Help Recover Lost BTC Runes 20% Reward

Hey folks, **Offering a 20% reward for help recovering my funds** I'm in a tough spot and could really use some advice or tips from you all. Here’s the quick rundown: I bought Bitcoin that was inscribed with the rune token Gizmo on Magic Eden, spending about $10,000 for around 200K tokens using my Phantom wallet. After the purchase, I noticed a balance of $600 in BTC in my wallet (thought it was leftover from buying GIZMO), so I moved it to Coinbase. Then I did a BTC to Solana swap with that BTC, but I didn't realize I was actually swapping my GIZMO runes for Sol. In the end, I swapped what should’ve been worth over $10,000 in Bitcoin/Gizmo runes for about $600 in Solana. I traced the tokens on the blockchain to another wallet that has only one transaction ever, but I can't access or recover them. I've been fighting with Coinbase support, but they said their recovery tools don’t cover Bitcoin or unique tokens like mine, and they don’t control the wallet with the tokens. Here's where the runes are now: https://www.oklink.com/btc/address/3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj And the related transaction ID: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/7db8fe6abbdb08ad47a52618d9d67823634fc342d9c286db4f5bc8c67193dd05 I know blockchain transactions can't be reversed and this is a long shot, but I’m curious if there's any chance of recovering what I lost.

As far as I know, and as far as Bitcoin is concerned, there's only Bitcoin on the Bitcoin blockchain. Anything else, like "Runes" or "Ordinals" are made up by someone to get money from gullible people. It sounds like you bought $600 worth of Bitcoin (around 0.006 BTC) for $10,000. It also sounds like someone made up a story to convince you that whatever you're buying is worth that, and you fell for it. I don't think there's anything you can do. You fell for the story that the Bitcoins you bought were "special", then you sent your Bitcoin to be traded at it's real value. Whatever "special" there was, is gone now. This is going to be an expensive lesson. For a very long time now, I've wondered why people spend many millions of dollars in Bitcoin transaction fees to spam the blockchain with data. I think your post answers this question: they sell $600 worth of Bitcoin for $10,000. And considering the massive amount of blockchain spam they've caused in the past year, there must be thousands of victims like you. Although some probably managed to find a greater fool to sell their "unique satoshis" to.

Thanks for kicking me when I'm down - I think the "I don't think there's anything you can do" Would have sufficed here

I'll feel good if my posts helps prevent another victim who read this before falling for this.

I didn't get scammed though so I'm missing your point - Due to my own negligence (and lack of knowledge of how runes worked) I did not proof read the transaction. I understand all this, I'm an idiot This has humbled me, I don't know that much about crypto and I'm simply trying to find a solution (regardless of how much of hail mary it might seem I'm willing to try it) Any suggestions would be super appreciated. Thanks all for reading

Using 3 different Ordinal/Rune block explorer, all of them says that Bitcoin address contain about 207926 of GIZMO rune/token. https://ordiscan.com/address/3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj/runes https://www.ord.io/3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj?profile-tab=runes, which also shows you only have about $5641 worth of GIZMO. https://unisat.io/explorer, then enter Bitcoin address and click search icon. I'm not fan of Runes and similar stuff, so i doesn't have any experience. But from quick search, https://phantom.com/learn/crypto-101/bitcoin-runes mention they don't have full support towards Runes which may be root of the problem. So i would suggest one of these approach, 1. Contact their customer service about when will they fully support Runes. 2. If you're willing to take the risk, you could try import private key or recovery words to different wallet which support Runes. I misunderstood what's going on, so my above statement isn't applicable. I don't expect Coinbase will ever support Ordinal, Rune or similar protocol on Bitcoin network even when they have several page/article about those.

My point is that "runes" are just the next thing in a long line of schemes designed to make the creator rich. We've had altcoins, ICOs, Forks, tokens, smart contracts, Defi, Ordinals and now Runes. And there are probably a few more that I missed. All those things are designed to make the creator rich, and that money comes from the "greater fools" who are turned into bag holders after the pump and dump ends and the creator moves on to create the next hype. Self-reflection is good There's the problem. Never invest in anything you don't understand. It's Coinbase. I highly doubt they'll ever support a little scheme that attacks Bitcoin's fungibility while being designed to get money out of gullible people. If that bubble pops, which will happen, they'll get sued by the victims.

So let me understand this you bought 10k worth about 200k of gizmo using phatom wallet correct ? 3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj you don't own this correct ? or you do ? If you don't own it who put in 12/14/2024, 04:03:17 Mint + Transfer 3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj ? The tokens didn't transfer to coinbase the wallet has $6.55K. Runes $6.25K BTC $292.32. No crypto platform is going to transfer to a random address unless you input the address. Unless I'm completely missing something ?

There are some other "derivatives" like Lightning Network, yes altcoins abused the Lightning Network term to scam, IEOs, IDOs, and more that I can miss too. These trends are hot at different times but hot in way it can help creators getting rich quickly and in another way of making investors, traders, gamblers getting poor super fastly too. Cryptocurrency graveyard: Two-Thirds of cryptocurrency projects have died. 14,039 crypto projects have disappeared from the ecosystem since 2014

Hello everyone, **TLDR - BOTTOM OF THIS POST INCLUDES THE FULL TRANSACTION ID FLOW FROM MY WALLET TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION IF IT HELPS** I want to clarify my situation because i don't think I was fully clear in my initial post. I appreciate all the feedback so far and I take full responsibility for my mistakes. However, I want to lay this out as clearly as possible to see if anyone has actionable advice or solutions. 1. What Happened: I purchased Bitcoin inscribed with Gizmo Rune tokens through Magic Eden. These are runes (like Ordinals) stored on specific satoshis within the Bitcoin blockchain. At the time, I purchased roughly 200K Gizmo Runes, which were valued at around $10,000. After purchasing, I saw what looked like 0.006 BTC (approximately $600) in my Phantom wallet. I mistakenly assumed this was regular leftover BTC and not the inscribed Gizmo Runes. I transferred this 0.006 BTC to my Coinbase wallet. Without realizing the Bitcoin was inscribed with Gizmo Runes, I swapped it for SOL using Coinbase’s BTC-SOL swap. Coinbase treated this BTC as standard Bitcoin (which it should have, I know) and valued it at $600, even though it contained the high-value runes worth $10,000 at the time. 2. Current Situation: I traced the Gizmo Runes on the blockchain. They are now sitting in a wallet address that only has 1 transaction in its lifetime: Wallet Address: 3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj Transaction ID: 7db8fe6abbdb08ad47a52618d9d67823634fc342d9c286db4f5bc8c67193dd05 This wallet currently holds the runes, which are still visible on various explorers (e.g., Ordiscan, Ord.io, and Unisat). I have no access to this wallet, and it is not owned by Coinbase according to their support team. 3. What I Need Help With: Is there any way to contact the unknown wallet owner (even indirectly) to see if the runes can be retrieved? Are there tools, blockchain services, or legal avenues that could assist in recovering the inscribed Bitcoin from this wallet? Has anyone here faced a similar situation, and if so, what worked for you? I'm willing to try anything here as a next step, I know its very unlikely to recover but I want to explore all avenues 4. Clarifications: I understand that blockchain transactions are irreversible. I am not claiming I got scammed; this was a mistake on my part due to a lack of understanding of inscribed Bitcoin. I’m aware of the risks of “runes” and similar assets. I am simply trying to recover what I lost, no matter how slim the chance. I have already spoken to Coinbase, and they stated that their asset recovery tool does not support Bitcoin or unique inscriptions like Runes. 5. Reward Offer: If anyone can help me successfully recover these assets or find a concrete way to move forward, I’m offering a 20% share of the recovered value as a reward. This situation has been extremely humbling for me, and I’ve learned a hard lesson. I’m not here to argue about the validity of Runes or other blockchain projects—just looking for guidance, tools, or even creative ideas that might help. Thank you for your time and any advice you can provide. ****TRANSACTION IDS**** First Transaction: Link: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/a34aa8fbc7c48b39e58f48cd89a34f6d94b3bfc8a73c3908ef2a8ccbd70e693f Description: This shows the initial transfer of Bitcoin (containing the Gizmo Runes) from my Phantom wallet to my Coinbase Wallet. Second Transaction: Link: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/1750c32dbee3f3b46e0a3b80a69e7ad13282e33a3ed34d4efa4ee018abefb67c Description: This reflects the BTC-to-SOL swap you executed on Coinbase. As a result, the inscribed Bitcoin left your Coinbase Wallet and moved to a different Bitcoin address. Third Transaction: Link: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/28d52607ce23ddf8dd8b15fe31926c6206b0041dacc4d357f8f62a1106c7fc9c/overview Description: This transaction shows the movement of the inscribed Bitcoin (Gizmo Runes) from that intermediate wallet (likely Coinbase’s liquidity pool or settlement wallet) to a random, single-transaction wallet. Final Wallet Location: Link:https://www.oklink.com/btc/address/bc1qlj5jhnqxung7jpqyrvkufy26xr544g04z0ulhw Description: This is the current location of the Gizmo Runes. The wallet has only one lifetime transaction, meaning it solely received the inscribed Bitcoin and hasn’t conducted any further activity.

You sent it to their wallet, am I right? So why the support said they don't own it since they are the ones who have full control of the coinbase wallet unless you use the other Coinbase wallet that generates a seed phrase? If that is a self-custody Coinbase wallet and you have the seed phrase, there might be a chance to recover this Gizmo runes but if you are using the other coinbase app that doesn't generate a seed phrase, then only Coinbase support can able to help you about your case.

Thank you for your reply. To clarify further: BTC-to-SOL Swap on Coinbase: I used my Coinbase.com account to swap BTC for SOL. This was not a self-custody wallet; it was a standard BTC/SOL exchange transaction. Transaction ID for BTC/SOL Swap: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/1750c32dbee3f3b46e0a3b80a69e7ad13282e33a3ed34d4efa4ee018abefb67c. BTC Transfer Post-Swap: After the BTC/SOL swap, the BTC (which contained the Gizmo Rune inscription) was no longer in my control. Coinbase likely moved it internally as part of their settlement process or liquidity pool operations. Transaction ID where the BTC left Coinbase: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/28d52607ce23ddf8dd8b15fe31926c6206b0041dacc4d357f8f62a1106c7fc9c Current Location of Inscribed BTC: I traced the BTC with Gizmo Runes to its current wallet: https://www.oklink.com/btc/address/3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj Transaction ID of BTC Transfer to This Wallet: https://www.oklink.com/btc/tx/7db8fe6abbdb08ad47a52618d9d67823634fc342d9c286db4f5bc8c67193dd05. This wallet has only one transaction in its lifetime, and I have no access to it. Coinbase support confirmed they do not own this wallet.

No. At best, you could make public announcement on various social media, forum and cryptocurrency community group that you're looking for owner of address 3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj. And while blockchain analysis service may have information about who send Bitcoin to that address, such service usually not available for individual person and could be expensive without giving helpful information. No, since Bitcoin TX is irreversible and only owner of 3JU2ojTfuXK8HcHAZDFByXeEvE4QPRQzVj (while using wallet which support Rune) can send those Gizmo to you.

Thanks for the reply I see you mentioned that it would be costly to obtain details of the owner who sent the transaction to this wallet - however if I were to pursue this do you know which services or people I could contact? Just trying to get in touch with the wallet holder in some respect (I know its a long shot) Any other help or suggestions are really appreciated

I don't know, but such service usually is under name blockchain analysis service. But i DO NOT recommend you to pursue this option, since you'll just waste more money and time unless, 1. Blockchain analysis service able to find out who's the owner. 2. You or the service found ways to contact the owner. 3. The owner agree to return your GIZMO.

Still sadly going down the rabbit hole on this - Looking for any hail marys here, there's bound to me something I can do

UPDATE - The runes just got moved to this address, I've included the transactionID that sent the funds to here, it has one lifetime transaction. If anyone can give me any advise on how I can potentially track down the owner of this wallet I would be so grateful https://www.oklink.com/btc/address/bc1qmdwp6jw6zy8699znvl9hq6ap26vjw98f0l6h23 https://www.oklink.com/btc/address/bc1qglqk4rxpjl3749tuz9lw0xnz9h78pua06spmps Desperate to get these runes back Thanks

The two transactions prior to the final destination follow the same pattern as your original Coinbase deposit, where you sent them to a nested segwit address and then Coinbase consolidates this with other deposits in a bech32 address. If I had to guess, the Runes have worked their way back into Coinbase’s possession and are sitting in a hot wallet address where they will once again be transferred out of Coinbase. If Coinbase wasn’t able to help you before, there is not much you can do about it. You can wait for them to be transferred again and maybe the next owner might be willing to assist you. The price of the Gizmo runes has fallen considerably and at some point it might not even be worth it to continue this recovery effort. The current value of 200k Gizmo runes is about $3000.

Thanks for your response. Regarding this comment "You can wait for them to be transferred again and maybe the next owner might be willing to assist you" How would I get in the contact with the next owner if they were to get transferred? This is where I am struggling. Thank you for your time

Unless the owner of the Bitcoin address posts it somewhere, you won't be able to find him.