Multibit Classic is an old and discontinued Bitcoin wallet, so it is not recommended to use it anymore. However, if you have funds in a Multibit Classic wallet, you can recover them by following these steps:

This guide shows you how to recover Bitcoin from a discontinued Multibit Classic wallet in four stages: find your wallet files, export or decrypt your private keys, move the coins into a modern wallet, and secure them. The whole process usually takes under 30 minutes if your wallet is unencrypted or you know the password. If the password is lost, skip to the password-recovery section at the end.

Where is Multibit Classic storing it files?

1. Find your private keys: To recover your Bitcoin, you’ll need the private keys associated with your wallet. In Multibit Classic, your private keys are stored in a wallet file, usually with a ‘.wallet’ extension. By default, this file is located in the following directory:
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\MultiBit
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/MultiBit
   • Linux: ~/.multibit

   Which Multibit Classic files do you actually need?

   Inside your Multibit folder you may see several files. These are the ones that matter for recovery:

   • .wallet — the main wallet file containing your private keys (may be encrypted with your password).
   • .key — an exported private-key file in WIF format (also may be encrypted).
   • .info and .wallet.cipher — supporting files; keep them with the wallet but you import from the .wallet or .key.

   Copy the entire folder to a safe location before doing anything else, and work only on the copy.

How to export Multibit Classic keys?

2. Export private keys: Launch Multibit Classic and open your wallet. Go to the “Tools” menu, then click on “Export Private Keys.” Select a location to save the private key file, which will have a ‘.key’ extension. Ensure that you’ve chosen to export the keys without a password; otherwise, you’ll need to remember the password to use the keys later.

If Multibit Classic still opens on your computer (you can download the original Multibit Classic installer if you need it), use the built-in exporter: open the app, go to Tools → Export Private Keys, choose a location, and save the .key file. You can choose to password-protect the export or leave it unencrypted.

If the app will not open but you have an unencrypted .key file, you can read the private keys straight out of it — each line contains a WIF key you can import elsewhere. If the .key or .wallet file is encrypted and you know the password, decrypt it first; if you have forgotten the password, see the password-recovery section below.

3. Install a new wallet: As Multibit Classic is no longer supported, you should choose a modern, secure wallet to manage your Bitcoin. Some popular wallets are Electrum, Bitcoin Core, and hardware wallets like Trezor or Ledger.
4. Import private keys into a new wallet: After setting up your new wallet, you’ll need to import the private keys you exported from Multibit Classic. The process varies depending on the wallet you chose, but here are general guidelines:

   Move Multibit Classic Bitcoin to another wallet

   • Electrum: Create a new wallet, select “Standard wallet” and then “Use public or private keys.” Copy and paste the private keys from the ‘.key’ file you exported earlier. Electrum will generate a new wallet with your imported keys and show you the balance associated with them.
   • Bitcoin Core: In the debug console (accessible through the “Window” menu), use the importprivkey command followed by each of your private keys. For example: importprivkey yourPrivateKeyHere "label". Replace “yourPrivateKeyHere” with your actual private key and “label” with a description for your own reference.
   • Hardware wallets: The process of importing private keys will depend on the specific hardware wallet you are using. Consult the user manual or support documentation for instructions on how to import private keys.

Sweep or import — what is the difference?

When you bring an old private key into a new wallet you have two options. Importing keeps using the same address, so the key stays “hot” and anyone with a copy of it could still spend the funds. Sweeping sends the balance to a brand-new address that only your new wallet controls, which is safer for keys that have been sitting on old machines or in backups. For recovered Multibit keys, sweeping is almost always the better choice.

In Electrum, use Wallet → Private keys → Sweep, paste your WIF key, and confirm. In Bitcoin Core, use importprivkey from the console (this imports rather than sweeps, and requires a rescan).

5. Verify the balance: After importing the private keys, your new wallet should display the correct balance. It may take some time to synchronize with the Bitcoin network, so be patient.
6. Secure your new wallet: Make sure to create a backup of your new wallet, set a strong password, and enable two-factor authentication (if available). It’s also a good idea to keep your private keys and seed phrase safe and offline.

By following these steps, you should be able to recover your Bitcoin from a Multibit Classic wallet and start using a more secure and updated wallet.

What if you have lost your Multibit password?

If your .wallet or .key file is encrypted and you cannot remember the password, the coins are not necessarily lost. Multibit encrypts keys with a password-derived key, and a forgotten password can often be recovered by testing large numbers of likely candidates built from what you remember.

Your chances improve dramatically if you can recall anything about the password: its rough length, whether it used capitals, numbers or symbols, the language it was in, or words and dates you tend to reuse. Non-English passwords (for example German or French, or passwords typed on a Mac) have specific encoding quirks that a specialist knows how to handle. There is no guarantee, but many wallets written off as unrecoverable can in fact be opened. Contact KeychainX with a description of your case to find out whether recovery is realistic for you.

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