Are paper wallets really secure?

[ironbit]

I want to create a few paper wallets to give small amounts of Bitcoin away for Christmas.
I am wondering whether those paper wallet generators are really secure. The site owner could store the generated keys, couldn't it?
Consider to create the wallets on bitaddress.org

[achow101]

Most of the paper wallet generators are open source. You can download the source code and run the site yourself to generate your wallet. To be extra secure, you should do this on an offline machine so that even if there is a backdoor, it can't connect to the attacker.

BTW Bitaddress is a trusted site

[zodiac3011]

sure the paper wallets are secured but you still need to be extra careful about where to hide the wallet and generate it when the computer is offline only,...etc. It can't be secured if you just show your paper wallet around luring everyone to take it

[ironbit]

I did not mean offline wallet. Those are secure, if I do not have a virus or something. I more meant online paper wallets like bitaddress.org
The could easily store the generated key in the background.

sure the paper wallets are secured but you still need to be extra careful about where to hide the wallet and generate it when the computer is offline only,...etc. It can't be secured if you just show your paper wallet around luring everyone to take it

[idyu]

*please not consider this as spam*

But i have to say that i not belive it's secure i saw a lot people try and did scam people to get paperwallets!

[Parazyd]

You can download bitaddress's source and use it offline.

I prefer using vanitygen for creating my paper wallets. The code is open and checked. It can be trusted, and is an easy was of generating address keypairs.

And on the topic of being secure, you can use BIP38, or any other kind of encryption. And store the paper wallets in a safe place.

[ironbit]

I have already used vanitygen but it does not allow to generate printable wallets with QR-code. This is what is need. Consider it is a little Christmas present and the people which get it, are not really techy, so QR code is necessary;)

You can download bitaddress's source and use it offline.

I prefer using vanitygen for creating my paper wallets. The code is open and checked. It can be trusted, and is an easy was of generating address keypairs.

And on the topic of being secure, you can use BIP38, or any other kind of encryption. And store the paper wallets in a safe place.

[Parazyd]

You can download bitaddress's source and use it offline.

I prefer using vanitygen for creating my paper wallets. The code is open and checked. It can be trusted, and is an easy was of generating address keypairs.

And on the topic of being secure, you can use BIP38, or any other kind of encryption. And store the paper wallets in a safe place.

I have already used vanitygen but it does not allow to generate printable wallets with QR-code. This is what is need. Consider it is a little Christmas present and the people which get it, are not really techy, so QR code is necessary;)

There a lot of QR code generators. In linux, for example you have qrencode. You can do it on any website too.
If you want to, I'll generate a QR code for you (provided the private key is encrypted and secure).

[achow101]

I have already used vanitygen but it does not allow to generate printable wallets with QR-code. This is what is need. Consider it is a little Christmas present and the people which get it, are not really techy, so QR code is necessary;)

Just download the bitaddress.org's source code from https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org and just open the bitaddress.org.html file in your browser. You can then use it exactly how you would on the website but the website operator cannot steal your keys, especially if you do this on a machine that is not connected to the internet.

[enhu]

Not sure if its secure enough actually. It must depend to where you are like walking around in this tropical country with your paper wallet makes it more vulnerable lol. Or you could lose all its funds when rain suddenly drops while you walk without worries puffing your cigar. paper wallet isn't safe when half way going to your house/hotel is a 5 foot flood.

[VirosaGITS]

Not sure if its secure enough actually. It must depend to where you are like walking around in this tropical country with your paper wallet makes it more vulnerable lol. Or you could lose all its funds when rain suddenly drops while you walk without worries puffing your cigar. p[aper wallet isn't safe when half way going to your house/hotel is a 5 foot flood.

These things should be stored in safes and a paper wallet does not need to be made out of paper. Its just a concept. Personally i'd put it as a digital QR picture and slap it on a couple of CDs and store them safely.

[afriezalie]

Maybe you can use a software to generate paper wallet in offline computer. It's better than generate a paper wallet by web service. Online generating is good enough but still you must aware with the site owner and the site reputation.

[ironbit]

Haha, I am going to save the key on keepass, too. Just to get sure if they will lose the keys. Papers is not pretty resistant to many elements 

Not sure if its secure enough actually. It must depend to where you are like walking around in this tropical country with your paper wallet makes it more vulnerable lol. Or you could lose all its funds when rain suddenly drops while you walk without worries puffing your cigar. paper wallet isn't safe when half way going to your house/hotel is a 5 foot flood.

[ironbit]

Okay, I figured out that bitaddress.org's software is really easy to install. Just download from github and open the html file. Then you have got the same functionality as on bitaddress.org in offline mode.
So, I have got solved my problem

Maybe you can use a software to generate paper wallet in offline computer. It's better than generate a paper wallet by web service. Online generating is good enough but still you must aware with the site owner and the site reputation.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

I want to create a few paper wallets to give small amounts of Bitcoin away for Christmas.
I am wondering whether those paper wallet generators are really secure. The site owner could store the generated keys, couldn't it?
Consider to create the wallets on bitaddress.org

If your computer is clean & has no malware then it should be totally safe to create a paper wallet on bitaddress. I have created many there and had no issues. Make sure you use a dumb/old/shitty but working printer. Clear your cookies & cache after you're done, you need to cover all angles.

[helloeverybody]

Okay, I figured out that bitaddress.org's software is really easy to install. Just download from github and open the html file. Then you have got the same functionality as on bitaddress.org in offline mode.
So, I have got solved my problem

Maybe you can use a software to generate paper wallet in offline computer. It's better than generate a paper wallet by web service. Online generating is good enough but still you must aware with the site owner and the site reputation.

i didnt realise you can download from github. all my wallets are made online but ive started to get more paranoid these days. maybe i will print of some nice new ones on an offline machine just to be doubly sure.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

i didnt realise you can download from github. all my wallets are made online but ive started to get more paranoid these days. maybe i will print of some nice new ones on an offline machine just to be doubly sure.

I recently bought a new laptop solely for using Bitcoin Core. You can never be too paranoid when bitcoin is involved.

[coinzat]

Although all people will advice you to generate your paper wallets offline, I did it twice before online using bitaddress and nothing happened to my funds tell I spent them.
As long as your computer is not defected with viruses or trojans, do not fear about your paper wallets especially if they hold small amounts as you mentioned

[CoinBoerse.com]

Paper wallets are more secure in my opinion, I used to have my wallet on a flashdrive and it got corrupt. So I started using paper wallets since then.

[ironbit]

I could really recommend it. It works great and is very easy to get it run.

Go to https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org and click "Download zip" button on the right side.

Okay, I figured out that bitaddress.org's software is really easy to install. Just download from github and open the html file. Then you have got the same functionality as on bitaddress.org in offline mode.
So, I have got solved my problem

Maybe you can use a software to generate paper wallet in offline computer. It's better than generate a paper wallet by web service. Online generating is good enough but still you must aware with the site owner and the site reputation.

i didnt realise you can download from github. all my wallets are made online but ive started to get more paranoid these days. maybe i will print of some nice new ones on an offline machine just to be doubly sure.