Paper Wallet
A physical printout or handwritten record of keys or a mnemonic used to control cryptocurrency funds.
A paper wallet stores critical wallet information offline to reduce exposure to malware. It may contain a private key, QR codes, or a mnemonic seed.
"Generating a BCH paper wallet on an air-gapped machine and printing the keys keeps them offline until you import or sweep them."
Paper can be lost, damaged, or photographed. Many users prefer hardware wallets or metal backups for durability and better operational security.
"Lamination helps against spills but won’t protect from fire—metal backups are more resilient."
Related Terms
Hardware wallet
→A hardware wallet is a dedicated physical device that securely stores private keys and signs transactions offline to protect against malware and remote attacks.
Custodial Wallet
→A wallet where a third party controls the private keys on your behalf.
Mnemonic
→A sequence of words used to generate and recover a private key, typically 12 or 24 words long.
All terms and definitions may update as the Cryptionary improves.
