MultiBit HD recovery guides and source-code library

An independent KeychainX resource for the discontinued MultiBit HD Bitcoin wallet. This website is not the original MultiBit project and does not claim endorsement by its developers.

Find your wallet files, understand backup formats, check wallet types and derivation paths, and follow the original Java implementation. Start by preserving your original files and working on copies.

Explore the technical library — 25 pages Start a recovery assessment

Need personal help with a MultiBit HD wallet?

Email mail@keychainx.io or visit KeychainX.io. Describe the wallet version, filenames and error message. Do not send wallet words, private keys or passwords in an initial email. Recovery depends on the available data; no outcome is guaranteed.

Choose a recovery guide

• Find MultiBit HD wallet files on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Identify wallet files, rolling backups and encrypted ZIP backups
• Understand wallet types, derivation paths and the legacy compatibility issue
• Plan a forgotten-password recovery
• Assess wallet-word recovery without assuming one universal path
• Separate password, corruption, synchronization and address problems
• Review a migration checklist before moving funds

Read the original MultiBit HD source code

The library reproduces 12 complete Java source and test files, totaling 4,248 lines, with line anchors, explanatory notes and links to an immutable upstream commit. Original copyright and license notices accompany the source download.

• WalletManager.java — wallet creation and seed compatibility
• EncryptedFileReaderWriter.java — file encryption and legacy reading behavior
• BackupManager.java — rolling and ZIP backup workflows
• WalletType.java — software and hardware wallet families
• Source-code map and original tests
• Selected source ZIP, SHA-256 hashes and provenance

Testing boundary: the source was inspected, not executed. We have not run this historical Java application, its original tests or a real-wallet recovery as part of this library. Examples and source annotations are not a promise that a procedure works for every wallet version.

MultiBit HD history and format distinctions

MultiBit HD succeeded MultiBit Classic and used deterministic wallets. The archived project states that development was discontinued in 2017. Jim Burton and Gary Rowe are credited in the original AUTHORS file; the preserved source includes KeepKey’s copyright and licensing notices.

Do not identify a wallet solely by its extension. In the inspected MultiBit HD source, mbhd.wallet.aes, password-encrypted rolling backups and encrypted ZIP backups have different roles. Wallet words and a wallet password are not interchangeable. The correct recovery path depends on the wallet family, version and available backup material.

For MultiBit Classic’s separate formats, see MultiBit Classic resources. For the authoritative historical code, see the archived upstream repository at the reviewed commit.

Editorial method and limitations · Attribution and licenses · Earlier articles

Published by KeychainX. Technical library reviewed 20 September 2026.