I received multiple transactions at one address, but may have screwed up wallet. Not sure what my options are.

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Some years ago, as an experiment, I took part in a mining pool and received a number of Bitcoin payouts, all to the same address. Then I stopped mining. I didn't spend any of the balance I had accrued. However today for the first time in years I decided to fire up my wallet software and after sync'ing (yes, it took ages!) it appears to have zero balance. I can look on https://blockchain.info at the receiving address I'd originally used and see all the payments that took place originally, with the total value that I expect. But somehow it looks as though I've screwed up whatever connection there was between these and what I thought was my wallet. I'm completely lost in the complex world of blockchain, wallets, addresses, keys etc. I thought I had all the info I needed to 'prove my ownership' of these Bitcoin payments I'd received, but clearly something's missing in what I've done. Can anyone suggest a way that I can 're-acquire' these payments somehow? Apologies if the terminology I'm using isn't entirely appropriate - I seem to have forgotten whatever little I once knew about Bitcoin :(

Walter Eagle

Posted 2017-07-23T11:00:20.807

Reputation: 1

Show us your wallet address and the transaction IDs. The situation you're explaining is pretty unclear. – None – 2017-07-23T11:43:56.563

Apologies for lack of clarity. Forgive me, but I'm still not confident about what data to share openly. My account at the mining pool is still valid and shows 17 transactions (payouts to me) all to the same address. I thought this total was stored in an Armory wallet. I used Armory for the first time in years today, and it shows zero balance. There could be many reasons (inc. user error!) but I wondered if there was any way of reclaiming the payouts, either to this wallet or another one. – Walter Eagle – 2017-07-23T12:09:26.487

Does Armory show this address in the list? – None – 2017-07-23T15:33:56.547

Mark - see my final comments to amaclin below. – Walter Eagle – 2017-07-23T16:51:18.470

Answers

-3

If you do not have your private key for address you must forget about Bitcoin at all and use your national currency only. Point.

Bitcoin stands for "be your own bank". You are too dumb to understand it for serveral years.

amaclin

Posted 2017-07-23T11:00:20.807

Reputation: 5 763

Very prompt response! I am happy to admit to a charge of "You are dumb". That at least leaves a little hope that I might still learn something. However "You are too dumb ... " kind of removes all hope.

Can I just confirm your opening point: the only thing I will require is the private key matching the address? If that's the case I will keep searching in my various records for the key. If the private key is likely to be just one of many things I require, then I'm really no further forward. – Walter Eagle – 2017-07-23T11:44:40.010

Yes. Every bitcoin manual for newbies starts with the First Bitcoin Rule: "you must know and keep in secret your private key - this is the only thing you have to worry about. Anything else does not matter at all" – amaclin – 2017-07-23T12:06:59.877

OK, thanks for that. The hunt continues. I thought I had complete records and backups, (of all my data, not just Bitcoin) so a little further exploration will take place. Wish me luck. – Walter Eagle – 2017-07-23T12:12:02.770

Good luck. You should find your old wallet files which contain your private key and use them in your Armory. Sorry, I can not give any clue what to find because I never used Armory software – amaclin – 2017-07-23T12:20:18.800

1I went back through all my records and backups of data. Eventually, at the bottom of my filing cabinet, I found a sealed envelope on which I'd written "XBT backup" - not the most descriptive of labels, I'll admit! Anyway this contained the single-sheet hard-copy backup of an Armory wallet. I restored it and it contained the missing address and transactions. Was I relieved! The other, empty, wallet, must have been one I'd created for other reasons but never utilised, and then, forgotten about over the intervening period. Thanks for your suggestions. All has ended well. – Walter Eagle – 2017-07-23T16:50:18.987

Glad to hear it. And I have to place here the last comment: I am happy that the answer downvoted three times and scheduled for deletion really helped. Sometimes such answers are more useful than sweet ones. We are not in the kindergarden. Vale. – amaclin – 2017-07-24T16:45:05.143

Asked: 2017-07-23T11:00:20.807

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Active: 2017-07-23T11:10:55.727