How to Make a Paper Bitcoin Wallet

Last updated: 29th January 2018

A bitcoin paper wallet is simply a public and private key printed together. It is an offline wallet, and is usually regarded as a type of "cold storage" (extra-secure storage that does not make contact with the hackable internet), although it has some important differences that make its presence in that category debatable (more on this further down).

As the name suggests, paper wallets are usually made out of paper, although technically they could also be made of plastic or any other substance on which information can be durably printed.

via bitaddress.org
What is printed on the paper wallet are the private and public keys, usually in QR form, with the latter also serving as the address. You could just copy and paste the keys onto a text document and print that out (erasing the copy on the computer afterwards). Or you could use one of the free web services that generate the printable wallet for you. The key generation is usually done in your browser, so they are never transmitted on the internet. To be safe, you should clear your browser after printing. And never store an image of the paper wallet on your computer or phone.

Some paper wallet services have a nifty design that you can cut, fold and seal, making them a lightweight and relatively secure form of storing bitcoin offline. You send your bitcoin to the public address displayed on the wallet, and then store it in a secure place.

What makes paper wallets secure is that they are totally offline (generally known as "cold storage"). They are not within the reach of hackers, and your bitcoin are never trusted to a third party. As long as the paper wallet is secure, your holdings are secure.

But, therein lies the relative lack of security. Someone could find your hiding place, take your printout, spend all the bitcoin associated with those keys, and return the paper, so you would never know.

A more secure version would involve folding the paper so that the private key is hidden from sight, taping the fold with a seal that can't be broken and replaced (just search for "tamper evident seals," there are many different providers and models), and making sure that the private key cannot be seen even if the folded paper is held up to the light.
via bitcoinpaperwallet.com
Even that is not particularly secure. What if the folder, drawer or box that you keep it in floods?

Sure, it's unlikely, but when you're securing a lot of bitcoin, it pays to think of worst case scenarios (and hey, what with climate change and all…). So, a tightly-sealed plastic bag would help.

How do you protect a paper wallet from fire? I have no idea. Keep it in the freezer? (That definitely would be "cold storage," he he.)

Also, paper itself is not the most durable of substances. Apart from the obvious risks of fire or water damage, the ink could fade with time, making the keys unreadable. No readable keys, no bitcoin.

Even with paper wallets, you can check your balance at any time using blockchain.info (just type your public key into the search box). And most online wallets allow you to import your paper wallet data. To spend those bitcoin, you will be asked to type in the private key information, or scan the private key QR code (sometimes called the "spend" QR code).

Some good paper wallet generators:

Bitaddress.org and Walletgenerator.net are open-source random address and key generators that uses your browser's JavaScript engine, so no keys are sent over the internet. And moving your mouse around to create entropy and mix up the characters even more is fun. That random sequence is then used to generate your public and private keys, which are displayed on the next screen for printing.

Bitcoinpaperwallet.org will create a printout of a colourful paper wallet, with the appropriate fold lines, and will sell you tamper-evident stickers for sealing it shut.

Mycelium offers an original and even more secure way to generate paper wallets, with a USB dongle that you plug directly into your printer. The device generates a paper wallet that automatically gets printed out, without ever having touched your computer.

(Note: specific businesses mentioned here are not the only options available, and should not be taken as a recommendation.)

Authored by Noelle Acheson. Source coindesk
NEXT: CAN BITCOIN SCALE?

INDEX: A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BITCOIN AND BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY



What is Bitcoin?
It's a decentralized digital currency


Why Use Bitcoin?
It's fast, cheap to use, and secure


How Can I Buy Bitcoin?
From an exchange or an individual


How to Buy Bitcoin in the UK
Buying bitcoin in the UK


How to Store Your Bitcoin
Use a digital or paper wallet


What Can You Buy with Bitcoin?
Spend your bitcoins


How to Sell Bitcoin
A guide on how to sell your bitcoins


How to Accept Bitcoin Payments for Your Store
Learn about bitcoin POS systems


How do Bitcoin Transactions Work?
Bitcoin addresses and private keys


Is Bitcoin Legal?
The current regulation around bitcoin


Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?
The founder of bitcoin


How Bitcoin Mining Works
By confirming transactions


How to Set Up a Bitcoin Miner
Generate bitcoins yourself


What are Bitcoin Mining Pools?
What are pools how and how to join them?


How Does Cloud Mining Bitcoin Work?
Alternative bitcoin mining solutions


How to Calculate Mining Profitability
Can you make a ROI?


How to Make a Paper Bitcoin Wallet
Creating an unhackable bitcoin wallet


Can Bitcoin Scale?
A look at the debate and the tech


What is SegWit?
A new way of storing transaction data


What is the Lightning Network?
Off-chain transaction channels


What is Bitcoin Cash?
Same blockchain, different characteristics.


Hard Fork vs Soft Fork
Why and how do blockchains split?


What is the Difference Between Litecoin and Bitcoin?
It's the silver to bitcoin's gold


How to Buy Litecoin
How to buy the bitcoin alternative litecoin


How to Mine Litecoin and other Altcoins
How to generate your own altcoins


Understanding Bitcoin Price Charts
A primer on bitcoin price charts


Bitcoin E-Commerce Services for Merchants
How to accept bitcoin at your business


What is Blockchain Technology?
A system of distributed data and logic


How Does Blockchain Technology Work?
Cryptographic keys, distributed networks and network servicing protocols


What Can a Blockchain Do?
Identity, recordkeeping, smart contracts and more


What is a Distributed Ledger?
A dynamic, independently maintained database


What is the Difference Between Public and Permissioned Blockchains?
Can anyone read or write to the ledger?


What is the Difference Between a Blockchain and a Database?
It begins with architectural and administrative decisions


What Are the Applications and Use Cases of Blockchains?
Tokenization, auditing, governance, settlement and more


How Could Blockchain Technology Change Finance?
Cross-border payments, new asset classes, regulatory compliance and more


What are Blockchain's Issues and Limitations?
Complexity, size, costs, speed, security, politics and more


Why Use a Blockchain?
To manage and secure digital relationships as part of a system of record


What is Ethereum?
A blockchain application platform and 'world computer'


What is Ether?
The 'fuel' of the ethereum network


How to Use Ethereum
Wallets, trading and ‘dapps’


Who Created Ethereum?
Vitalik Buterin


How Ethereum Mining Works
'Proof of Work' and 'Proof of Stake'


How to Mine Ethereum
GPUs, mining software and pools


How Ethereum Works
'Turing-complete' programming, 'state' and the 'EVM'


What is a Decentralized Application?
A distributed 'smart contract' system


What is a DAO?
A 'decentralized autonomous organization'


How Do Ethereum Smart Contracts Work?
Code, transaction fees and 'gas'


How Will Ethereum Scale?
‘Sharding’ and ‘off-chain’ transactions


What is an ICO?
Initial Coin Offerings refer to the distribution of digital tokens.

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