Bitcoin Forum

Hi all,

I really hope I'm not the only one who hasnt done this before but I want to load some
DIY coins. I know what has to be done but I'm not sure how to go about it so I'm looking
for some advice or maybe a breakdown of your workflow?

Generating addresses and keys
printing and adhering the holograms

Funny thing is I have seen guides on how its done but I just cannot find the threads?

The most recent one I saw was a tip on how to apply the holograms....maybe by krogoth? idk....

Thanks in advance !

I use bitaddress.org as it seems to be the most reliable / trusted site for QR code generating and is also extremely simple to use. I disconnect from the internet / Bluetooth etc completely and get my QR codes made up. I literally just copy and paste the QR codes from the site to windows and resize them. Once I have my QR codes sized and ready to go I print them with an also air gapped printer which I connect to my laptop with a laptop printer cable you can buy off Amazon. This way the generating of the holos, transferring them to computer, and printing is all done COMPLETELY offline. A side note: I have auto save and all that turned completely off on windows so it doesn’t try to back up the QR codes In any way but I still check and make sure once I’m done… Now they are ready to print! Once printed I cut them to size using a little drafters tool that has different sized circles and squares. I use this to place over QR codes and give me a clean circle or square to trace out and cut around so that when I DO apply the security sticker the outline of the paper will be even and uniform. You obviously don’t have to do all that I’m just a bit ocd when it comes to stuff like that
Applying the Security Holo-
I do this a little differently than the tried and true “Painters tape” method. Using painters tape works fine but makes it incredibly hard for me to see the center of holo if there is a “firstbits” rectangular window or a swuare window to view the public key through the holo. I use 2 pairs of “hobby tweezers” that have soft but firm rubber tips that are good for holding the holo without damaging it. One pair of tweezers is normal with long angled arms while the other pair is the kind that stay closed and clamped until you squeeze them and THEN they open.      I gently peel I tiny portion of the holo and use the “clamp style” to grab the TINIEST portion of the edge of the sticker. Once grabbed I can set it down and it’ll hold it in place. If the sticker has a window I use the other pair to grab my firstbits or public QR code and Apply. If not I line up the sticker with the reverse of piece and get it as centered and straight as possible. Press her down and boom you’re done. I also keep pressing the sticker down for a little while to ensure a good connection all over just to be sure.
Hope that helps I know it was a long explanation and I’m sure there will be a few people who don’t like the way I do this but it’s the simplest and most reliable way I’ve found and has never failed me once. Good luck buddy!

 Here is the link https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5292596.0

  If your ever in NYC....you can stop by for some breakfast at my nearby restaurant where I meet all crypto travellers coming thru the city and bring your air gapped computer...I will lend you my Mycelium entropy and while we have breakfast you can generate as many keys as you want.  ;)

I generate all keys from an airgapped system that has never been online and never will be online - periodically I replace the drive - the old drive is drilled and ran thru a metal shredder then the remaining pieces placed in a furnace. I use a printer that is connected to the laptop that has also never been connected to a network or online.

I print them on Revla paper as well.

Thank you Bullion-n-BTC for the link and your workflow



Thank you for the link Krogoth, that is some apparatus, very interesting.
Also thank you for the invite that is very generous of you, but I'm on a different
continent to you and it's not looking like I'll be there in the near future.




Thank you also for the info, I could probably give a HD a fairly tough time
too with a drillpress, lump hammer and blow torch, the metal shredder for
sure is a hard-core job !!

Interesting on the Revla paper, I think that is the same as Tyvek paper
which I am familiar with.

---

So I have to create an airgapped system which I will look into, and I might
have some more questions further along in my learning.

Any chance you have an extra entropy device to sell?

   They are not only useful but also a collectable for me....if I come across another will keep you in mind

   For my laptop...I took apart and removed the wifi card just to be sure  ;)

Good idea to remove a bluetooth module if there is one and the lan port as well

I use the old VanityGen miner to make my keypairs, so you get a cool pubkey for the sticker window, if there is one... Or at least I did.

But honestly I doubt I will ever use a physical bitcoin again. There's too much risk and if there's a problem with the coin, say 20 yrs from now, a whole string of people who have ever been NEAR the thing could become suspect. It's too much liability for me to deal with them.

Basically use the same method as you would your own cold storage paper wallet, air gapped computer as folks previous have said and an offline printer.  But what's your end game, cold storage, testing for a project, gifting, ?  Not that the method will change drastically but one thing to consider is full privacy keys vs compact keys.  How will you protect it, sticker?  Etc.  Without knowing your end game its tough to say how you should deal with it.

@krogothmanhattan @MoparMiningLLC thanks for the tips, I'm planning on picking up
a cheap used laptop and I will be able to delve into its guts and remove the wifi card.

@wheelz1200 I have some coins which are DIY loadable and have holograms which can
be applied. The only end game is to load them as they were intended with some Satoshi's.

@Todamont I dont have any such hardware so I cant say I'll be using that. The actual process
seems quite simple, the address and private key will be stored on the coin with a tamper
proof hologram.

I get it that scans can be made and do happen but the excersize of creating the address
and keys is what intrigues me, I wont be loading any coin with substantial amounts of Bitcoin.