My printer ate the last 16 characters of a 2013 Bitcoin paper wallet

Just wanted to share a dramatic moment in my Bitcoin history that nobody in my regular life will truly comprehend.

The year is 2013. I'm obsessed with Bitcoin. Tell all my family about it, panic buy my own stack. Learn about good bitcoin backup practices. Download all the coolest bitcoin software of the day.

Bitcoin Armory is the bees knees. You've probably never heard of it.

My brother is interested, but not particularly tech-savvy, asks me to buy him some. I happily oblige. He transfers me 100$. I make the buy, it's the best purchase price I ever had the opportunity to click on.

I use Bitcoin Armory to make an HD wallet (new technology of the era). They even have a convenient print option, I print 2 copies. Send the newly purchased bitcoin to this wallet, and mail him the paper. Tell him it's important, make sure not to lose it.

Years pass. I keep up to date on the latest software and hardware to secure my own bitcoin. I move to electrum on an offline raspberry pi, then to Coldcard.

Years pass. My brother sends me an email... "I can't find the bitcoin wallet paper, you still have a copy?" Of course, my records are meticulously kept in regards to bitcoin. "I should probably move my bitcoin to newer technology" he says.

Years pass. I gift him a Coldcard. Months pass. "Lets figure out how this Coldcard works" he finally messages me.

It's finally time to move these coins off the paper. I take out the paper. This is what I see. Great! Just like I remember

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ │ Paper Backup for Armory Wallet │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Kinda badly │ │ │ │ printed │ │ │ Wallet Name: Bro Wallet │ QR CODE │ │ │ Wallet ID: SDLKFJDF │ │ │ │ Wallet Version: 1.35 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │Warning: The data shown her gives anyon unrestriced │ │Acces to all bitcoins in this wallet. The QR Code │ │is include only for convenince and is not needed │ │to restore your wallet. │ │ │ │ Root Key: asdf werk cvkd qpnb werf erdv weio lkwl │ │ │ │ jhdf sder ertf werw werf vbgr dfgt vvft │ │ │ │Chain code: nbvc dhgf oyui eyrt qree mnbv ertg eert │ │ │ │ fghd uytr ertf bngf erfh dert drtf erdb │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ 

I download Bitcoin Armory, it's still easily available. I get it onto an offline computer. Start my magic, and careful write in the Root Key and Chain code.... and I get an error. The provided lines simply won't let me proceed and restore the wallet. I'm starting to get a little panic. But gotta stay calm. I type it in slowly, check every character precisely. Error.

Oh no. Okay, there is a QR code. It's badly printed, but maybe it's fine? I scan it... OMG. The fucking printer. Things are okay... but OMG the FUCKING PRINTER! WTF did I almost do!

This is what the printer had done.

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ │ Paper Backup for Armory Wallet │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Kinda badly │ │ │ │ printed │ │ │ Wallet Name: Bro Wallet │ QR CODE │ │ │ Wallet ID: SDLKFJDF │ │ │ │ Wallet Version: 1.35 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │Warning: The data shown her gives anyon unrestriced │ │Acces to all bitcoins in this wallet. The QR Code │ │is include only for convenince and is not needed │ │to restore your wallet. │ │ │ │ Root Key: asdf werk cvkd qpnb werf erdv weio lkwl │asdf │ │ │ jhdf sder ertf werw werf vbgr dfgt vvft │asdf │ │ │Chain code: nbvc dhgf oyui eyrt qree mnbv ertg eert │erdc │ │ │ fghd uytr ertf bngf erfh dert drtf erdb │ghhd │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ 

The printer had perfectly cutoff 4 groups of 4 characters. The whole time, the written characters had been effectively useless. I'm stunned.

Why did I make a paper backup without fully restoring it to test it? I guess I was in a hurry with my brothers 100$ wallet that I didn't care that much about?

Huge sigh of relief. I work to transfer the funds to a modern Coldcard wallet. It's safe. It's got an actually good backup in multiple locations.

I can't believe how much value was tied up in one messy 1x1 inches square of badly printed ink.

Thanks goodness this isn't a loss story! Still a lesson to learn from.