This must be a very hard lesson, but learning from a tragedy. OP's friend may RIP.
I just worry, because I am also not sharing anything about my bitcoin savings with my family members. At least for this reason, we must educate our family members about bitcoins.
Topic: Is it possible to "Hack" a known bitcoin address? - page 3. (Read 3892 times)
The lesson we learn here must be, like our bank account, for bitcoin also we must have nominations. Sharing password and how much bitcoin we are having and saving seem very important for the sake of not wasting our hard work.
Usually bank savings or gold or other properties, are being claimed by our decedents due to the fact of well known ownership. Bitcoin is in digital format so it's hidden. Informing/sharing about all the information about our bitcoin saving to our close family member is becoming a prioritized responsibility.
@OP: I am really sorry for what happened to your friend. Please try to help his family as much as possible you could. I pray to God he must have written his passwords some where, maybe within his computer, please double check, and help his family.
Usually bank savings or gold or other properties, are being claimed by our decedents due to the fact of well known ownership. Bitcoin is in digital format so it's hidden. Informing/sharing about all the information about our bitcoin saving to our close family member is becoming a prioritized responsibility.
@OP: I am really sorry for what happened to your friend. Please try to help his family as much as possible you could. I pray to God he must have written his passwords some where, maybe within his computer, please double check, and help his family.
Maybe you can check on his pc or his laptop, i'm sure there is a information about bitcoin in his browser history. Like a password that saved on the browser and a wallet that already saved too.
Bitcoin is a transparent money and everyone could see your money but one could rich or transfer your money and it is not to m so easy to hack bitcoin wallet because it requires 2 key, one is private key another is public key known as btc address. So it will take years after years even with super computer to decrypt a unknown wallet address.
You can hack it by bruteforcing it with GPUs, but good luck ! It should take a few thousand years :/...
nope i think it will remain difficult to use. you need identifer if they use blockchain, or you must know the email address of the bitcoin address, and impossible the hackers know it? because bitcoin is anonymousThe email address of the bitcoin address? What the hell does that mean? I think if his friend had a lot of bitcoins he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave them on some crappy online wallet or an exchange like you're getting at here.
You can hack it by bruteforcing it with GPUs, but good luck ! It should take a few thousand years :/...
nope i think it will remain difficult to use. you need identifer if they use blockchain, or you must know the email address of the bitcoin address, and impossible the hackers know it? because bitcoin is anonymous 
But why is everyone talking about 'hacking' when his family has direct access to his electronic devices and the passwords/private keys may be lying somewhere in plain sight, unencrypted? It's not like trying to guess the password of a complete stranger whatsoever.
The best course of action is to peruse his last used devices for traces of log in data. Heck if the Bitcoin amount is so substantial I would just hire a computer forensics investigator to do the job.
The best course of action is to peruse his last used devices for traces of log in data. Heck if the Bitcoin amount is so substantial I would just hire a computer forensics investigator to do the job.
Since practice>theory, practically impossible = impossible.
I disagree with this and think that it is false. The definition of impossible is:Quote
something that cannot happen.
What we are talking about here is something possible, but improbable:Quote
improbable = something that can happen, but its probability is comparatively low, but not zero.
Given enough time, a collision can/will happen. 
Then it is practically impossible.
Low chance of occurring != impossible. It is not low chance of occuring, it very very very very low chance of occuring which makes it practically (can't stress practically enough) impossible.
It is possible only theorically.
Since practice>theory, practically impossible = impossible.
With only knowing bitcoin address you can't be able to hack or know the private key of that address. So i think better to find memo if you friends have left for bitcoin wallet pass or if he have shared his emails password with his wife than she may also access bitcoin wallet associated to that email and use those bitcoins.
It is "possible", if you could a next to 0% chance as a possibility. It is incredibly difficult to do anything of that sort, and chances are you'd just be wasting your time trying to get money that you'll likely never get. There simply isn't enough processing power to even consider finding a specific private address a real possibility.
you know the numbers. do you think it will be necessary tomorrow?
I didn't mean literally 'tomorrow'. However, we can't really predict how technology is going to progress in the next 50 years. It may very well be that an 'extension' is required.because i think it was done right the first time and we do not need to improve it. especially if we both think this would leave out the old funds that would not migrate.
As said, we can't predict the future. Although I'd say that the probability of this is very slim within the near/mid future.you know the numbers. do you think it will be necessary tomorrow?
I didn't mean literally 'tomorrow'. However, we can't really predict how technology is going to progress in the next 50 years. It may very well be that an 'extension' is required.because i think it was done right the first time and we do not need to improve it. especially if we both think this would leave out the old funds that would not migrate.
As said, we can't predict the future. Although I'd say that the probability of this is very slim within the near/mid future.
It depends on wallet's security, if you use any untrustworthy wallet then wallet manager could stop you from accessing you account thus they hacked you, in other way it's almost not possible to hack any unknown btc address even if the owner's username and password is known became most legit wallet have F2A security
in order to add additional symbols to make bitcoin safer you probably would need to move the coins to a new wallet (key pair).
Well, that is likely the case. However, such a solution leaves out old/lost/unused addresses/funds at risk. An example of this would be Satoshi's coins.this is not necessary
Just because it may not be necessary today, that doesn't mean that it won't be necessary tomorrow.and if we would do it, then i guess you would come along and ask for more again to make it even safer.
Well, then it has to be done right the first time so that it doesn't have to be repeated for a long time.in order to add additional symbols to make bitcoin safer you probably would need to move the coins to a new wallet (key pair).
Well, that is likely the case. However, such a solution leaves out old/lost/unused addresses/funds at risk. An example of this would be Satoshi's coins.this is not necessary
Just because it may not be necessary today, that doesn't mean that it won't be necessary tomorrow.and if we would do it, then i guess you would come along and ask for more again to make it even safer.
Well, then it has to be done right the first time so that it doesn't have to be repeated for a long time. It is possible to change /upgrade bitcoin address? For example add additional 10 symbols or find a way for addresses to be truly unique?
I've actually thought about this recently. The change would most likely be complex, although I'd say that it's a possible.in order to add additional symbols to make bitcoin safer you probably would need to move the coins to a new wallet (key pair). this is not necessary and if we would do it, then i guess you would come along and ask for more again to make it even safer.
The story is horrible. I am vey sorry of your friend, but I see the way only in inviting some computer genios to he or she helped you in that point. Must be the amount of bitcoins your friend is really big enough if you decided to make something like this to cash those money for his family support.
Good luck. Hope you will find the way to your target.
Good luck. Hope you will find the way to your target.
Thanks for that detailed explanation. I have a question though. In the future when bitcoin will be still used, and we obviously will be having a better tech to "crack/collide" addresses.
Unless there is some unexpected and exponential growth in the generation capabilities, then I don't see that happening within our lifespan. Besides, trying to target some addresses is likely going to be economically unfeasible (e.g. why would attempt to generate address with XXXX Bitcoin, when it's going to cost you several times more money to do so?).It is possible to change /upgrade bitcoin address? For example add additional 10 symbols or find a way for addresses to be truly unique?
I've actually thought about this recently. The change would most likely be complex, although I'd say that it's a possible.Then it is practically impossible.
Low chance of occurring != impossible. As a community we should really have a guide on how to make sure your family would have access to your bitcoins in the event of your death.
No, the community does not need to do anything. Anyone with a brain and some knowledge should be able to figure out how to set this up on their own depending on what their setup is. 
It looks like you've gotten some good answers here but yes I would agree to just get your friends' phone/laptop/tablet and see if he ha any unencrypted addresses. That would be the only way you could get any access to his bitcoins. Sorry for your loss and I'm especially sorry for his family's loss. I'm sure they'll need the funds if you can get access to them somehow.
As a community we should really have a guide on how to make sure your family would have access to your bitcoins in the event of your death.
As a community we should really have a guide on how to make sure your family would have access to your bitcoins in the event of your death.
Jump to: