How to create a Bitcoin paper wallet

Creating a Bitcoin (BTC) paper wallet is a great way to store your cryptocurrency offline for extra security. In this simple step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to create a paper wallet.

Step 1: Download and create a paper wallet

To create a BTC paper wallet, follow these steps:

  1. Download the paper wallet generator from bitaddress.org and copy it to a USB stick.
  2. Unzip and open the paper wallet generator (bitaddress.org.html) in a web browser on an air-gapped computer.
  3. Follow the instructions to generate a randomized seed for your Bitcoin wallet.
  4. Your paper wallet will have two important items:
    • “SHARE” Bitcoin Address QR
    • “SECRET” Private Key QR
  5. Print all these items on paper, save it as a PDF or text file on a USB stick, burn it to CD/DVD, or choose another secure storage method. Ensure that you have two or three copies stored in different locations. If storing digitally, encrypt everything with a strong password. If stored on paper, do not show the wallet to anyone else who can memorize your 25-word key or take a picture of the wallet without your permission. We recommend including labeled QR codes on the paper as well, for easy restoration in other wallets.
  6. Whichever method you choose, make sure there is no copy of the Bitcoin wallet left on the device you used. You may need to securely delete the wallet if you saved it to a disk or make sure your printer does not save a copy in memory.

Step 2: Acquire Bitcoin

After creating a paper wallet, you will want to acquire some BTC; there are multiple ways to do this:

  • Mine it. This requires an ASIC (a special mining computer). You can alternatively mine Monero (XMR), then convert to Bitcoin (BTC).
  • Exchange services or goods for Bitcoin as payment.
  • Convert other cryptocurrencies or fiat money to BTC using an exchange, such as the exchange feature within the Cake Wallet app.

Step 3: Send your Bitcoin to the paper wallet

Once you’ve created your Bitcoin paper wallet, you will need to send your Monero to the wallet address you noted earlier. Make sure the address is correct, even if you copy-pasted it. Remember that if you send the coins to the wrong address, there is no way to have them back! The fastest way to get BTC in your wallet is by transferring from another wallet such as Cake Wallet. You can verify that a transfer to the address occured by checking a Bitcoin block explorer.

That’s it! You’ve successfully created a Bitcoin (BTC) paper wallet! When you are ready to restore the wallet, input the public and private keys into your preferred wallet.