Offline wallet generation ?

[Bru]

Can you generate a bitcoin wallet completely offline? And never connect it to the internet ? How could you do that ?

[far9090]

Can you generate a bitcoin wallet completely offline? And never connect it to the internet ? How could you do that ?

no, i dont think so. you need an internet connection to download the blockchain.

[Bru]

Can't you download it, transfer it to an always offline PC, and generate a bitcoin adress there ?

[sgk]

Can you generate a bitcoin wallet completely offline? And never connect it to the internet ? How could you do that ?

I think what you mean is generating offline 'addresses' and not wallet.

If you want to be completely offline:
1. Carry a setup of the wallet on a USB drive
2. Plug the drive into an offline computer
3. Install wallet
4. Generate addresses
5. Never connect the computer to internet (or format the computer before taking it online; first backup your wallet file, of course)

This way you have completely offline addresses you can send Bitcoins to.
If you want to SPEND those coins, you may need a way to transfer those coins safely - read Armory wallet help files; I think they support this.

[blacksails]

Can you generate a bitcoin wallet completely offline? And never connect it to the internet ? How could you do that ?

I think what you mean is generating offline 'addresses' and not wallet.

If you want to be completely offline:
1. Carry a setup of the wallet on a USB drive
2. Plug the drive into an offline computer
3. Install wallet
4. Generate addresses
5. Never connect the computer to internet (or format the computer before taking it online; first backup your wallet file, of course)

This way you have completely offline addresses you can send Bitcoins to.
If you want to SPEND those coins, you may need a way to transfer those coins safely - read Armory wallet help files; I think they support this.

Unless of course BadBIOS is real and it sends the wallet to a internet connected computer and uploads it to the creator. Then you wouldn't be safe anyway.

[Bru]

Unless of course BadBIOS is real and it sends the wallet to a internet connected computer and uploads it to the creator. Then you wouldn't be safe anyway.

So to be 100% safe one must store it on an offline computer, in a bank-grade safe that is placed in a an underground nuclear bunker far away from civilization, maybe on Mars.

But even then there's the 0.00000000001 % risk that someone would generate the exact same address as you and steal all your bitcoins. 

[sgk]

Unless of course BadBIOS is real and it sends the wallet to a internet connected computer and uploads it to the creator. Then you wouldn't be safe anyway.

So to be 100% safe one must store it on an offline computer, in a bank-grade safe that is placed in a an underground nuclear bunker far away from civilization, maybe on Mars.

But even then there's the 0.00000000001 % risk that someone would generate the exact same address as you and steal all your bitcoins. 

Essentially, yes.

[DannyHamilton]

But even then there's the 0.00000000001 % risk that someone would generate the exact same address as you and steal all your bitcoins. 

No.  2^160 is a much larger number than that.

There is a:

0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% risk that someone would generate the exact same address as you and steal all your bitcoins.

However, there is a:

0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% risk that all of the air in the room will collect in one corner, instantly suffocating and killing you.

Therefore you will die of suffocation 100 times before anyone gets their hands on your bitcoins.

If you're going to worry about something, at least keep things in perspective and worry about the more likely things that do more harm.

[CoinDiver]

You can also generate a transaction offline, and transfer it from that offline computer to an online computer to be broadcast. Keeping your offline computer safe. I don't know how to do it, but I've worked with an awesome escrow that does this.

[DannyHamilton]

You can also generate a transaction offline, and transfer it from that offline computer to an online computer to be broadcast. Keeping your offline computer safe. I don't know how to do it, but I've worked with an awesome escrow that does this.

All worthwhile escrow holders should be holding their escrows in paper wallets, and generating the escrow release transaction on an offline computer to be broadcast on a separate online computer.

The only reason for using escrow is because they provide a trustworthy service.  Keeping escrows online, or generating the transactions online, is not what I would call "a trustworthy service".

[activebiz]

Yes i generate all my cold wallets offline. just download/save bitaddress.org, check work offline on ur browser

[pinksheep]

I bought a cheap tablet solely to create addresses offline. I had to connect it to the internet to save bitcoinpaperwallet.com but then went offline & created the addresses. The tablet will never be online again. I know I should have been able to transfer the saved bitcoinpaperwallet files to the tablet from my laptop via a USB drive without the tablet ever being online but I was unable to do it. A computer programmer even attempted & for some reason it would not work, but I've heard of other who were able to accomplish this.

[Shogen]

I bought a cheap tablet solely to create addresses offline. I had to connect it to the internet to save bitcoinpaperwallet.com but then went offline & created the addresses. The tablet will never be online again. I know I should have been able to transfer the saved bitcoinpaperwallet files to the tablet from my laptop via a USB drive without the tablet ever being online but I was unable to do it. A computer programmer even attempted & for some reason it would not work, but I've heard of other who were able to accomplish this.

Have you tried downloading the source code to an USB, and transferred it to your offline tablet?

[pinksheep]

Yes, I think it was the source code that I tried to transfer, but I'm not very tech savvy 

[Taras]

I've generated a couple just today. Wrote them on notebook paper.

[brierly]

you need internet to generate bitcoins.

[blacksails]

you need internet to generate bitcoins.

Yes, you need internet to mine bitcoins, but you don't need internet to generate a wallet.