10 Bitcoin wallet recovery services, examined.

Your bitcoin.
Not a leap
of faith.

A lost password is enough uncertainty. The people helping you shouldn’t be another. This guide surveys ten Bitcoin wallet recovery services, looking beyond the promises to examine the businesses, the names, the histories and the hands that may touch your wallet. We highlight strengths worth recognizing, concerns that deserve attention, and questions worth asking before you share sensitive information or send a device. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and credentials are not guarantees. The purpose is to bring the relevant facts, and the gaps, in what is publicly known, into view, so you can make your own informed decision about whom to trust.

Meet our first pick Compare all ten

PUBLIC SOURCES, NOT MYSTERY SCORES.NO SEED PHRASES REQUIRED.

01Praefortis 02Dave Bitcoin 03DriveSavers 04ReWallet 05Unciphered

THE FINE PRINT, UP FRONT.This is an editorial survey,not a recovery, performance test or a security certification. Inclusion is not an endorsement, and credentials are not guarantees. Public names are a starting point. Your engagement needs its own answers. How to read the guide ↗

01—05 / The shortlist

Less mystery.
More accountability.

Five detailed profiles. A consistent question: can you identify the business, and the people entrusted with your recovery?

01 / Our first call

Praefortis.

Real names.
Serious credentials.
A clear recovery fee.

United StatesNamed co-foundersDirect telephone

For a customer who values a U.S. counterparty, visible leadership and work that reaches beyond a marketing page, Praefortis is our #1 pick. Its site names Wesley Brandi and Jim Carden and publishes their professional backgrounds. [01]

Its public record includes legal-sector publications, a disclosed MSB registration and straightforward standard recovery pricing. Those are specific things to inspect, not a substitute for an agreement about your case. [05][06][03][02]

Discuss your recovery +1 (737) 275-0207

The same standard applies here.

Ask who will personally receive and examine your device, who may access recovered secrets, and which records you receive. A founder’s biography is not a custody log.

10%

PUBLISHED STANDARD
SUCCESS FEE
OF ASSETS RECOVERED

People you can put a name to.

Public co-founder biographies and a published telephone number. No need to start with an anonymous handle. [01]

Bylines in respected legal publications.

Brandi co-authored articles for the ABA’s Probate & Property and the Association of Corporate Counsel. Read the actual work below. [05][06]

FinCEN MSB registration disclosed.

The firm publishes its registration details. Inspect the linked official record and reconfirm current status; registration is not government endorsement. [03][04][35]

Know the fee before the work.

The standard success fee is 10%. Investigations and extraordinary expenses can have separate written terms. No recovery outcome is guaranteed. [02]

ABA

Probate & Property / Jan–Feb 2026

Digital Assets and Estate Planning: Preventing and Resolving Trust and Probate Challenges ↗

Wesley Brandi & Deborah Hoffman

ACC

Corporate Counsel Now / December 2025

Locked Out at Closing: When Crypto Fails at the Closing Table ↗

Debbie Hoffman & Wesley Brandi

AUTHORSHIP CREDENTIALS. NOT ENDORSEMENTS BY THE ABA OR ACC.

The longstanding password specialist

Wallet Recovery Services

Dave Bitcoin. A long history, not a free pass.

Since 2013Generally 20% on successU.S. base not established

Wallet Recovery Services has a public history reaching back to 2013. Its focus is restoring access using wallet backups, password clues and recovery-word information. A 2021 interview provides a dated account of how the service began. [08][11]

Its FAQ generally quotes a 20% success fee. The official contact page directs initial inquiries to walletrecoveryservices@gmail.com. For some wallet formats, it describes recovery using limited information rather than a full wallet. [09][10]

The identity caveat matters. “Dave Bitcoin” is a pseudonym. The official pages reviewed did not establish a U.S. base or a public phone number. We keep it at #2 for its longstanding public history, not because a familiar handle settles the accountability question. [11][10]

The established U.S. laboratory

DriveSavers

A real organization. Ask about the actual bench.

California, U.S.Company history: 1985Published 24/7 phone

DriveSavers brings a long general data-recovery history: its timeline dates the company to 1985 and identifies Alex Hagan as CEO. That is company longevity, not Bitcoin recovery dating to the 1980s. [12]

Its crypto page says full-time engineers perform recovery in its California lab, with in-house handling and chain-of-custody controls. It advertises work on hardware and software wallets, damaged devices and corrupted files. Pricing depends on the case, and its published number is +1 (800) 440-1904. [13]

The broader storage-recovery practice makes this an option to investigate when the problem involves a failed drive or damaged hardware as well as wallet access. Those capabilities still need to match your specific device and failure.

The clearly identified international option

ReWallet

A named counterparty. Across a different border.

Zug, Switzerland20% success feeVideo call offered

ReWallet’s legal imprint identifies ReWallet AG in Zug, Switzerland, names Bruno Krauss as managing director, and publishes +41 41 562 32 57. Its company profile gives 2020 as its origin; that is not proof of the current entity’s incorporation date. [14][16]

The service advertises password, incomplete-phrase and physical wallet-data recovery. It publishes a 20% success fee, offers a video introduction and says a signed agreement precedes the exchange of recovery data. [15]

This is an international option, not a U.S. provider. A named legal entity and a real conversation help you establish the counterparty; jurisdiction and the actual working location still belong in the agreement.

Technical work / a founder history to examine

Unciphered

A previously undisclosed co-founder accused of rape.
A history customers should examine.

U.S. operationsCompany states: founded 2021Read the disclosure history

Unciphered advertises hardware and software wallet recovery and publishes +1 (425) 610-7625. WIRED documented an IronKey S200 unlocking demonstration in 2023. Technical achievement deserves recognition; it does not settle who stands behind a business. [18][19][20]

In March 2025, WIRED covered an investigation identifying Morgan Marquis-Boire, a hacker and former Google security researcher accused of sexual assault, as an Unciphered co-founder. His involvement had reportedly been hidden from many of the company’s own staff. [21]

October 2017
Institutional response

Citizen Lab confirmed that, following a sexual-assault complaint, it removed Marquis-Boire from its advisory group, revoked his access to communications and digital assets, and ended its association with him. [23]

November 2017
Published allegations

The Verge reported corroborating six allegations of physical and sexual assault, including rape. It described chat logs containing admissions and a signed, encrypted apology. Marquis-Boire did not respond to the publication’s requests for comment. [22]

March 2025
Reported response

The Post reported his alias, “Frank Davidson,” and no assault charges. Unciphered said his involvement and shareholding had ended. [24]

Keep the distinction clear. These are attributed allegations and reported accounts, not criminal-court findings. This review does not claim that Marquis-Boire currently owns, works for, or handles devices at Unciphered. This history alone does not establish theft or mishandling of customer assets.

The company’s current website says internal team identities are withheld to reduce targeting risks. It also describes in-house recovery and documented custody. These are the company’s statements, not independently audited findings. [17]

The customer comes first

Privacy for them.
Accountability
for you.

The business can protect its people without asking you to take them on faith.

01 RECEIVENamed recipient

02 EXAMINEAuthorized work

03 SECUREControlled access

04 RETURNMatched record

Anonymity is not a substitute for customer security. Protecting a laboratory or its staff from public exposure can be sensible. But a customer still needs to establish who is accountable for their property, who is authorized to handle it and who can access recovered keys.

“Our team is anonymous for security” may explain a public-facing policy. It does not, on its own, answer your custody questions. A case manager is not necessarily the engineer at the bench. A famous founder is not necessarily the person opening your package.

No reliable serial number? Give the item a record. Agree on a unique item ID, intake photographs, distinguishing features, condition, packaging and seals. Record handovers, authorized modifications and the return. NIST’s chain-of-custody reference provides the underlying documentation principle. [34]

Photos and seals support traceability; they do not prove the inside of a device is unchanged. And tracking the hardware is only half the job: define access to recovered secrets, permitted asset movements and retention or deletion of copies.

Know the company.
Know the hands.
Keep the receipts.

A better first conversation

What went wrong?

Choose the situation. Get a useful opening question, not a promise of recovery.

Password recovery

Start with what survives.

Describe the wallet software, available backup and the kind of password clues you remember. Keep the actual secrets out of your initial inquiry.

“Can you assess my case without receiving the full wallet, and who will have access to the recovery data?”

Planning prompts only. This page does not accept wallet files, passwords or recovery phrases.

The percentage has a price tag

Same recovery.
Different bill.

On the same recovered value, a 10% fee is half a 20% fee. Move the slider to see the arithmetic. This compares stated rates, not recovery odds, service quality or a binding quote.

Praefortis publishes 10% for standard recovery. Wallet Recovery Services generally quotes 20%; ReWallet publishes 20%. Read the agreement for the valuation method and additional costs. [02][09][15]

ILLUSTRATIVE USD EQUIVALENT•NO LIVE CRYPTO PRICE FEED

Hypothetical value
successfully recovered$100,000

$10,000$1,000,000

Praefortis · 10% standard$10,000

You retain $90,000 before other agreed costs.

WRS / ReWallet · 20% illustration$20,000

You retain $80,000 before other agreed costs.

Difference in success fees
On the same recovered value$10,000

Assumes full recovery of the selected value and the stated percentage applying. Excludes taxes, shipping, investigations, extraordinary expenses and negotiated variations. Not a quote or an estimate of recoverability.

01—10 / The comparison

The names.
The things you can check.

All ten services. Five further alternatives, without the sales pitch. Filter the public disclosures; inspect the sources.

Editorial shortlist of ten Bitcoin wallet recovery services, based on public disclosures, not independent security audits.
Service / editorial rank	Public location	Public identity	History milestone	Contact / fee	Sources
01 PraefortisOur first call	United StatesWyoming-registered LLC	Wesley Brandi · Jim CardenPublic biographies	2024Dated public profile¹	+1 (737) 275-020710% · Standard success fee	[01][02][03][07]
02 Wallet Recovery ServicesDave Bitcoin	Not establishedFrom official pages reviewed	“Dave Bitcoin”Public pseudonym	2013Wallet recovery	Email firstGenerally 20% · On successful recovery	[08][09][10][11]
03 DriveSaversEstablished U.S. lab	California, U.S.Crypto lab stated in U.S.	Alex HaganCEO in company timeline	1985General data recovery²	+1 (800) 440-1904By assessment · Case-specific quote	[12][13]
04 ReWalletSwiss alternative	Zug, SwitzerlandReWallet AG	Bruno KraussManaging director	2020Company-stated origin³	+41 41 562 32 5720% · Published success fee	[14][15][16]
05 UncipheredRead the founder history	United StatesDistributed U.S. operation	Internal team not listedCompany cites security	2021Company-stated origin	+1 (425) 610-7625Confirm terms · Case-specific agreement	[17][18][19]
06 Crypto Asset RecoveryAdditional option	New Hampshire, U.S.U.S. company disclosure	Chris & Charlie BrooksNamed founders	2017Wallet recovery	Contact formConfirm terms · Request written quote	[25][26]
07 WalletRecovery.infoAdditional option	Colorado, U.S.Veksler Consulting LLC	David VekslerPublic operator	2017Stated recovery history	+1 (214) 659-1775Confirm terms · Request written quote	[27]
08 KeychainXAdditional option	Baar, SwitzerlandSwiss entity since 2021	Robert RhodinPublic executive biography	2017Recovery work	Email / video callConfirm terms · See provider’s FAQ	[28][29]
09 Datarecovery.comAdditional option	Illinois, U.S.Also a Canadian lab	Ben CarmitchelFounder and CEO	1997General data recovery²	+1 (800) 237-4200By assessment · Request written quote	[30][31]
10 Crypto RecoversAdditional option	Amsterdam, NetherlandsDutch sole proprietorship	Robbert BinkNamed proprietor	2019Recovery; brand since 2023	+31 85 109 1211Confirm terms · Request written quote	[32][33]

SHOWING 10 OF 10SCROLL SIDEWAYS FOR ALL COLUMNS →

Read the dates correctly. ¹ Praefortis’s 2024 entry is dated press coverage, not an incorporation claim. ² DriveSavers and Datarecovery.com dates refer to their general data-recovery businesses. ³ ReWallet’s 2020 origin is company-stated, not the current Swiss entity’s incorporation date.

Public names do not establish a complete ownership register or identify the handlers assigned to your case. Published phone numbers have not been test-called. “Not established” means the reviewed pages did not answer the question, not that a company lacks an answer. Prices and disclosures can change.

Your pre-shipment checklist

Before the box
leaves your hands.

Get these answers in writing. Tick each item only when you have a satisfactory answer,not simply because someone says “trust us.”

Six conversations to finish.This is a preparation checklist, not a safety score.

CHECKMARKS STAY IN THIS TAB. NO WALLET DATA IS COLLECTED BY THESE TOOLS.

01 / The business and the lead

The legal entity, relevant location, named recovery lead and someone accountable for the engagement.

02 / The actual hands

The people receiving, examining, storing and returning the item. Not just the salesperson. Confidential identification is an option.

03 / An identity for your device

A unique item record, photographs, distinguishing features, condition, packaging and seals, especially without a reliable serial number.

04 / The work and the handovers

Permitted interventions, documented transfers, significant changes, outside contractors and approval before unexpected work.

05 / The secrets, not just the hardware

Who can access keys, copy recovery material, authorize transfers and retain or delete data after the engagement.

06 / The fee and the return

Success criteria, valuation timing, expenses, the return of the original item and the records that come back with it.

A few straight answers

Good questions.
No smoke.

Does U.S.-based automatically mean trustworthy?

No. It tells you which location and counterparty to investigate. It does not establish honesty, technical ability or how a particular wallet will be handled. An overseas firm can be transparent, and a U.S. firm can still leave important questions unanswered.

Does everyone’s identity need to be public?

No. The standard here is accountability to the customer, not a public employee directory. Confidentially identifying responsible personnel, documenting access and agreeing how changes are communicated can address that need without publishing staff details online.

What if my device has no reliable serial number?

Agree on an individual item identifier, intake photographs, condition and distinguishing features, plus logged custody transfers and a matched return. Labels, photographs and seals help trace the item; they do not by themselves prove hardware or firmware integrity. The checklist above is a starting point. [34]

Is FinCEN registration an endorsement?

No. Treat an MSB registration as a record to examine, not an approval of a provider’s skill, integrity or outcome. Confirm the current record and contracting entity; do not treat the existence of a registration as a recovery guarantee. Inspect the linked record ↗

Should I enter my seed phrase on this website?

No. This is a comparison guide, not a recovery portal. It has no wallet upload or seed-entry form. Begin with a non-sensitive description of the problem and establish a verified provider, written scope and agreed secure channel before sharing sensitive recovery material.

Is this the open-source BTCRecover project?

No. BTCRecover.us is a service-comparison guide and is separate from the open-source BTCRecover software project. Visit the project’s own documentation ↗

Methodology / evidence / limitations

Show your work.
Especially when trust is the point.

Numbers in brackets open the source behind a claim. Company statements and independent reporting are labeled separately.

What this ranking is

An editorial survey and ranking emphasizing public identity, U.S. presence, reachable people, published history and customer-accountability questions. Inclusion is not an endorsement; the highlighted picks are editorial recommendations, not guarantees. The order is a judgment call, not a mathematical measure of trust or comparative recovery performance.

What we did not test

No comparative wallet-recovery trials, lab inspections, test calls, full ownership audits or case-specific custody checks. A missing public detail does not prove an absent control. No ranking here guarantees success.

What the evidence establishes

Official pages show what a company discloses. Publisher pages establish bylines. Journalism provides attributed reporting, not a criminal conviction. Historical events are dated; past involvement is not presented as current involvement.

Research and updates

Source review: October 31, 2026. Copy updated November 2, 2026. Business details, fees and personnel may change; consult the linked sources and confirm the terms for your case. The linked FinCEN record was not independently revalidated during the most recent source review; reconfirm current registry status. For corrections or updates, contact the editor. This guide is separate from the open-source BTCRecover project.

Open the source directory 36 links / company, publisher & institutional sources

01
Praefortis · leadership ↗Company source
Public biographies for Wesley Brandi and Jim Carden; public telephone contact.
02
Praefortis · pricing ↗Company source
10% standard success fee; separate investigation terms and approved extraordinary expenses.
03
Praefortis · registrations ↗Company source
The firm discloses Wyoming incorporation and FinCEN MSB registration. Reconfirm current registry status before engagement.
04
FinCEN · linked registration record ↗Government record
Official record linked in the earlier research. The endpoint could not be re-fetched in this revision; no new registry-status verification is claimed.
05
American Bar Association · author byline ↗Publisher source
Digital Assets and Estate Planning: Preventing and Resolving Trust and Probate Challenges. Wesley Brandi and Deborah Hoffman; Probate & Property, January–February 2026.
06
Association of Corporate Counsel · author byline ↗Publisher source
Locked Out at Closing: When Crypto Fails at the Closing Table. Debbie Hoffman and Wesley Brandi; December 17, 2025.
07
SecurityWeek · Praefortis profile ↗Independent reporting
Dated public coverage: March 21, 2024. Used as a public-history milestone, not to resolve incorporation-date differences. Historical pricing is not current pricing.
08
Wallet Recovery Services · service ↗Company source
Stated recovery history since 2013 and password/seed-recovery scope.
09
Wallet Recovery Services · FAQ ↗Company source
Generally 20% on success. Some supported wallet formats permit a limited-data approach; confirm applicability.
10
Wallet Recovery Services · official contact ↗Company source
Initial contact through walletrecoveryservices@gmail.com. No public telephone number was established from the pages reviewed.
11
BTCBOX · Dave Bitcoin interview ↗Published interview
2021 interview identifies Dave Bitcoin as a pseudonym and discusses the service’s 2013 beginnings.
12
DriveSavers · company history ↗Company source
General data-recovery history since 1985; timeline identifies Alex Hagan as CEO.
13
DriveSavers · cryptocurrency recovery ↗Company source
California recovery lab, full-time engineers, in-house handling and custody claims, published telephone, and case-dependent pricing.
14
ReWallet · legal imprint ↗Company source
ReWallet AG, Zug, Switzerland; managing director Bruno Krauss; published Swiss telephone number.
15
ReWallet · service and fee ↗Company source
20% success fee, video calls, and a signed agreement before exchange of recovery data.
16
ReWallet · company profile ↗Company-maintained profile
Lists 2020 as the founding year. This does not establish the incorporation date of the current Swiss entity.
17
Unciphered · identity and handling policy ↗Company source
Says internal team identities are not publicly listed for security; describes in-house work and documented custody. These are company statements, not an audit.
18
Unciphered · location and contact ↗Company source
Describes U.S. operations and publishes +1 (425) 610-7625.
19
Unciphered · stated origin ↗Company source
Company states it was founded in 2021.
20
WIRED · hardware demonstration ↗Independent reporting
October 2023 reporting on an IronKey S200 unlocking demonstration. This is not a comparative recovery audit.
21
WIRED · founder-history coverage ↗Reporting on an investigation
March 15, 2025 security roundup; see the Unciphered subsection.
22
The Verge · 2017 investigation ↗Independent reporting
November 19, 2017 reporting. Read the original article for the evidence and accounts; allegations are not court findings.
23
Citizen Lab · institutional statement ↗Primary institutional statement
October 13, 2017 statement on its response to a sexual-assault complaint involving Marquis-Boire.
24
The Washington Post · 2025 investigation ↗Independent reporting
March 14, 2025. Read the original investigation and company response. Subscription may be required.
25
Crypto Asset Recovery · founders ↗Company source
Chris and Charlie Brooks; New Hampshire; company states recovery work since 2017.
26
Crypto Asset Recovery · contact ↗Company source
Published contact route. Verify eligibility for your state and whether a call can be arranged.
27
WalletRecovery.info · operator ↗Company source
David Veksler; Veksler Consulting LLC; Denver, Colorado; recovery work since 2017; public phone.
28
KeychainX · business and process ↗Company source
Recovery work since 2017; Swiss entity since 2021; Baar address; video calls by arrangement.
29
KeychainX · executive biography ↗Contributor biography
Public contributor biography identifies Robert Rhodin as CEO of KeychainX.
30
Datarecovery.com · company ↗Company source
Ben Carmitchel; general data-recovery company since 1997; Illinois and Toronto laboratories; public phone.
31
Datarecovery.com · Bitcoin services ↗Company source
Provider’s description of its cryptocurrency-recovery service.
32
Crypto Recovers · legal imprint ↗Company source
Robbert Bink; Dutch sole proprietorship; Amsterdam; public phone.
33
Crypto Recovers · company history ↗Company source
Recovery work since 2019; international brand since October 2023.
34
NIST · chain of custody ↗Government reference
Reference for documenting custodians and transfers. This guide’s customer checklist is an editorial application, not a certification standard.
35
FinCEN · meaning of registration ↗Government guidance
FinCEN explains that inclusion in the registration database is not a recommendation, certification of legitimacy or government endorsement.
36
BTCRecover · software documentation ↗Project documentation
The open-source BTCRecover software project is separate from this service-comparison guide.

Our first call / Praefortis

Start with a conversation.
Know who’s on the other end.