The thread generated more than 6 million views as users speculated about whether large language models could help with recovery tasks involving encrypted files and forgotten passwords.
While the screenshots shared on X did not show evidence that Claude bypassed or broke Bitcoin’s underlying cryptography, the images appeared to show the AI assisting with analysis of encrypted wallet files and password-recovery workflows.
According to the posts, Cprkrn attempted to recover the wallet using tools including btcrecover and Hashcat, software commonly used to test password combinations against encrypted data, but with no success.
Cprkrn said he finally uploaded files from an old college computer into Claude, which he claimed helped identify a file associated with a mnemonic phrase found in a notebook.
“It found an OLD wallet file that the pneumonic successfully decrypted,” they wrote. “Locked out 11+ years because I got stoned and changed the password.”
“Ended up being the most obvious opening ever lol,” Cprkrn added.
However, wallet recovery experts debate how much of the process could reasonably be attributed to Claude itself versus the wallet file, mnemonic phrase, and historical data needed to reconstruct the password that the user already possessed.
“Claude’s likely role was sorting through large amounts of historical data and identifying clues tied to older wallet credentials or password formats,” one expert told Decrypt. “This isn't so much a password cracking thing as it is a forensics sorting.”
The claims also drew skepticism on Reddit, where some users argued the viral posts overstated Claude’s role in the recovery process.
Cprkrn did not respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.
