<p>Here are a list of my best practices for creating a paper wallet.</p>

<ul>
<li>Generate all keys on an offline computer system, this ensures that you are not using an online system that could be sending your keys across the internet.</li>
<li>Verify the integrity of the code as well as the integrity of the author, things to check include MD5, SHA1 sums and that author is a reputable contributor to the community.</li>
<li>Ensure the integrity of the host system being used to generate the keys if your system is compromised your keys could be as well.  To mitigate against this I often use a LiveCD based operating system.</li>
<li>The wallet should not be stored on a live computer system until the fund are intended to be spent. </li>
<li>The wallet should never be displayed, exposed, or photographed and when possible BIP38 encryption should be enabled providing an additional layer of security.</li>
<li>Ensure fully random sources of entropy are being used during private key generation, information/randomness should never be provided by humans (I.E. brainwallets).  </li>
<li>Paper wallets should never reuse addresses, and will only store one keypair per wallet.  When spending remember all funds need to be removed from the wallet at that time, many have lots coins due to improper transaction generation which can spend the remaining balance in the form of a fee.</li>
<li>Optional: I prefer to store the paperwallet inside of a tamper evident device, this will ensure that no one else has had access to your private keys (thus protecting them from being stolen)</li>
<li>Optional: Multiple backup locations of the paperwallet all protected and stored using the same techniques, from a backup perspective I am never comfortable unless I have 3 copies stored in at least 2 different physical locations.  </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-09T21:26:15.153Z
Any specific software recommendations?
ccpizza
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-10T18:06:01.737Z
What about the paper itself? I think laminating it will go a long way.
james6125
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-12T02:20:41.950Z
You can do offline transactions, so you never need to put your paper wallet on a live system.
Evert
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-19T17:46:43.363Z
2016-01-19T18:08:13.873Z
2016-01-19T18:08:13.873Z
Mark S.
<p>metal stamping on metal that is not susceptible to rust</p>

<p>like gold aluminum etc.</p>

<p>other main risks are loss of funds and theft of funds</p>

<p>loss can happen because the damaged program can have error and generate bad address. the spendability should be tested before with small money.</p>

<p>theft can happen because the program can create not random but known to attacker addresses. this way the attacker can steal funds once user top up the insecure paper wallet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-20T01:28:52.100Z
perhaps try using complete sentences
Mark S.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-19T19:16:45.193Z
2016-01-19T19:23:54.527Z
2016-01-19T19:23:54.527Z
Anlhord Smithson
<p>I am looking to move some of my bitcoins from cold storage to a paper wallet.  I have heard that metal stamping is one of the better long term strategies since paper can burn or fade.  Any other suggestions?  Thanks in advance - Kristine</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-16T04:03:59.973Z
related: [How to save bitcoins as paper?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/1080/5406)
Murch
<paper-wallet><coldstorage><offline>
What is the best method for creating a paper wallet?
Kristine Aurum
# What is the best method for creating a paper wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-01-19)

I am looking to move some of my bitcoins from cold storage to a paper wallet. I have heard that metal stamping is one of the better long term strategies since paper can burn or fade. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance - username_0

**Tags:** paper-wallet, coldstorage, offline

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: related: [How to save bitcoins as paper?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/1080/5406)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-01-19. Score: 3

Here are a list of my best practices for creating a paper wallet.

* Generate all keys on an offline computer system, this ensures that you are not using an online system that could be sending your keys across the internet.
* Verify the integrity of the code as well as the integrity of the author, things to check include MD5, SHA1 sums and that author is a reputable contributor to the community.
* Ensure the integrity of the host system being used to generate the keys if your system is compromised your keys could be as well. To mitigate against this I often use a LiveCD based operating system.
* The wallet should not be stored on a live computer system until the fund are intended to be spent.
* The wallet should never be displayed, exposed, or photographed and when possible BIP38 encryption should be enabled providing an additional layer of security.
* Ensure fully random sources of entropy are being used during private key generation, information/randomness should never be provided by humans (I.E. brainwallets).
* Paper wallets should never reuse addresses, and will only store one keypair per wallet. When spending remember all funds need to be removed from the wallet at that time, many have lots coins due to improper transaction generation which can spend the remaining balance in the form of a fee.
* Optional: I prefer to store the paperwallet inside of a tamper evident device, this will ensure that no one else has had access to your private keys (thus protecting them from being stolen)
* Optional: Multiple backup locations of the paperwallet all protected and stored using the same techniques, from a backup perspective I am never comfortable unless I have 3 copies stored in at least 2 different physical locations.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Any specific software recommendations?  
> **username_4**: What about the paper itself? I think laminating it will go a long way.  
> **username_5**: You can do offline transactions, so you never need to put your paper wallet on a live system.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2016-01-19. Score: -2

metal stamping on metal that is not susceptible to rust

like gold aluminum etc.

other main risks are loss of funds and theft of funds

loss can happen because the damaged program can have error and generate bad address. the spendability should be tested before with small money.

theft can happen because the program can create not random but known to attacker addresses. this way the attacker can steal funds once user top up the insecure paper wallet.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: perhaps try using complete sentences  

---

