Diligence makes up for laziness: Making money from abandoned Ethereum wallets

On this planet, the number of active Ethereum wallets has exceeded 380 million. But even more interesting is that the theoretical address space that can be created within the EVM system reaches up to 2^160 wallets—a colossal number that’s hard to imagine: 1.461 quintillion quintillion wallets.

Why No One Can Find Existing ETH Wallets?

The secret lies in the nature of blockchain technology. Each wallet we use has a pair of public and private keys—but looking at the private key doesn’t mean you can do anything with it. Finding an existing wallet among billions is a computational challenge beyond current computer capabilities. Even after running continuously for many years, it’s still difficult to find a wallet with funds. That’s why when you create a new wallet, it almost never matches an existing one, although in theory, this could still happen.

From 2^160 to an Unimaginable Number

This address space is represented by an enormous number: 904.625 quadrillion trillion trillion different addresses. To compare, that’s a number with dozens of digits. Browsing through all these possibilities is impractical with current technology. This is also why blockchain wallet creation is so secure—mathematical collision probability is nearly zero.

Potential Risks: The Age of Quantum Computing

However, experts warn about the future when quantum computers emerge. This technology can perform calculations millions of times faster than traditional computers, potentially cracking private keys quickly. Then, Bitcoin could lose value as all wallets become accessible. Ethereum would need to upgrade its security mechanisms so that keys no longer work with old wallets. This isn’t just a distant theory but a scenario that the crypto community is preparing for now.

You Can Try Your Luck with These Tools

If you’re diligent and persistent, there are websites that allow you to input a private key to check if it matches a wallet with funds. The enormous numbers mean the chances of success are extremely low—like finding a needle in the ocean. But just like lottery enthusiasts, you can still try your luck. There are over 904 quintillion different pages to search for Bitcoin private keys using similar principles.

⚠️ Important Warning: Never enter your private key on these websites to check; you will expose your key and lose your funds immediately.

Current BTC and ETH Market Status

As of 02/12/2026, the market shows:

Ethereum (ETH): Trading at $1.93K, down 0.98% in the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin (BTC): At $65.93K, down 2.39% for the day.

Although these market figures are constantly changing, the fundamental security principles of blockchain remain unchanged. Diligence and understanding of this technology will help you better protect your digital assets.