I forgot my password/pin, can I recover my funds?

Modified on Mon, 10 Feb at 10:16 AM

The main purpose of the BC Vault device (and all other hardware crypto wallets) is to securely store your crypto assets. One of the main directives is thus not to allow access without correct passwords and pins.

You do have an option to use whatever passwords and pins you feel comfortable with (even empty - but not recommended).

Your pins and passwords are used for encryption of wallet data, there is no way to skip it because the wallet pin and password is essential for decrypting the data. Here’s why:

1. Encryption Ties Data to the Key

Encryption algorithms transform data into an unreadable format using a key derived from the pin and password. Without the correct pin and password, the key cannot be generated, and the data remains inaccessible.

2. One-Way Encryption Process

Proper encryption algorithms do not store the password or any “backdoor” to bypass it. If they did, encryption would be insecure and easily broken.

3. Decryption Requires the Key

The encryption process is designed so that only the correct key can reverse the transformation. Without it, there’s no mathematical way to restore the original data.

4. Brute Force Is Impractical

Strong encryption algorithms use large key spaces, making brute-force attacks (trying every possible password) infeasible within a reasonable time.

5. No Alternative Access

Unlike login systems where password recovery options exist (such as resetting via email), encrypted data has no such fallback. If the password is lost, the data is effectively lost.

In summary, if encryption is implemented correctly, the pin and password (or the cryptographic key derived from it) is the only way to access the data. There is no way to bypass, reset, or recover the data without it.

Do not give up, try instead any possible variations/combinations you think are correct and do take into accounts password are case sensitive and the fact that you could have used empty password or/and pin!

BC Vault will NOT lock you out after a number of tries! We suggest you to use verify wallet function should you have issues with the wallet password/pin: How can I verify my wallet password/pin?