Seattle-based company, Unciphered, has developed a unique method to crack the password of a decade-old IronKey model, potentially offering a chance to recover a lost fortune of 7,002 Bitcoins BTC/USD, worth nearly $235 million.
According to a report from Wired, Unciphered’s hackers have spent around eight months developing this capability. They believe a similar IronKey, susceptible to their cracking method, contains the keys to the massive Bitcoin fortune and is held in a vault in a Swiss bank.
The IronKey in question belongs to Stefan Thomas, a San Francisco-based Swiss crypto entrepreneur, who has lost the password to unlock it. Thomas is left with only two password attempts before IronKey permanently erases the keys stored on it, making the bitcoins inaccessible forever.
Unciphered’s team is confident they can unlock Thomas’ IronKey using their secret cracking technique. However, Thomas has declined their offer of help. He has already made a deal with two other cracking teams, offering them a share of the proceeds if they can unlock the drive.
Despite the refusal, Unciphered remains hopeful but ready to move on to other locked wallets if Thomas continues to decline their assistance. The decision to unlock this particular IronKey and potentially recover the Bitcoin fortune ultimately lies with its owner.
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