CUT
Moo, regarding cold storage - do you have any advice regarding the topic? Where, how, launching etc
Paper wallets use random user and machine input to create a set of keys/addresses which you then print.
You can never regenerate a paper wallet once you turn off the machine. What you print is all you get.
I don't like paper wallets because they can get damaged, lost, destroyed, or stolen.
Even if you encrypt them with bip38 (you should), a very bad person that finds them (robbery/home invasion) could check the balances and put a gun to your head for the password. see:
https://xkcd.com/538/That said, they are the most convenient and user-friendly way to store coin long term as long as you keep them safe.
BIP32BIP32 is a way of generating any number of keys/addresses from a very carefully selected sentence.
I prefer this technique because I can always regenerate my keys, even in the event of a house fire.
It's a form of brain wallet, but can be done safely if you follow these instructions.
(Brain wallets got a bad reputation only because people were choosing short passwords and common phrases.)
The sentence you choose must be unique in the known universe and should be about 110 characters long.
It must not have appeared in any TV show, movie, book, song, play, poem, speech, essay, dissertation, or thesis.
If it has been published, you shouldn't use it, no matter how obscure the source.
Don't search the web for it.
I recommend making it from a personal memory.
Your control (or loss!) of your funds depend on you not forgetting your sentence.
Practice it over and over until you've got it down. Do it every day for a month, then every week.
To prevent entry errors, use no capitals, punctuation or spaces.
For example:
anorangeandyellowbutterflylandedonmynosewheniwasfloatingdownastreaminblackmount
ainnorthcarolinainthesummerof1986
Armed with that sentence, just follow the instructions on
http://en.wiki.dashninja.pl/wiki/DIY_Deterministic_AddressesYou can generate one or ten keys and addresses, and copy only the addresses to a usb drive, then use them as drop boxes.
When you need to 'thaw' an address, just run through the process again, but write its key to a usb drive, import it into an online wallet and move the funds.
Generating your keysBurn a live linux cd. Doesn't matter what flavor, but Ubuntu 15.10 desktop will have the most drivers/is friendliest.
An actual CD is best for the highest security since it's a read-only mount.
I use a laptop for this, but that's just because I never turn off my desktop.
Boot from that cd, download/install your tools (or download them ahead of time to a usb drive).
(The ultra paranoid will complain about exposing the live-cd instance to the Internet, but once you disconnect you're fine.)
Disconnect from the internet, generate your keys/addresses/printouts, power off the machine.
Death planWhichever type of cold storage you choose, make a death plan. It will happen.
Write down your paper wallet password or bip32 pass-sentence for your loved ones.
Write instructions how to use it.
Keep them separate.
