A viral X thread claiming Anthropic’s Claude AI helped recover a long-inaccessible Bitcoin wallet worth about $400,000 drew millions of views on Wednesday.
The posts were shared by a pseudonymous X user named “Cprkrn,” who claimed Claude assisted in unlocking a wallet containing 5 BTC that had reportedly been inaccessible for nearly nine years.
The user shared an August 2023 post suggesting the wallet had remained locked since 2015.
Blockchain data reportedly showed that the wallet beginning with “14VJyS” had not moved funds since 2015 until activity resumed on Wednesday.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT OMG CLAUDE JUST CRACKED THIS SHIT, THANK YOU @AnthropicAI THANK YOU @DarioAmodei NAMING MY KID AFTER YOU 😍 https://t.co/gObNirRDpS https://t.co/ByTdIM4d20 pic.twitter.com/xB5LUJb6Pe
— 🍜 (@cprkrn) May 13, 2026
The thread quickly spread across X and generated more than 6 million views as users debated whether large language models could assist with encrypted file recovery and forgotten password workflows.
The screenshots posted online did not indicate that Claude bypassed Bitcoin’s underlying cryptography.
Instead, the images appeared to show the AI assisting with the analysis of encrypted wallet files and password recovery steps.
According to the posts, Cprkrn previously attempted recovery using tools such as btcrecover and Hashcat, which are commonly used for password testing against encrypted data.
The user claimed the breakthrough came after uploading files from an old college computer into Claude. Cprkrn said the AI identified a wallet-related file connected to a mnemonic phrase stored in a notebook.
“It found an OLD wallet file that the pneumonic successfully decrypted,” the user wrote, later adding that the password solution turned out to be “the most obvious opening ever.”
The user also claimed the wallet had remained inaccessible for more than 11 years after changing the password while intoxicated.
Some wallet recovery experts questioned how much of the recovery process could reasonably be credited to Claude itself.
One expert told Decrypt that Claude’s likely role involved organizing and analyzing large amounts of historical data rather than directly cracking passwords.
The expert described the process as “more of a forensics sorting” task than a cryptographic breakthrough.
The story also sparked skepticism on Reddit, where some users argued the viral posts exaggerated Claude’s involvement.
One Reddit user wrote that Claude “didn’t do anything other than search his files,” arguing the posts made the AI’s role appear more significant than it was.
Comment by u/IndicaOatmeal from discussion in technology
Another user said the reaction reflected how many consumers view AI tools as convenient assistants rather than revolutionary technology.
The claims arrive shortly after Anthropic launched its Claude Mythos model, which the company said can identify software vulnerabilities and complete advanced security-related tasks autonomously.
Interest in Claude’s analytical abilities has grown since that release, contributing to the rapid spread of the Bitcoin recovery story online.
📢 For the latest Tech & Telecom news, videos and analysis join ProPakistani's WhatsApp Group now!
Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!
Shares
