovery phrase rather a pass phrase to enter the Bitcoin core wallet. Do u think if i enter that in to a new core client it will get mky old address to which has those bitcoins as i dont have an old wallet back up  
> **username_1**: If you don't have the original wallet.dat, you don't have any BTC. The passphrase only encrypts the data, it can not be used to recover it without the wallet.dat  
> **username_2**: @username_1 is this still true as of 2023? (bitcoin core/qt still does not support recovery phrase. If so it's pretty sad  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-06-02. Score: 3

TL;DR: **No**. Your bitcoin-core pass-phrase cannot be used to recover your bitcoin.

> **i was told the need of a private key**

If you have the private key, you can recover access to your bitcoin.

If you have a recovery phrase and know which bitcoin wallet you used, you can recover the private key and recover access to your bitcoin.

Otherwise ***those bitcoin are gone forever***.

> **i promise a reward to anyone who helps me out?**

Expect to receive lots of email from scammers and very convincing professional conmen.

Don't give anyone your private-key or your recovery-phrase. The only circumstances you should ever do that is in front of a lawyer paid by you with proof of the helper's identity and a signed contract in her hand. Otherwise you will lose even more money.

People can help you without knowing your private-key or recovery-phrase. If they say they can't help you without those things, they are conmen.

> **If i installed the latest version of Bitcoin core with the same wallet phrase will i see that old address back with the balance.**

No.

> **Any suggestions would be appreciated**

Are all of the words in your passphrase in the [BIP39](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/bip-0039-wordlists.md) list? If so it is a recovery-phrase not a pass-phrase. If so it would be associated with a different type of wallet than the "bitcoin core" wallet.

If so, download a [wallet application that uses BIP39](https://support.ledgerwallet.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005297709-On-which-wallet-can-I-restore-my-wallet-if-I-lose-my-Ledger-device-) and try using your recovery phrase in it. Be very careful not to download malware. Start with wallets that don't require an online service to work.

---

## Bitcoin core "passphrase"

[![Bitcoin Core Settings menu](https://i.sstatic.net/kf8eP.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/kf8eP.png)

Note that in the "bitcoin core" wallet, the Passphrase is used to encrypt your wallet. It is not a recovery phrase. You cannot recover access to your bitcoins using only the pass-phrase of a lost wallet.

---

## Importing private keys into a new "bitcoin core" wallet

See also

* [How do I import a private key into Bitcoin-Core?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/5941/13866) where [Rick's answer](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/5944/13866) is

> * Run Bitcoin-Core
> * Select Help (to the right of Settings)
> * Select Debug Window
> * Select Console
> * If you encrypted your wallet, unlock it by entering `walletpassphrase "YourLongPassphrase" 600` next to the > input box
> * Next to the > input box type `importprivkey <bitcoinprivkey>` (Note that the private key must not have spaces, remove them if they are included in your backup)
>
> Example: `importprivkey 5KJvsngHeMpm884wtkJNzQGaCErckhHJBGFsvd3VyK5qMZXj3hS`

Note that the 'bitcoin core' wallet does not use a recovery phrase. You cannot recreate your private key from a recovery phrase using bitcoin core. The only "pass-phrase" used with bitcoin core grants access to the wallet, it is not the private key and cannot be used to recreate the private key.

Without the private key, the bitcoins are gone forever.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you so much for all ur comments but my i am pointing to a particular query which stands as.... If i download the latest bitcoin core and enter the pass phrase which i used for my old core client will it still show up my old btc address which has my old mined coins. I dont have a back up of old wallet.dat file. Thanks once agian for ur suggestions  
> **username_3**: @username_0: See amended answer. Your old pass-phrase for bitcoin core only protected access to your wallet, it is not a recovery key. You need to know the private key. If you don't have the private key, your bitcoins are gone forever.  

---

