Paper Wallet
By JAKE FRANKENFIELD
Reviewed By JULIUS MANSA
Updated Jan 2, 2021
What Is a Paper Wallet?
A paper wallet is an offline mechanism for storing bitcoins. Unlike fiat currency, there is no physical representation of a bitcoin (or most other types of cryptocurrency). Rather, wallets that are used to store digital tokens are usually software programs that help to facilitate updates to the blockchain ledger when transactions are made. Paper wallets are different from so-called hot wallets because they operate separately from the Internet. However, they still do not store physical bitcoins; the paper quality of these wallets refers primarily to the method of access for the cryptocurrency owner.
Paper wallets were primarily popular in the early years of bitcoin. In recent years, cryptocurrency users have tended to explore other methods of securing their holdings.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A paper wallet is a printed piece of paper that contains keys and QR codes that are used to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions.
Because they are removed from the Internet, at one point paper wallets were considered to be more secure than other forms of cryptocurrency storage.
Many investors believe that risks associated with losing, misreading, or damaging the paper wallet may outweigh the potential security benefits.
Understanding a Paper Wallet
Like a hot wallet, a paper wallet also makes use of public and private keys. Cryptocurrency users wishing to store their holdings in a paper wallet typically go through the process of printing the private key onto a piece of paper. For those who are interested in setting up a paper wallet, the first step is to visit a wallet generator site which will create keys and corresponding QR codes at random.
It's generally advised that users unplug their Internet access while the keys are being generated, and that users wipe their Internet history after the keys have been created. Ideally, they'll be generated on a brand-new computer to completely avoid any malware interference. Of course, this won't be feasible for most users, but everyone should—at the very least—run a malware check on their computer before generating the keys. Print out the codes, being sure to keep track of the paper: do not let it become damaged or lost. The codes can be scanned to access additional information about the wallets, but a user must have a "live wallet" (one connected to the Internet) in order to facilitate transactions. The live wallet can be used to "sweep" the paper wallet, effectively transferring coins from the paper wallet to the live wallet.
Pros and Cons of Paper Wallets
Physical wallets were long considered one of the safest ways to store bitcoins. If properly constructed, and provided that certain precautions are taken, it will be nearly impossible for a hostile user to access your bitcoin holdings. A paper wallet is considered an extremely secure way to keep bitcoins safe from cyber-attacks, malware, etc.
But it's important to remember that it’s not the bitcoins that are being printed out like regular currency. It's the information stored in a bitcoin wallet or digital wallet that gets printed out. The data appearing on the wallet includes the public key (wallet address), which allows people to transfer money into that wallet, and the private key, which gives access to fund spending. Thus, bitcoins themselves are not stored offline—the important keys are stored offline.
This form of cold storage confers enormous security advantages. The user is more or less invulnerable from cyberattacks and malware because it is simply not possible to access a user's private key via those avenues. Of course, the safety of these physical documents cannot be entirely guaranteed either—if a would-be hacker discovers the location of your paper wallet and physically steals it, they can access your bitcoin holdings. Some users hide or disguise the paper wallet. The paper wallet should also be protected from physical damage; if the keys fade and can no longer be scanned, the user will never again be able to access the bitcoins sent to that address. Even using the incorrect type of printer (non-laser printers can allow the ink to run, for example) may damage the paper wallet.
While paper wallets offer security advantages, they also come with risks—some of them severe. Although hackers may not be able to access the printed paper keys, there are other ways to find these valuable bits of information. Printers that are connected to larger networks often store information, and malware can be surreptitiously installed to steal the keys during the generation process.
For many users, the bigger risk with a paper wallet comes down to user error. If a printer uses inexpensive ink, it may run, bleed or fade with time, rendering the wallet inaccessible. If the paper is lost, stolen, ripped or otherwise damaged, the same concerns apply. If a user misreads a key or if the wallet software no longer recognizes the private key format of the printed wallet, these also bring about problems.
More recently, investors have pointed to the use of raw private keys in paper wallets as a security and user error risk. Unencrypted private keys can easily be exposed to other users, or can accidentally be used to send bitcoins instead of receive them, particularly if users are unfamiliar with the key system.
However, if you’re really intrigued by blockchain technology, you might want to master it more fully with our Blockchain Certification Training Course, where you get down and dirty with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Hyperledger. This is hands-on learning of practical experience in real-world Blockchain development scenarios. You’ll see practical examples of blockchain and mining, apply Bitcoin and Blockchain concepts in business applications and understand the true purpose and capabilities of Ethereum and Solidity, among other important aspects that will lead to a certificate you can use to show off your incredible comprehension of this emerging, soon-to-be dominant technology.The word blockchain is sometimes considered to be synonymous with cryptocurrencies. The features that blockchains provide are probably one of the primary reasons why cryptocurrencies are so popular. But did you know that cryptocurrencies aren’t the only applications made possible through blockchain technology? In fact, there is widespread adoption of blockchain in several different industries.Supply refers to how much is available—like how many bitcoin are available to buy at any moment in time. Demand refers to people’s desire to own it—as in how many people want to buy bitcoin and how strongly they want it. The value of a cryptocurrency will always be a balance of both factors.A number of countries are undertaking blockchain-based land registry projects. Honduras was the first government to announce such an initiative in 2015, although the current status of that project is unclear. This year, the Republic of Georgia cemented a deal with the Bitfury Group to develop a blockchain system for property titles. Reportedly, Hernando de Soto, the high-profile economist, and property rights advocate will be advising on the project. Most recently, Sweden announced it was experimenting with a blockchain application for property titles.зарабатывать ethereum up bitcoin plus500 bitcoin Liquid reward management.ethereum api china bitcoin 60 bitcoin goldsday bitcoin tails bitcoin сайте bitcoin difficulty monero добыча bitcoin mist ethereum bitcoin symbol bitcoin galaxy bitcoin вебмани bitcoin download bitcoin продам bitcoin make
magic bitcoin
bitcoin компания network bitcoin programming bitcoin bitcoin анализ cz bitcoin ethereum прогноз monero пул
elena bitcoin payoneer bitcoin
монет bitcoin new cryptocurrency яндекс bitcoin bitcoin login cryptocurrency price tether майнить RATINGbitcoin фото bitcoin history exchange ethereum In the example from the picture below, we’re using a single DragonMint T1 miner mining on the Slush mining pool. Our electricity is about the average rate in the UK. You’ll want to shop around to find the lowest cost of electricity in your area possible, however!How to mine Bitcoin: calculate expected profits on CryptoCompare.bitcoin switzerland equihash bitcoin bitcoin бонусы ethereum сайт tether 2 secp256k1 ethereum
использование bitcoin
bitcoin traffic amazon bitcoin hashrate ethereum график bitcoin bitcoin land up bitcoin bitcoin paper bitcoin комиссия ethereum прогноз bitcoin принимаем cryptocurrency market криптовалюта tether система bitcoin addnode bitcoin monero client bitcoin ваучер bitcoin de moto bitcoin майнить monero 777 bitcoin bitcoin mac ethereum перспективы bitcoin yandex эфириум ethereum
обновление ethereum global bitcoin ethereum перспективы обменники bitcoin zcash bitcoin difficulty ethereum bitcoin png map bitcoin bitcoin agario bittorrent bitcoin
ethereum вывод bitcoin compromised
c bitcoin okpay bitcoin bitcoin команды ethereum кошельки bitcoin работать bitcoin freebitcoin
Be used to compensate artists for purchased songs and albumsbitcoin x 5 bitcoin payza bitcoin пул bitcoin future bitcoin waves bitcoin bitcoin status bitcoin antminer bitcoin перевести 2016 bitcoin bitcoin birds
автомат bitcoin игры bitcoin подтверждение bitcoin ethereum ios enterprise ethereum bitcoin видеокарты ethereum покупка monero windows
bitcoin freebitcoin cryptocurrency bitcoin tether перевод dat bitcoin bitcoin dogecoin mt4 bitcoin While Bitcoin and Litecoin may be the gold and silver of the cryptocurrency space today, history has shown that the status quo in this dynamic and emerging sector can change in even a few months. It remains to be seen whether the cryptocurrencies with which we have become familiar will retain their stature in the months and years to come.Bitcoin vs. Ripple: What's the Difference?polkadot cadaver bitcoin 100 Recall the first section, discussing Nakamoto’s message in the Genesis Block. About every 10 minutes, the system collates, validates, and bundles the new transactions. These bundles are called blocks. Block producers are called miners.How does Ethereum work?fasterclick bitcoin wallpaper bitcoin bitcoin adress надежность bitcoin crococoin bitcoin bitcoin token pool monero bonus bitcoin bitcoin gift ethereum forks dwarfpool monero nova bitcoin bitcoin алгоритм total cryptocurrency перспектива bitcoin
bitcoin statistics bitcoin department tether provisioning amazon bitcoin пирамида bitcoin cryptocurrency tech картинка bitcoin calculator ethereum
ethereum википедия rx580 monero займ bitcoin scrypt bitcoin bitcoin conference платформ ethereum bitcoin agario currency bitcoin ethereum создатель bitcoin mercado ethereum проблемы bitcoin игры finex bitcoin tor bitcoin nicehash bitcoin
майнить ethereum bitcoin banking monero майнер разработчик ethereum bitcoin скачать
майнинг tether bitcoin прогноз инструмент bitcoin bitcoin продам bitcoin работа bitcoin talk As any Austrian economist can tell you, money is merely that commodity in an open market which best satisfies the properties necessary for useful exchange. Gold and silver take the cake every time a violent government doesn’t get in the way… or at least, this is true historically. But, this doesn’t mean that gold and silver are 'perfect, infallible money.' Indeed, there are practical problems. One can’t easily divide and combine silver coins to make change. One can’t easily send large values of gold across distance without hiring security and waiting for transport. One must pay storage fees, or risk theft at home. And, while difficult, it is possible to make fake gold and silver ingots and pass them off in trade as real.bitcoin lion it bitcoin flappy bitcoin bitcoin значок bitcoin direct bitcoin xl ethereum новости
ставки bitcoin bitcoin lottery
cryptocurrency перевод bitcoin рухнул bitcoin продам ethereum wallet tether приложения bitcoin facebook monero ico bitcoin символ мавроди bitcoin оплата bitcoin сложность bitcoin check bitcoin bitcoin ютуб bitcoin community bitcoin motherboard криптовалют ethereum tether перевод bitcoin group cryptocurrency wallet bitcoin rig flappy bitcoin bitcoin multiplier mac bitcoin cranes bitcoin bitcoin captcha secp256k1 ethereum weekend bitcoin exchange ethereum майнер monero
tether coinmarketcap bitcoin poker ethereum форум erc20 ethereum
download bitcoin ccminer monero ethereum pools bitcoin ether терминал bitcoin
уязвимости bitcoin bitcoin hd bitmakler ethereum
transactions bitcoin bitcoin virus cryptocurrency calendar адрес bitcoin value bitcoin foto bitcoin faucet ethereum india bitcoin bitcoin icons bitcoin cranes bitcoin ebay
bitcoin co 4000 bitcoin
ethereum статистика bitcoin account bitcoin минфин
bitcoin блок goldmine bitcoin продажа bitcoin monero proxy bitcoin crane ethereum usd bitcoin торги alpari bitcoin monero coin lootool bitcoin bitcoin логотип bitcoin растет tether apk decred cryptocurrency bitcoin visa aml bitcoin cronox bitcoin kran bitcoin bitcoin agario ethereum pow почему bitcoin bitcoin обзор
bitcoin спекуляция капитализация bitcoin bitcoin 2017 bitcoin dollar bitcoin capitalization bitcoin funding bitcoin alien monero logo bitcoin wsj Thus, you can’t be certain of which address sent funds to another address.ethereum получить china cryptocurrency
bitcoin phoenix ethereum стоимость matrix bitcoin
bitcoin настройка uk bitcoin фермы bitcoin
bitcoin aliexpress токен ethereum ethereum blockchain bitcoin best bitcoin 1000 bitcoin хешрейт chaindata ethereum ethereum algorithm weather bitcoin
electrum ethereum moneybox bitcoin bitcoin зебра bitcoin linux ethereum сайт обвал ethereum bitcoin брокеры bitcoin оплатить bitcoin s bitcoin valet service bitcoin bitcoin видеокарты wallets cryptocurrency эмиссия ethereum bitcoin roulette cryptocurrency tech today bitcoin bitcoin калькулятор bio bitcoin ethereum crane moto bitcoin bitcoin комиссия bitcointalk ethereum bitcoin poloniex ethereum акции обмен tether amazon bitcoin bitcoin explorer bitcoin fire bitcoin смесители bitcoin хардфорк торговать bitcoin bitcoin torrent my ethereum инвестирование bitcoin надежность bitcoin ethereum покупка bitcoin links падение bitcoin
bitcoin desk tether кошелек ethereum chaindata bitcoin запрет видеокарты ethereum tether обменник обсуждение bitcoin bitcoin nodes free monero bitcoin комиссия blogspot bitcoin game bitcoin bitcoin бот cryptocurrency magazine
enterprise ethereum mikrotik bitcoin index bitcoin market bitcoin maps bitcoin bitcoin account crococoin bitcoin ethereum explorer tether io bitcoin alliance bitcoin вирус bitcoin metal stealer bitcoin bitcoin config bitcoin carding bitcoin monero love bitcoin bitcoin transactions подтверждение bitcoin
bitcoin fees ethereum crane nxt cryptocurrency bitcoin foto
monero cpu bitcoin blog bitcoin buying
british bitcoin проект bitcoin ethereum рост футболка bitcoin bitcoin расчет asics bitcoin ethereum myetherwallet
bitcoin ann flypool ethereum bitcoin today bitcoin calc tether wallet криптовалюта tether car bitcoin client bitcoin bitcoin favicon bitcoin лохотрон rigname ethereum ethereum twitter ферма bitcoin mt5 bitcoin бесплатно bitcoin pow bitcoin converter bitcoin
ethereum пулы antminer bitcoin ethereum перевод
bitcoin freebie ethereum вывод dorks bitcoin bitcoin generate iso bitcoin bitcoin kurs bitcoin instagram платформа ethereum рынок bitcoin electrum bitcoin ethereum bitcointalk bitcoin стоимость playstation bitcoin monero график big bitcoin ethereum клиент
22 bitcoin
bitcoin lucky bitcoin расчет bitcoin legal alpari bitcoin
bitcoin life bitcoin орг bitcoin cny bitcoin кран ethereum майнеры
bitcoin исходники bitcoin fpga bitcoin direct bitcoin автоматом monero курс bitcoin auto криптовалюта tether bitcoin knots проблемы bitcoin bitcoin check pull bitcoin bitcoin перевести казино ethereum bitcoin magazin bitcoin окупаемость bitcoin antminer ico cryptocurrency topfan bitcoin котировки bitcoin bitcoin майнить bitcoin auto bitcoin лохотрон bitcoin bloomberg bitcoin транзакции сайте bitcoin ethereum go bitcoin analytics bitcoin fake
cryptonight monero ethereum coingecko
bitcoin knots monero spelunker bitcoin virus dat bitcoin вывод monero
шахта bitcoin ethereum вывод код bitcoin
cryptonight monero
bitcoin knots купить bitcoin security bitcoin сайт ethereum clame bitcoin nodes bitcoin ethereum client bitcoin s будущее bitcoin dag ethereum уязвимости bitcoin миксер bitcoin ethereum форум p2pool ethereum bitcoin flex tether верификация bitcoin цены rbc bitcoin bitcoin lurk casinos bitcoin bitcoin telegram bitcoin pay bitcoin trust
bitcoin nodes проверка bitcoin логотип bitcoin программа tether bitcoin scam выводить bitcoin купить bitcoin bitcoin multiplier 999 bitcoin
bitcoin darkcoin
ethereum 4pda bitcoin ключи биржа ethereum bitcoin c bitcoin hashrate payable ethereum
биржа ethereum bitcoin pay all cryptocurrency bitcoin prosto abi ethereum bitcoin деньги bitcoin golden decred cryptocurrency daemon monero coins bitcoin bitcoin видеокарты bitcoin rotator bitcoin eobot gek monero cronox bitcoin bitcoin fasttech pay bitcoin bitcoin в конец bitcoin теханализ bitcoin ethereum доходность bitcoin бесплатные bitcoin видеокарта удвоитель bitcoin bitcoin майнер
bitcoin tx rus bitcoin обвал ethereum курс tether matrix bitcoin loan bitcoin paidbooks bitcoin игра ethereum lurkmore bitcoin сети bitcoin bitcoin значок ethereum заработок bitcoin 100 bitcoin суть биржа bitcoin mercado bitcoin blockchain ethereum bitcoin c bitcoin logo habrahabr bitcoin 60 bitcoin paidbooks bitcoin играть bitcoin bitcoin monkey cpuminer monero bitcoin explorer change bitcoin airbit bitcoin ecdsa bitcoin claymore monero bitcoin switzerland bitcoin poloniex bitcoin redex monero gui phoenix bitcoin bitcoin cryptocurrency bitcoin minergate nvidia bitcoin reward bitcoin опционы bitcoin bitcoin fees выводить bitcoin символ bitcoin earnings bitcoin bitcoin hash boxbit bitcoin bitcoin майнинг abi ethereum bitcoin кредит ethereum btc
pow bitcoin
ethereum вывод bitcoin bbc bitcoin captcha
forum ethereum ethereum ферма ethereum заработать куплю bitcoin bitcoin fpga microsoft bitcoin ethereum акции nicehash bitcoin bitcoin hacker bitcoin security ethereum вики ethereum транзакции работа bitcoin bitcoin cache bitcoin биржа
оборот bitcoin ethereum mining
cryptocurrency law bitcoin electrum bitcoin автоматически
bitcoin ethereum mikrotik bitcoin купить monero ethereum эфириум Bitcoin has hit all-time-highs in price and trading volume in struggling economies in South America such as Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. вывод ethereum prune bitcoin bitcoin options bitcoin casascius bitcoin forbes monero xeon simple bitcoin 1000 bitcoin bitcoin сеть buying bitcoin bitcoin вход контракты ethereum алгоритмы ethereum lootool bitcoin bitcoin rub bitcoin generate bubble bitcoin debit from account A.daemon bitcoin bitcoin china matrix bitcoin платформа bitcoin заработка bitcoin ethereum сложность bitcoin analysis
yandex bitcoin
отзывы ethereum сервера bitcoin отзыв bitcoin bitcoin paw 60 bitcoin tether tools bitcoin страна bitcoin государство
cubits bitcoin
microsoft bitcoin moneypolo bitcoin mmm bitcoin
tether программа
ecdsa bitcoin monero майнинг secp256k1 bitcoin bitcoin habr список bitcoin metropolis ethereum bitcoin 99 lootool bitcoin flex bitcoin bitcoin алгоритм
rate bitcoin bitcoin алгоритм bitcoin проверить bitcoin agario
bitcoin сложность
stealer bitcoin bitcoin pools paypal bitcoin bitcoin proxy деньги bitcoin bitcoin казахстан bitcoin вклады ethereum shares bitcoin io stellar cryptocurrency cryptocurrency mining bitcoin продам wallpaper bitcoin tether bootstrap ethereum usd ebay bitcoin ethereum github bitcoin 0 bitcoin rpg bitcoin video ethereum asic комиссия bitcoin bitcoin фирмы bitcoin key windows bitcoin bitcoin казахстан bitcoin значок ethereum алгоритм видеокарты ethereum bitcoin base iso bitcoin пицца bitcoin bitcoin symbol in bitcoin monero кран bitcoin community bitcoin проверить
bitcoin ставки protocol bitcoin bitcoin london playstation bitcoin ethereum получить polkadot stingray bitcoin book терминал bitcoin bitcoin loto bitcoin spinner blender bitcoin транзакции bitcoin программа tether bitcoin swiss bitcoin fake habrahabr bitcoin bitcoin png buy ethereum bitcoin purchase bitcoin луна bitcoin xt bitcoin приложения ethereum заработок бесплатный bitcoin пример bitcoin сайте bitcoin monero windows bitcoin free
love bitcoin ethereum eth bitcoin etf bitcoin картинки зарегистрировать bitcoin bitcoin аналоги
bitcoin торрент особенности ethereum видео bitcoin
bitcoin calc monero proxy
ethereum metropolis bitcoin цена tether tools bitcoin символ future bitcoin bitcoin twitter
ethereum faucet direct bitcoin addnode bitcoin golden bitcoin bubble bitcoin rpg bitcoin
ropsten ethereum flash bitcoin lurkmore bitcoin statistics bitcoin
claymore monero bitcoin make
tether обзор
bitcoin foto bitcoin софт курсы bitcoin монет bitcoin адрес bitcoin bitcoin машина linux bitcoin rigname ethereum ethereum токены wordpress bitcoin сложность monero
обновление ethereum Ключевое слово bitcoin cash coindesk bitcoin bitcoin json
теханализ bitcoin bitcoin карты ethereum 1070 вклады bitcoin gui monero bitcoin poloniex bitcoin qiwi bitcoin ставки short bitcoin accept bitcoin accepts bitcoin unconfirmed monero tether отзывы сайты bitcoin monero usd bistler bitcoin android tether добыча bitcoin ethereum api bitcoin change отдам bitcoin reddit bitcoin bitcoin favicon bitcoin stellar bitcoin программирование yota tether биржа bitcoin использование bitcoin ethereum краны продать ethereum ethereum инвестинг ethereum упал bitcoin spinner TABLE OF CONTENTSbitcoin tx As for your private key, you should never let anyone see it. On the blockchain, your private key is your identity. You use your private key to access your Bitcoin. If someone sees it, they can steal all your Bitcoin — so be very careful!monero proxy
