Bitcoin Forum

Hi Gang,

I have 2 Bitcoin that I need to store securely, it doesn't have to be tinfoil hat proof just safe....

I have 1 Laptop and 2 USB sticks that I can use... I am semi noob at this so I need help

Any advice?...

https://www.bitaddress.org

Yes make paper wallet and forget all kinds of usb storages. https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet (https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Paper_wallet)

I'm aware of that site, I am just worried about it generating a bad address and when I come to recover my coins I will slam my fist onto my desk and scream "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Is it possible to run BitAddress offline on a USB OS like Linux or use Tails or something?

save the private key from the wallet. EG if using bitcoin-qt. go to the command prompt and do the dump private key command. save the private key on a word document, print it out.

then save the wallet file itself in a different directory of laptop, on a memory stick.

that way you now have:
original wallet in its default location
elsewhere on PC
on a memory stick
on paper.

just be sure no stranger you dont trust finds the bit of paper and works out what it is. make sure no stranger has access to your PC and make sure you dont download precompiled programs related to bitcoin unless verified by a truly trusted party. (EG never the creator of the qt / mining program... but some unaffiliated person of good rep)

.. i personally have it in paper form. printed 10 times and scattered in different locations, my family have access to it. but that is it

Sounds good, I just need to have my Bitcoin secure for a few months!

Don't forget to add, make sure you never ever go online with that PC/laptop again! If you do, then they are NO LONGER cold storage!!!

I'm stumped again, how can I create a couple of secure cold wallet addresses to store 0.5 in each!

I have a USB stick to install Linux or Tails or something, I need a reliable way to generate a private key and public address!

Step 1. Install Ubuntu on your USB drive or create a ubuntu live CD
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

Step 2. Boot into Ubuntu

Step 3. Go to https://www.bitaddress.org/ and click "GitHub Repository".  It will take you to https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org Click the "Download ZIP" link to download the source code for bitaddress.org

Step 4. Disconnect from the internet

Step 5. Extract the zip file (its in your download's folder). Open the folder and open the index.html file.

Step 6. Generate random entropy by mouse movements.

Step 7. Generate BIP38 encrypted paper wallets from the "Paper Wallet" tab. Create as many as you need, print them out on paper. Copy the encrypted private keys to thumb drives if you want to. Then reboot the computer.

Copy wallet.dat onto your 2 USB sticks. Simply make 2 copies, put one on each. Then you can delete the old wallet.dat but remember to delete it and then wipe your free space.

Or this.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but the question is relevant:

Let's say that I keep 2 btc in an online wallet at blockchain.info, and that I'm concerned that the site will get hacked and my wallet will be drained by the hacker (or that the site operator will run away with it).

Therefore, I wish to move the wallet to a a local paper wallet. If I follow the procedure outlined above, in addition to having the wallet locally stored, the wallet still exists at the blockchain.info site - therefore still suceptible to external elements.

How can I be sure that I am the only one who can possess the wallet content, and that the private key is not available to anybody else - not even to a crooked site operator?

you cannot - if you have an address on a site which has coins in it then they can have access to it...
if you want it stored off site then it has to be offsite and not have keys stored online

So I guess the only practical way is to generate a new local wallet ( with a new BTC address) and transfer the bitcoins from blockchain.info into my local storage. Correct?

There is a good paper wallet creator here: https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com/

They have lots of instructions on how to make it more secure.

I downloaded the source and ran it in a browser on an offline pc and printed out a bunch of wallets and then cleared that pc and reinstalled the OS. It's easy enough to make payments into the wallet using the supplied QR code and the private key was never online. I've also spread the coins across a couple of wallets to make it just a little bit 'safer'.

You can make paper wallets directly in the blockchain site.

Yes, I am aware of this and did generate one - but this is just a backup method. My question was how to make the private keys located only in my paper wallet and have them inaccessible at the blockchain.info site.

@freebit13  : Thanks for the info, I will read it over.

why don't you sue qt client for this?

it is simple and i think efficient
make a address
send coins to the address you made
if the wallet is locked then unlock it
Like someone said use dump pivkey command and you will get a key
print that thing
delete wallet.dat from pc

if you lose the printed paper you lose your coins!

it all depends on you with this method!


if you have a safety deposit box use it to store your private keys

also if you want to use it on a file you can use  pgp to encrypt the file and if you use a strong password then you are safe!

@serje

So the gist of the process is to transfer the bitcoins from the online wallet to the local one and then move the local one to an offline storage (paper or bits). I wish blockchain.info would have provided a more direct and simple method:
- backup your wallet to another location
- destroy the online wallet you have with us.

Thanks.

You can move the coins straight from the online wallet to the paper wallet, just pay it in to the address :)

I will do that.
Thanks you all for the help.

I don't really want to use Bitcoin-QT as it takes millions of days to download the blockchain, also i want to make sure it's offline so I can sleep at night!!

Use the block chain.info paper wallet option it's so good!

I'm not sure if that is considered cold-storage because the private key 'lives' online at blockchain.info and is vulnerable if the site ever gets hacked.

Yeah, I honestly just need a way to create some private keys offline using Linux or Tails or something.

Give bitcoinpaperwallet.com a try. I'm sure you could boot up with a clean ubuntu and open the website in a browser and create a wallet. That's pretty much tinfoil hat safe if you ask me ;)

Doesn't HAVE to be offline but I guess that's safer.

Did you read my previous reply to you with step-by-step directions?
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=487931.msg5378312#msg5378312

I thought my instructions were pretty easy to follow.. But if you're stuck let me know what step you're stuck on and I'll try to help more.