A user who goes by the name “CPRKN” on X has reportedly regained access to his old college-era Bitcoin wallet after over a decade of failed recovery attempts, with the AI chatbot Claude playing a major role in unlocking the dormant wallet.
Meanwhile, the rare recovery story has drawn attention across the crypto community, not only because of the funds involved but also because of how AI is beginning to reshape crypto wallet recovery and digital forensics.
The wallet owner had been locked out of the Bitcoin wallet since 2015 after changing the wallet password while intoxicated and completely forgetting the login credentials. He struggled for more than 11 years to access the wallet through password-recovery software, brute-force attempts, and even professional recovery services, but none succeeded.
Notably, rather than cracking Bitcoin’s encryption, Anthropic’s Claude AI reportedly assisted by analyzing years’ worth of scattered digital records, archived files, and fragmented backups. The process led to the discovery of an older wallet file containing clues tied to a previous password version, which became the missing piece needed to regain access.
In addition to locating the older wallet data, the AI also reportedly helped troubleshoot issues with an open-source recovery program the investor had been using unsuccessfully. The explainer claimed that the chatbot identified a software bug and generated alternative decryption logic, allowing the process to proceed.
Following the recovery, the investor transferred the 5 BTC, worth approximately $400,000 at current market prices, into a new wallet after years of believing the funds might be permanently inaccessible.
Furthermore, the story has reignited discussion around the estimated millions of Bitcoin believed to be lost forever due to forgotten passwords, discarded hard drives, or misplaced seed phrases. Blockchain analysts have long estimated that a substantial portion of Bitcoin’s total supply remains inaccessible, effectively reducing the asset’s circulation supply.
To complete the recovery attempt, the investor reportedly uploaded personal archives, encrypted wallet files, password fragments, and other sensitive material to cloud-based AI systems. While the approach ultimately proved successful, experts warn that sharing such highly confidential information with online AI platforms could create serious privacy and security risks.
Additionally, the case highlights the technological gap between older Bitcoin wallets and modern crypto storage practices. Early Bitcoin wallets often relied on simple password-based encryption systems, while newer wallets typically use seed phrases consisting of 12 or 24 recovery words. Security professionals generally consider seed phrase systems more resilient, particularly when combined with offline storage methods.
The incident highlights AI’s growing role in advanced technical problem-solving beyond traditional chatbot functions. From debugging code to analyzing corrupted files and reconstructing fragmented information, AI systems are rapidly evolving into tools capable of handling complex digital investigations.
With Bitcoin still trading at elevated levels, devices left unused for years may now hold significant amounts of crypto wealth. The recovery story also underscores the importance of properly securing wallet details and recovery credentials, as a single forgotten password can lock investors out of valuable holdings for years.