How to keep your bitcoins secure if you suddenly disappear (jail or prison)

[Dabs]

Simple. Don't get arrested. (Easier said than done, but millions of people manage to do it.)

[Mobius]

Simple. Don't get arrested. (Easier said than done, but millions of people manage to do it.)

There was an article today that talked about how ~1/3 of American adults have been arrested in their lifetimes, but a large number of those people are not even charged with any crime.

The only real way to keep your BTC safe in the event you get arrested and/or get sent to jail/prison is to use a brainwallet. Any other method would result in the possibility of the private key be stolen/found, and your privacy is significantly reduced if you are sent to jail/get arrested.

[QuestionAuthority]

Simple. Don't get arrested. (Easier said than done, but millions of people manage to do it.)

There was an article today that talked about how ~1/3 of American adults have been arrested in their lifetimes, but a large number of those people are not even charged with any crime.

The only real way to keep your BTC safe in the event you get arrested and/or get sent to jail/prison is to use a brainwallet. Any other method would result in the possibility of the private key be stolen/found, and your privacy is significantly reduced if you are sent to jail/get arrested.

I've been arrested (drunk and disorderly, pissed in my old cat collecting neighbors front door mail slot) but they charged me and let me go when I sobered up.

 I dunno, the QR on ur stink hole is a pretty good hiding spot. After a few years in prison it might be a little hard to read though.

[Dabs]

If 100 million people got arrested, then there are 200 million people that don't get arrested. (Only counting 'murikans.)

Of course, I'm a bit biased as I'm almost pretty sure that I won't get arrested. I've gotten into some very hairy situations, but so far, I've not been arrested.

If I live to be a hundred, I'm more than a third of my way there. Fingers crossed.

It helps that you get involved or be a part of law enforcement, but that's not a guarantee. (I'm an officer in the armed forces of my country.) (Yes, I've read about the ones that shot up their base.)

[evanito]

This kind of question differs in answers, most bitcoin would be save in a web wallet such as coinbase, as all you need is your phone and password.

[snappa4ever]

Simple. Don't get arrested. (Easier said than done, but millions of people manage to do it.)

There was an article today that talked about how ~1/3 of American adults have been arrested in their lifetimes, but a large number of those people are not even charged with any crime.

The only real way to keep your BTC safe in the event you get arrested and/or get sent to jail/prison is to use a brainwallet. Any other method would result in the possibility of the private key be stolen/found, and your privacy is significantly reduced if you are sent to jail/get arrested.

I've been arrested (drunk and disorderly, pissed in my old cat collecting neighbors front door mail slot) but they charged me and let me go when I sobered up.

 I dunno, the QR on ur stink hole is a pretty good hiding spot. After a few years in prison it might be a little hard to read though.

It would be a good hiding spot, but would also be a hard place to use a phone/camera to take a picture of your QR private key when you get out of jail.

[wordman267645]

I just open multisig paper wallet.Then store multiple copies in separate safety deposit boxes with a password that i will never forget in my life..

[Bitbirdhunt]

I would keep identifer/password/private key written on a paper and put it in bank locker. Easy win situation.

[Daniel007]

Doesn't give anyone your wallet password. It is the best way to keep your Bitcoin secure.

[MoonRise]

Keeping your private keys and all login credentials safe inside a Metal-safe is what I practice

No worries about anything.

[solitude]

This kind of question differs in answers, most bitcoin would be save in a web wallet such as coinbase, as all you need is your phone and password.

[solitude]

bump

[catlinhappy]

Simply memorize your passphrase or private key until you return.

[Swordsoffreedom]

Simply memorize your passphrase or private key until you return.

That assumes that a person still retains a rational mind or good memory after X years in there
But when in doubt it never hurts to have alternative ways to remember it such as a digital archive or something of the sort.

[wasserman99]

Simply memorize your passphrase or private key until you return.

That assumes that a person still retains a rational mind or good memory after X years in there
But when in doubt it never hurts to have alternative ways to remember it such as a digital archive or something of the sort.

This is a very good point. Even if you ignore the fact that most people do not have the mental capacity to be able to memorize a random set of letters/numbers the size of a private key. It has been shows that many inmates leave jail/prison in a worse state then they entered, and many become more violent and are prone to more criminal activity then when they went in.

[Waramp22]

Brain wallets do not work, if the password has ever been on the internet ANYWHERE.



Here is my attempt.

Buy the following:

1 - 2" diameter X 4" long steel pipe nipple (threaded on both ends)
2 - 2" diameter threaded end caps.
1 - 1/8 thick X 1" wide X 4" long flat steel
1 - Set of metal punches. Lowercase and Capitals 0-9 (Yes this will cost you some money)

Stamp your private key into piece of flat steel. Insert stamped plate into pipe, tighten on both ends caps to make it water and air tight.

Get a long narrow planters shovel and head to the graveyard at night. Pretend like you are on your hands preying at your grandfathers grave and slice a small circle of grass out and set it aside. Dig an 8 inch deep hole drop in pipe, fill in hole with dirt, replace grass patch. It will grow back within a week or so. No one is going to be digging up a graveyard looking for bitcoins.

Once out of jail, buy a metal detector and at night go to your grandfathers grave to retrieve steel pipe.  

BONUS: Make the private key BIP38 encrypted and put the password in a second pipe. Bury this one above the grave closest to the exit of the graveyard. You will definitely need that before leaving.  

This will stay in tact for 100+ years and will be easy to remember because no one forgets where their grandfather is buried. (Providing you knew him as a young boy)

[Swordsoffreedom]

Simply memorize your passphrase or private key until you return.

That assumes that a person still retains a rational mind or good memory after X years in there
But when in doubt it never hurts to have alternative ways to remember it such as a digital archive or something of the sort.

This is a very good point. Even if you ignore the fact that most people do not have the mental capacity to be able to memorize a random set of letters/numbers the size of a private key. It has been shows that many inmates leave jail/prison in a worse state then they entered, and many become more violent and are prone to more criminal activity then when they went in.

Well there is that but after having your mind go bored to death in there without any thing to do people can go insane in there.
But then again prison should be used to correct and reform people to reenter society not make them more batty then when they first went inside of it. Good old rehabilitation, but back to keeping bitcoins secure that digital copy in and of itself is useful to keep certain that you remember it and don't forget for any reason while there. The steel pipe in a graveyard sounds like a good one too.

[solitude]

What online "cloud" service is likely to still be online five years from now?  Ten years?

Microsofts?  Googles?

What's the issue with placing your wallet.dat in a winrar container and password protect it and upload it to the "cloud"?

[iTRADEbtc]

What online "cloud" service is likely to still be online five years from now?  Ten years?

Microsofts?  Googles?

What's the issue with placing your wallet.dat in a winrar container and password protect it and upload it to the "cloud"?

Cloud services have not even been around for this long. Also email services (which are close to cloud services) tend to delete your account/emails if you do not login every so often.

[apelike]

Tell my mom about it and withdraw them for cash bail. Freedom is more important than anything.