Bitcoin Forum

1) Hi, if I create a paper wallet (example at bitadress.org) with only 1 adress, is there any risk that I lose my btc when I make a tx because the rest goes to a different change adress?
2) Or is it not possible that it goes to a change adress because I created the wallet with only 1 adress?
3) Or does the new change adress work with the same privat key from adress 1?

Thanks in advance for the help!  8)

Most wallets won't do this. They will just send the change back to the same address.

Like I said above, you can send it back to the same address.

No. 1 private key = 1 address.

It all depends on what wallet software you use to eventually spend those coins. Also whether you import the private key or sweep it.

My suggestion is to not use paper wallets at all. Use a deterministic software wallet like electrum.

it depends on the wallet you use. so simply choose a wallet that is most flexibility and has more options. then learn how to use that wallet properly and you will be able to do whatever you want.
for instance Electrum has many useful options and they keep adding/improving it. you can choose whether to send the remainder to the same address or choose a change address or multiple of them each time you send a transaction, using the preference provided in the GUI.

just try different wallets, see their options, you can even test them with a small amount of bitcoin to be sure and then choose one.

edit: didn't see your post:
they serve different purposes. Electrum is a desktop wallet and while you can use it as cold storage that still would be a wallet that you want to use rather regularly. but a paper wallet is a cold storage that you don't want to access for long term. it is useful for long term investments for example while Electrum (even in cold storage mode on an offline PC) is better for a trader that wants to access the funds regularly.

Yes, there is risk... read this: https://bitzuma.com/posts/five-ways-to-lose-money-with-bitcoin-change-addresses/

Having said that, as long as you read and understand how paper wallets work AND you understand the wallet/service that you use to "spend" the funds from a paper wallet, you can generally do so relatively safely.

I would highly recommend that you do a test run (using small amounts of BTC) to ensure you understand how to create the wallet, fund it and then spend from it "safely".


As per the article and other advice... it all depends on the wallet software used to "spend" the funds.


No. A new change address is likely to be generated from a new/different private key... this key may or may not be stored in your wallet depending on how it works when spending from paper wallets.