Forgotten Bitcoin Passwords Could Soon Be Retrieved Via Supercomputer And Hypnosis
With the price of Bitcoin continuing to soar, early investors became instant millionaires as their small investment became their nest egg seemingly overnight. But the price of the digital currency has left some people devastated, mainly those who have lost access to their digital wallets.
These wallets are essentially lost treasures troves similar to sunken 15th Century Spanish galleons, potentially holding millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies. With some experts predicting that the digital currency's value will reach six figures, many are resorting to ingenious, albeit ridiculous methods to recover their lost accounts.
Recently, a distraught Bitcoin investor who lost his password built a supercomputer to access his fortune. Philip Neumeier bought 15 bitcoins for $260 in 2013 and has seen his cache soar in value to nearly $300,000.
The thought of having this large amount of cash lying around prompted the desperate Neumeier to try and use brute force to access his digital trove. Using a massive 5-foot-tall supercomputer, he plans to work through every possible combination to recover his account. His massive rig currently sits in a 1,200-liter tank of water to dissipate the heat it generates.
But while some opted to use logic and science, other desperate investors have resorted to a more "peaceful" method to recover their lost accounts. Using hypnosis, some people are actually trying to remember forgotten passwords giving rise to so-called "crypto hypnotists."
It doesn't come cheap though as revealed by one of these crypto hypnotists who disclosed her fees that are paid, of course, in Bitcoin. Veronica Marimour, who has set up shop in Russia says she charges one Bitcoin plus 5% of the content of the wallet with large amounts for her services. A hefty fee, but considering the fact that the currency's value continues to grow at a massive rate, might as well be a bargain for her clients.