Paper Wallet
wallet · security
A printed or handwritten record of a private key, seed phrase, or address, often used in older offline-storage workflows.
1.general
A paper wallet is physical media containing wallet recovery or signing information, sometimes as text and QR codes. Older schemes commonly generated one private key and address for offline storage.
2.risks
Common failures include insecure browser generators, printers and cameras retaining copies, weak randomness, fire or water damage, QR deterioration, partial spends that mishandle change, and importing a key into malware.
3.modern-use
Paper can be one medium for a deterministic recovery backup, but a documented seed or descriptor workflow is different from an old single-key paper wallet. Current users should follow a maintained wallet's recovery design rather than an unaudited printable-key website.
Related terms
Private Key
→A secret number used to sign transactions and prove permission to spend.
cryptography · security · wallet
Seed Phrase
→A sequence of backup words that a compatible wallet can use to recover its keys.
wallet · security
Cold Storage
→A custody arrangement that keeps signing keys unavailable to ordinary internet-connected systems.
wallet · security
Wallet
→An app or device that helps you receive cryptocurrency, check your balance, and authorize payments.
wallet · security
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