The Jaxx wallet and its successor Jaxx Liberty were among the first multi-coin cryptocurrency wallets. Jaxx Liberty has been officially retired since March 27, 2023, and many users have been wondering ever since whether their coins are lost. The good news: the coins are on the blockchain, not in the app. What matters is whether you still have your 12-word backup phrase.
Key facts at a glance
- Jaxx Liberty was retired on March 27, 2023. Jaxx recommended moving to Exodus or Edge.
- Your coins are on the blockchain. With the 12-word backup phrase they can be restored in another compatible wallet.
- If coins are missing after the import, they are usually not gone but sit on addresses the new wallet does not find automatically.
- Never enter your backup phrase on websites posing as a Jaxx web wallet. That is a scam.
What were the Jaxx wallet and Jaxx Liberty?
Jaxx was developed in 2014 by the Canadian company Decentral, founded by Ethereum co-founder Anthony Di Iorio. The Jaxx wallet was one of the first wallets to manage Bitcoin, Ethereum and many other coins in one interface: on desktop, on smartphones and as a browser extension. A built-in exchange feature let users swap coins directly in the wallet.
In 2018 Jaxx Liberty followed with a new design and additional features such as a portfolio overview, market data and news. Both versions were software wallets (hot wallets): the private keys were stored on the user’s device and secured by a 12-word backup phrase.
When and why was Jaxx Liberty discontinued?
In early March 2023, Jaxx announced that it would retire Jaxx Liberty to focus on a new project called Andiami. The wallet has been officially out of service since March 27, 2023. Users were asked to move their funds to another compatible wallet beforehand, and Jaxx explicitly named Exodus and Edge.
Since then there have been no updates and no support. If the app is still installed on your device, you may still be able to display the backup phrase there. However, you should no longer rely on balances and transactions shown in the old app.
Are my coins gone with Jaxx?
No, not automatically. A wallet app does not store coins but the keys that give you control over your coins on the blockchain. The retirement of Jaxx Liberty did not change your balance. You only need a new way in, and that way in is your 12-word backup phrase. How a seed phrase is structured is explained in the article Seed phrase word list.
Jaxx wallet recovery: the 3 most common cases
1. Backup phrase available and complete
Then the path is usually simple: restore the wallet with the phrase in a current BIP39-compatible wallet, such as Exodus or Edge, which Jaxx itself recommended. Download the software only from the provider’s official website and move a small test amount first before transferring larger sums.
2. Phrase incomplete, written down incorrectly or missing
If a word is missing, the order is unclear or the new wallet reports an invalid phrase, the funds are often still within reach. Depending on how many words are missing or swapped, the correct phrase can be reconstructed in many cases. Do not try online tools that ask for your phrase. Many of them are designed to drain wallets.
If the phrase is lost completely but the old Jaxx installation still exists (old PC, old smartphone or a backup of it), access may still be stored on the device. Then every step counts: do not install, update or delete anything before the data has been secured.
3. Import worked, but coins are missing
This is one of the most common cases. Depending on the coin, Jaxx used several addresses, and not every wallet automatically finds all of them after an import. The balance then appears to be gone even though it is still on the blockchain. You can check with a block explorer whether coins are still on your old addresses. How this works is explained in the article Verify a wallet address.
Jaxx phrase incomplete or coins missing after the import? I will check free of charge whether your funds can be recovered. Your phrase never leaves your hands. Request a free assessment
The 2017 Jaxx hack: what really happened
In June 2017, Jaxx users reported thefts totalling at least around 400,000 US dollars, mainly in Ethereum, Ethereum Classic and Zcash. The background was a previously published weakness in the desktop version: the 12-word backup phrase was only protected with a hard-coded key and could be read by anyone with access to the computer. With malware on the PC, attackers were able to empty wallets this way.
At the time, Jaxx pointed out that the wallet was meant for smaller everyday amounts and that larger sums belonged on a hardware wallet. The lesson still applies today: a software wallet is only as secure as the device it runs on.
Beware: fake Jaxx websites and so-called recovery tools
Jaxx has repeatedly been the target of scams, and since its retirement former users have become a popular target. Typical warning signs:
- Websites offering a Jaxx login or a Jaxx Liberty web wallet. There is no official site where you are supposed to enter your phrase.
- Downloads of Jaxx Liberty from app stores or third-party sites. The wallet is no longer offered, so such downloads are not official.
- So-called support staff on Telegram, X or Discord who ask for your phrase.
- Online tools that promise to check or repair your phrase.
Fake Jaxx websites have been used to spread malware in the past. More scams are described in the guide The 10 most common crypto scams.
Which wallet instead of Jaxx?
When it shut down, Jaxx itself recommended Exodus and Edge. Exodus is a multi-coin wallet for desktop and smartphone founded in 2015, Edge is a multi-coin wallet for smartphones. In principle, any reputable wallet that supports 12-word phrases according to the BIP39 standard and manages your coins is suitable.
For larger amounts I recommend a hardware wallet. The private keys never leave the device, so an attack like the one on Jaxx in 2017 comes to nothing. My comparison Best hardware wallet gives an overview.
Found an old Jaxx wallet but no access? Before you try anything yourself, tell me about your case. The initial assessment is free, and you only pay if it succeeds. Get your case checked for free
Professional help with Jaxx wallet recovery
If you are stuck, I can help. I am Ing. Thomas Jochen Wagner, MBA, and with Crypto Recovery I offer technical crypto recovery: incomplete or incorrect seed phrases, forgotten wallet passwords, old wallets such as Jaxx and crypto sent over the wrong network.
- Free initial assessment of your case.
- Your data stays with you: Recovery is usually done via Zoom. You carry out the steps yourself on your device under my guidance, or in person at my office in Perg (Upper Austria).
- Payment only on success: a flat fee of 100 euros for a recovered value below 1,000 US dollars, above that 10% of the recovered value. No upfront payment.
How the process works and how your data stays protected is described on the page Security & process. For a general overview, see the guide Wallet recovery. I cannot help with fraud, phishing or hacking. In that case, please contact the police. Get your case checked for free now.
Frequently asked questions about the Jaxx wallet
Does the Jaxx wallet still work?
No. Jaxx Liberty was officially retired on March 27, 2023, and there are no more updates or support. Your coins are still on the blockchain, however, and can be restored with the 12-word backup phrase in another compatible wallet.
How do I recover my Jaxx wallet?
Use your 12-word backup phrase in a current BIP39-compatible wallet, for example Exodus or Edge, which Jaxx itself recommended. Download the software only from the provider’s official website and move a small test amount first.
Why are coins missing after the import?
Depending on the coin, Jaxx used several addresses. Not every wallet automatically finds all of them after an import. In that case the balance is usually not gone but still on the blockchain. You can check your old addresses with a block explorer.
I lost my Jaxx backup phrase. Is everything gone?
Not necessarily. If only a few words are missing or the old Jaxx installation still exists, access can often still be recovered. Do not change anything on the old device and never enter your phrase on websites or in online tools.
Is there a Jaxx Liberty web wallet?
No. There is no official website where you are supposed to enter your Jaxx phrase. Sites offering a Jaxx login or a Jaxx web wallet are scams aimed at your backup phrase.
Sources: Jaxx Liberty on X: retirement on March 27, 2023, Cointelegraph: Jaxx vulnerability, June 2017, Dark Reading: malware campaign targeting Jaxx users.
