Is my wallet at blockchain.info still mine if the website shuts down

I'm a really beginner, I have no client on my computer. I puchased bicoin and store them in my wallet at blockchain.info, and I have downloaded the "backup file" named "wallet.aes.json". My concern is if someday the website of blockchain.info shuts down, can I get my bitcoins by importing the backup file into a client software? I also have my "key" which is a long code that looks like an bitcoin address, and my understanding is that the backup file also only consist of my address and that key. Thanks!

wallet

Quuzuu

Posted 2013-12-03T16:15:31.040

Reputation: 61

Answers

You can import this backup to Multibit, and you are good to go, even if blockchain.info is dead. (To be honest, this is my setup as well). Remember to keep your secret safe and use 2FA.

Maciej Mączko

Posted 2013-12-03T16:15:31.040

Reputation: 431

how easy is to import that backup? – Comodore – 2013-12-03T19:37:36.120

Few clicks, actually. Just go to tools, import keys, point to .json and type password. Done. – Maciej Mączko – 2013-12-03T19:47:49.070

Do you need the most recent backup file? Abdussamad said that backup after each transaction is necessary, but I don't understand how it's possible, suppose I backed up yesterday, and made some transactions today, and tomorrow I need to restore, I certainly can't reverse my balance by importing yesterday's backup, so what would happen in reality? – Quuzuu – 2013-12-04T02:06:22.130

In the blockchain wallet account settings => general there is a checkbox to receive a new backup when your wallet details change. FYI this poses a security risk if someone compromises your email they can get your blockchain backup. – David Silva Smith – 2013-12-04T17:27:38.737

2@DavidSilvaSmith : They can, those backups are encrypted. Quuzu: You need to keep a new backup after you made an outgoing transaction because of the way bitcoin handless change. On blockchain.info the default option is to send the change to the newly created address, which a new backup has the private key to. – Maciej Mączko – 2013-12-04T21:47:06.540

As long as you have recent backups (meaning you have to keep making backups everytime you do a transaction) and know the passphrase you should be able to access your coins should blockchain.info go down. But it is not recommended to use blockchain.info for storing large amounts i.e. amounts that you can't afford to loose. Blockchain.info wallets have a tendency to get hacked. I recommend installing electrum and sending your coins over to your electrum wallet.

Abdussamad

Posted 2013-12-03T16:15:31.040

Reputation: 1 850

1Question about electrum you mentioned: does this client also rely on their server, meaning if their server goes down I can't access my bitcoin? – Quuzuu – 2013-12-03T18:17:47.277

Electrum has nothing to do with blockchain.info. It is an open source project. Electrum relies on electrum servers for two things a) finding out what transactions you have received b) broadcasting transactions of your own i.e. coin spend transactions. There are a lot of electrum servers so there is no single point of failure. Even if all electrum servers on the planet were to go down it still wouldn't stop your from spending your coins because you have the private key behind your coins and can do what you like. – Abdussamad – 2013-12-04T12:41:14.910