Bitcoin Forum

Ok,

This is probably wrong but it is how I do paper wallets or cold offline wallets;
1. buy an extra android phone
2. install electrum
3. transfer coins to electrum wallet
4. email the encrypted private keys to myself after writing the password to decrypt down on paper
5. print out on paper the qr codes and letter/number sequence for private codes
6. put this piece of paper in safe place.
7. turn off and pull battery of phone.

You can create some nice looking Cold Wallets here, https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com/ (https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com/)
Posted from Bitcointa.lk - #arB8aYsaHkSznzVK

Why would you buy an extra phone if you just mail the keys around the internet anyway. True they encrypted, but you can generate an offline wallet with any old pc, no need for a new phone.

Id just get a script (preferably from github) that does the key generation for you.
#1 Download script
#2 verify download
#3 copy via (new) usb stick to old PC running a live linux from CD/DVD
#4 generate keys
#5 print
#6 keep printed keys safe

Just do it with blockchain, most do this cause its easier?

I personally havent done it yet, but I tend towards this direction since blockchain is pretty known.

You really have to use a printer that doesn't save cache of the printed files. They can be retrieved if you discard it.

Either that, flush the cache  usually there is a way - even with the big office copying machines) or use a paperwallet that requires you to write a small code by hand which makes the rest useless. I dont remember off the top of my head which generator allowed that though.

I'm not as tech savy as you guys. I'm probably just gonna take my printer out back when I'm done with it and shoot it.

Paper wallets. Up until a couple months ago when I first discovered bitcoin, a paper wallet is an origami wallet. Lol.

Exploding it would be a better option.... ;)

How?! That's why I posted this. Buying a new phone every time someone pays me some bitcoin is getting expensive and wasteful. I don't need a whole bunch of phones. I was using old android phone that people throw away BUT with the last update of Mycelium post-heartbleed, it says in red letters on the screen something like (don't remember exact wording), "Your version of android is too old. You need a newer version of android." (you need a new phone). Buying a new phone every time I get some bitcoin is gonna be too expenseive.

I don't want to use blockchain the website nor any other online website to do this. I have heard too many horror stories on this forum. I don't want to use windows to do this. I've heard too many horror stories. I use linux. Electrum and Bitcoin wallet full client are the only ones available on the repository for linux. I don't know how to use these to make a paper wallet. Mycelium directs you to make a paper wallet before you start using it.

If you want to make paper wallets without being connected, you will have to get a computer, wipe it, install linux, and never connect it to a network. Then you download the paper wallet software, verify that it is secure, and install it on your offline computer. Connect a printer to the computer and you can make all the paper wallets you want. You might as well install Armory on your offline computer, too.

Keep in mind that a wallet backup is not really the same thing as a paper wallet. Mycellium does not tell you to create a paper wallet. It tells you to back up the Mycellium wallet onto a sheet of paper. The Mycellium backup is encrypted so you don't have to go to extraordinary lengths to protect it. Just follow the directions -- write down the key, print out the back up, write the key on the backup, store the backup in a safe location.

Bitcoin approved printer disposal method:
http://youtu.be/WsBB93IqJkE

What software for paper wallets? Is armory on the linux repository?

I generally use Bitcoin-Address-Utility by Casascius (https://casascius.com/btcaddress-alpha.zip, source at https://github.com/casascius/Bitcoin-Address-Utility), but you can also use bitaddress.org (source at https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org)

Why don't you simply generate your paper wallet with bitaddress without internet connection?

EDIT: odolvlobo beats me. :P

I recommend you go to https://www.bitaddress.org/ and create a BIP38-encrypted wallet - then you don't have to worry so much about hiding the wallet. Just don't forget your password!

This is what I am doing:

Creating and loading the wallet -

1) Save to my HD the bitaddress.org URL for generating BIP-38 encrypted paper wallets.
2) Create a LINUX LiveCD for booting from a flash drive for a fresh, offline OS.
3) Disconnect computer from the internet, boot into LiveCD, and generate my encrypted paper wallet via the bitaddress.ord URL (running standalone).
4) Save the wallet off as a PDF and also print multiple copies. Since it's encrypted, I can have a few copies and keep them multiple places and the PDF will also be available if the paper fades or is destroyed.
5) Reboot regular OS and head out to the exchange.
7) Send my bitcoin to the public key of my paper wallet, starting with a small amount and confirming it got there via blockchain.info.

Getting bitcoin back out of the wallet -

1) Using the block chain app on my android tablet, scan the encrypted private key of the paper wallet (I could also use the bitaddress.org code offline to decrypt it manually also).
2) The app will ask for the key I used to BIP-38 encrypt the private key - type in the password used to encrypt it and the wallet's bitcoin will be accessable.
3) Sweep the wallet into my blockchain online wallet.
4) Send any bitcoin that I don't want to keep online into a new paper wallet, created in the same way I created the first one (might not be necessary - see 3).

Casasius and Armory are not on the official repository of Ubuntu. Only Bitcoin QT and Electrum are in this repository. I've had horrible luck installing non-repository software. The last time I did it, it crashed my computer. I am not that tech savy so it is probably unwise for me to install non-repository software.

And trusting some bitcoin private key generator that is online seems not right. Is it really random? I don't know if I can trust bitaddress.org.

I have mycelium, and bitcoin wallet by andreas s on my phone.

I have electrum and bitcoin qt on my linux computer.

Is there is non-tech savy simple way to do a paper wallet or cold storage short of buying a new computer or new phone every time I want to store some coins? I think if there is an easy way that is safe for backup, bitcoin will attain mass adoption, but if it is difficult and full of pitfalls, we're screwed and bitcoin's price will continue falling.

Please help. (thanks)

You were given one and dismissed it.   How can you be sure any wallet is random?  You either review the code yourself or trust others who have.  bitaddress is no different.  The point is not to use it online but to save a copy and use it offline (possibly on a computer which has never and will never go online).

As for can you trust the randomness?  Well you could always roll some dice instead and just use bitaddress to convert it into a keypair.

I wasn't aware that you could use a website offline. I thought you had to be online. Not tech savvy....

O.K. I think I know what to do so correct me if I'm wrong;
1. Get a fresh install of linux on a usb stick so I don't have to buy a new computer.
2. go to bitcoinaddress.org and load the webpage on my browser.
3. unplug computer.
4. use bitcoinaddress.org to make a "paper wallet".
5. This paper wallet public bitcoin address can receive money. I can even use blockchain.info to check the funds in the address.
6. To spend this money, I can use Mycelium by clicking on the "cold storage" button to scan the public address and private key QR codes and the funds will magically appear in my mycelium app on my phone.

Is this sequence of events correct? Please let me know. I don't wanna mess it up and Houdini my funds. Thanks!

What do  you think about doing this blockchain? I think that is much more easier.

Blockchain.info has a pretty easy way of creating paper wallets.

It is online, using Online services to create paper wallets defeats the purpose since people with malware on their computer can get a copy of their paper wallet stolen.

The easiest way to generate a paper wallet IMO is to use bitaddress in offline mode.
You could completely format your harddisk before and after generating your paper wallet for extra security. :)

It would be the safest to boot Linux from LiveCD and generate your wallet there. If possible, an computer that have never and will never access the internet.  :)

Err, how can you do this if you need to go online to bitwallet to get the wallet generator? I thought you'd have to go to that website, then unplug the internet and get your bitwallet from a javascript on your computer, right? I'm not very tech savvy. Please explain. Thanks.

You download this script from an online computer https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org (https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org) then u transfer it to a USB storage device. Next, you find a computer that have never and will never be plugged into the internet and boot linux from live CD and use the script. You can check the script too. Unplugging the computer from internet when the computer have already accessed the internet is not recommended as they can still get your information after you go back on internet.

I think this is the procedure?
1. go to the bitaddress page and save the page for offline viewing. it is javascript on the page, so this should work.
2. install linux on a fresh, formatted usb
3. save the bitaddress page on usb
4. unplug computer from internet
5. turn on computer and boot from usb
6. make paper wallet
7. receive BTC into paper wallet and check the blockchain to check my balance.
8. when I want to spend the money, scan the paper wallet with mycelium to move the funds into the mycelium wallet and then spend the BTC from the mycelium wallet OR spend the entire amount directly from the paper wallet using the mycelium app. Mycelium is the only app that I know of that can spend from a paper wallet.

Thanks guys! This procedure is a lot cheaper than buying a new Android phone or computer every time someone pays me some Bitcoin!

I created mine just using my blockchain.info account.

It is easy, but it is not really a good way to create paper wallet, as explained by cahirlet in #21.

You need to trust
1) blockchain.info for creating the address with good entropy
2) blockchain.info hasn't been hacked and generate addresses in favour of the hackers.

I`m aware these are some detailed steps, but is there a youtube video on this?

Or something visual = I`m a visual learner, if anyone can help? thanks!

I dunno of any youtube videos. I am too impatient to sit through an entire video. I'd rather spend 15 seconds speed reading an article instead. Here is an article on how to install mint linux on usb. I suppose that's the part you have trouble with because that was the only part that I had difficulty with:
http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/744 (http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/744)

Here's what I do for cold storage, this method has proven secure for me for over 1 year (no lost coins)

1. download the latest copy of Tails (https://tails.boum.org/) and burn a live DVD
2. boot computer from Tails
3. go to https://bitaddress.org, load page
4. disable internet connection
5. generate paper wallets (I recommend using BIP38 encryption - just make sure you will always REMEMBER THE PASSWORD)
6. print
7. shutdown computer

And there you have it, fresh private keys that exist nowhere else but the piece of paper in front of you.