How to Recover a Lost Crypto Wallet Password or Seed Phrase in 2025

Key takeaways:

• If you’ve lost access to a non-custodial wallet but still have the seed phrase, funds can be restored by importing the wallet and setting a new password.

• Custodial wallets can often be recovered through standard email-based password resets and identity verification processes.

• Losing both the password and seed phrase for a non-custodial wallet usually means permanent loss of access to the crypto wallet.

• Beware of recovery firm scams; legitimate recovery services don’t ask for upfront fees and should provide clear documentation and verified track records.Even with all of the technological advancements, one thing remains the same in 2025: People continue to lose their seed phrases and crypto passwords.

According to Ledger analysts, as of early 2025, between 2.3 million and 3.7 million Bitcoin (BTC) is permanently lost. In 2024 alone, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud were over $9.3 billion. The majority of those impacted were people over 60, who either lost their own money or, worse, fell victim to recovery scams while attempting to retrieve it.

If you have lost your seed phrase, forgotten your wallet password or come across suspicious activity while trying to get help, don’t panic. There are still methods that are legitimate to help you recover your cryptocurrency account.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and not all “recovery experts” are looking out for your best interests. Therefore, let’s examine what can work in 2025.

Clarifying lost wallet type

First things first: Figure out what kind of wallet you lost access to. It sounds basic, but this makes all the difference in what you can recover. There are two types of wallets: 

• Custodial wallets: Can be found on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, Kraken or Coinbase. Losing the password to a custodial wallet can be rectified, as a custodial service manages the private key. As with traditional banks, these platforms usually allow password resets through email or Know Your Customer (KYC) authentication.

• Non-custodial wallets: Cold wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet and Ledger don’t hold on to your password or seed phrase. In the case of non-custodial wallets, if you lose both your password and your seed phrase, you may find it hard to recover your cryptocurrency, unless you have backed them up somewhere else.

Most people land in trouble when dealing with non-custodial wallets, especially after hardware…