Wallet.dat and cold wallet

[Dr Grouik]

Good morning, everyone,

I have a question related to a misunderstanding on the Wallet.dat file...

-I bought Bitcoin on coinbase in January 2020...
-I downloaded Bitcoin-qt to my computer. Synchronized the blockchain.
-I generated an address in Bitcoinqt to receive funds in February 2020.
-I sent the Bitcoin to the computer wallet (so it's not on the platform anymore).
-I searched the wallet.dat file from the roaming application, copied into USB flash disk, and keys in the safe.
-I deleted the wallet.dat from the computer.

I've been practicing a cold wallet strategy, so... I had done this in 2013: no worries in 2018 to put the wallet.dat back in its place and then to transfer the coins to coinbase.


Now I did the same thing again. But I have a question! If I buy Bitcoins on coinbase and send them to the address I created in February 2020, what do I have to do on the usb keys ?

-> I have to take the USB flash drives, put the wallet.dat back into the PC, let the blockchain sync, and then put the wallet.dat back into the flash drives and erase it from the PC again ? (complicated...)
or
-> the day I put the wallet.dat back in the pc (like 2022 ? lol), since the wallet.dat contains my public key and my private key, so it will sync itself and my new bitcoins will appear at the end of the sync?



Many thanks !

[1715203177]

1715203177

[1715203177]

1715203177

[elda34b]

You don't have to connect it to your PC again if you want to transfer more bitcoin. Your second opinion is more or less right. The file contains your necessary details and will automatically "sync" when you use it in the future.

In short, bitcoin transaction happens on the network, you don't have to be online. Your seed/private key are the way to access your coins, so as long as you have it, and you send it to the right address, your coins will be there.

[Dr Grouik]

Many thanks

[ABCbits]

@elda34b already asnwer your question, but i strongly suggest you to make multiple backup with different medium (e.g. SSD, M-disc).
USB drive isn't best option to store your data on long term.

[bob123]

It is worth to note, that if your keys have been created on an online pc (which seems to be the case since you synced the blockchain on that computer), your wallet effectively is not really a cold/offline wallet.
For a true cold wallet, the keys have to be generated on an offline device.

Generating them online and storing them offline can work out if your PC was not infected prior to you generating the keys. But a proper cold wallet does protect against that by generating the keys offline.