online wallets vs usbs

[DOGE12321]

Hey guys. I have been wondering what is the better option an online wallets or a usb storage. what are the pro and cons of each. And which one is used more common. Also which one do you guys prefer to use.

[OmegaStarScream]

Hey guys. I have been wondering what is the better option an online wallets or a usb storage. what are the pro and cons of each. And which one is used more common. Also which one do you guys prefer to use.

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by USB storage , but if you mean leaving your wallet.dat there and don't touch it then yes that would be a good idea . (make sure to take off the internet off the PC you have wallet.dat before you plug the USB , just in case it contains malwares or something) .
Still, Paper wallet is always better choice for cold storage , you just print your public and private keys and you are done .
Now for what comes to online wallets , It's not really the best option out there , Blockchain.info could be the best choice because it contains 2FA Authentification and Email verification before being able to connect but still ... It's not recommended to store a lot of BTC there .

[Kakmakr]

I would not go for either one of them, because I prefer hardware wallets for daily use and cold storage on paper wallets for long term storage. I have been using these two options for years and I have had no problem. Online wallets is a centralized solution and USB's like you call them, are a digital media with a high failure rate. There are also exploits like the BADUsb that target the firmware of these devices and this makes them even more vulnerable.

You should consider, adding my two options to your list. ^smile^

[7788bitcoin]

Online wallets are only suitable as HOT wallet- you use them everyday and keeping the amount low...

As for your "USB" or hardward wallet, it's for long term storage. I actually prefer paper wallet just because it is something I can "read". USB or other hardware wallets are good to have but if they get spoilt you will not be able to "read" them...

[Shibashi Dogemoto]

in my opinion, when talking about safety, the order should be a little bit like this (from unsafe to safe)

- online wallets (unsafest, since a thirth party has your private key, hacking,...)
- wallet software on your client connected to the internet (bitcoin core, electrum, multibit)
- cold storage (paper wallet, usb stick,...)
- hardware wallet

I guess there is some discussion about the last 2 options, but generally, i think there will be consensus that online wallets are the worst when it comes to security.

[NorrisK]

in my opinion, when talking about safety, the order should be a little bit like this (from unsafe to safe)

- online wallets (unsafest, since a thirth party has your private key, hacking,...)
- wallet software on your client connected to the internet (bitcoin core, electrum, multibit)
- cold storage (paper wallet, usb stick,...)
- hardware wallet

I guess there is some discussion about the last 2 options, but generally, i think there will be consensus that online wallets are the worst when it comes to security.

I would stick to this order and pick the level of security you need need OP.

The biggest pro of online wallets is that they are no maintenance, fast to access and easy to spend. If you pick a good password, your coins are safe as long as the online wallet service remains.

As for cold storage/ usb, I would only use this as a back-up of your wallet or to make some rare transaction from you cold storage to hot wallet. If you plug it in everywhere, it is just as unsafe as your wallet software. Nice thing is ofcourse that you have easy access to it if you carry it around.

[robelneo]

never put all your eggs in one basket blockchain is very reliable because of the authentication process,but it can get hack once your email is hacked i always recommend to have an offline back up and a desktop one and distribute your bitcoins on all of this wallet..

[bearex]

You can go right in the middle and use a desktop wallet. Still easy to send funds and more secure than desktop wallet.

[stingers]

Hey guys. I have been wondering what is the better option an online wallets or a usb storage. what are the pro and cons of each. And which one is used more common. Also which one do you guys prefer to use.

I guess by usb wallets you are referring to all offline wallets. They both have their pros and cons. The more safe is certainly the offline ones, but they don't give you access from everywhere. You need to carry your usb or whatever wherever you go, but online wallets give you an option to get access to your funds from whereever you want.

[asuryan180]

And which one is used more common. Also which one do you guys prefer to use.

Obviously online wallet's and blockchain to be more specific.

The question depends on the amount of money you are going to store and if that is the only asset of yours.The hardware or other offline wallet's are better when you cant afford to lose the coins you are storing, like 300+ coins or any significant amount and online wallet's are pretty flexible for simple transactions.

[Amph]

usb back up is better, i'm using many of them to be more safe in case of malfunction, because they tend to not fuction properly after many years sitting there doing nothing

another option would be an hardware wallet like the nano ledger but it will be more expensive, if you can afford it i would try that, but i usually prefer cheap option, then the remaining stuff are up to the owner, which is the real "security" of his coins...

[avw1982]

never put all your eggs in one basket blockchain is very reliable because of the authentication process,but it can get hack once your email is hacked i always recommend to have an offline back up and a desktop one and distribute your bitcoins on all of this wallet..

offline wallets are good better than online wallet dude because There are many scammers to hack your online wallet but there is no chance in offline wallets.

[Decoded]

A USB is not a reliable piece of hardware, and it's also hard to enable 2FA on one. I use the Ledger HW.1, whih is about $15, which is alot cheaper than a USB that can contain the current blockchain (64+ GB I think)