How To Test BIP38 Encrypted Private Key Offline

[Siegfried]

So I want to generate a BIP38 encrypted private key offline for cold storage, but I want to test that the decryption works properly before I send my funds to that address. But the only ways I know to decrypt BIP38 are Mycelium and Blockchain.info, but those are online, and if I decrypt the private key online, that defeats the purpose of generating a private key offline. Multibit and Bitcoin-QT seem to not have this function. I have already googled this question.

*sorry wrong forum*

[chessnut]

why dont you make a throw away paper wallet and test it online, then make another one with the same password that you will use for real funds?

[Siegfried]

why dont you make a throw away paper wallet and test it online, then make another one with the same password that you will use for real funds?

Because I am paranoid that if I test the actual one online, there is the possibility of spyware. And if I do not test the real one, I am afraid that there may have been a flaw in the encryption process, however unlikely. I read a thread about a guy who used a certain version of Safari to make a BIP38 encryption, but then it could not be decrypted. That made me realize that there is a possibility of failure. When it comes to significant amounts of money, I want to be 100 percent sure that it worked.

[Wilhelm]

bitaddress.org website will work offline since all the code is embedded. The tab Wallet Details supports BIP38 addresses.

You can open the page, pull your internet cable, enter your info, check the result, reboot PC and insert internet cable again.

WARNING: If you're paranoia or have loads of bitcoins ( like 740000 ;-) ) then take additional measures like using a LiveCD with clean OS. You must trust and be able to guaranteed that the PC and software running on it does not have any virii or mallware or does offline capturing. Reason should be obvious.

[Ibian]

There is paranoia and then there is disabling yourself. Obviously you have to be sure that it works, and that means testing it online. Only way to know. But a little knowledge of how stealing wallets work helps.

It requires physical access to your computer or some way to obtain your wallet files. So here is what I did. Get a new computer, the cheapest you can find. You are using it for storage, not to play counterstrike. Use it exclusively as an electronic safe. Install all security updates, antivirus, whatever else you deem necessary, and nothing else. Anything that doesn't absolutely require this machine to be online goes through USB storage.

Make a wallet, send the amount you want stored to it from wherever you have it now, check that the transactions are incoming and in the process of being confirmed, and then shut it down until such time as you need to move them again. You can monitor your funds through blockchain.info if you are paranoid about them still being there without having to expose it to the net. Remember backups.

[cbutters]

you need armory... you can keep a computer COMPLETELY OFFLINE, and even spend bitcoin using Offline Transactions without ever exposing your private keys to an internet enabled device.