Paper Wallet Setup, Key Security, and Sweeping Funds
Summary
The document explains paper wallets as offline records of public and private keys, and describes how they receive funds and authorize spending. It outlines a cautious setup process: prepare a disconnected computer, use a previously downloaded generator, verify the files, print with a wired printer, and protect the paper from damage. It also recommends secure storage and backups, while noting that every extra copy creates another theft risk.
The main cautions are loss, physical theft, digital exposure during generation or printing, and mistakes when spending. The guide advises sweeping the full balance into a new wallet because leftover funds may be sent to a change address the paper wallet does not control. It presents paper wallets as a poor choice for most everyday users compared with hardware or app wallets. These are general custody instructions rather than a comparison backed by security testing; the document’s product recommendations are promotional, and its advice may not apply equally across coins or wallet formats.
Key ideas
- A paper wallet holds public and private keys offline, but anyone who obtains the private key can spend the funds.
- Generate keys on a disconnected computer and avoid online generators or digital copies of the finished wallet.
- Protect the printed keys against physical damage and store backups separately, recognizing that each copy adds exposure.
- When spending, sweep the full balance into a new wallet and do not reuse the paper wallet’s private key.
Tags
This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.