Get the weekly summary of crypto market analysis, news, and forecasts! This Week’s Summary The crypto market ends the week at a total market capitalization of $1,070 trillion. Bitcoin is down by nearly 2% after intense seesawing this week. Ethereum increased by almost 2% over the past seven days. XRP lost more than 1% in value this week. Almost all altcoins are trading in the red, with a few exceptions. The DeFi sector decreased the total value of protocols (TVL)…
What is a Paper Wallet?
A paper wallet is a type of offline storage for cryptocurrency. It consists of a piece of paper with a public address and a private key printed on it. The private key is a long string of letters and numbers used to access and spend the funds associated with the public address.
To use a paper wallet, you first need to transfer cryptocurrency to the public address printed on the paper. You can do this using a cryptocurrency exchange or a wallet app. Once the funds have been transferred, you can use the private key to access and spend the funds.
One advantage of paper wallets is that they are not connected to the internet, making them less vulnerable to hacking. However, keeping the paper wallet safe and secure is important, as anyone with access to the private key can spend the funds. As a result, some people choose to store their paper wallets in a safe deposit box or other secure location to protect them from theft or damage.
Paper Wallet Benefits
There are several benefits to using a paper wallet as a way to store cryptocurrency:
- Offline storage: Because paper wallets are not connected to the internet, they are less vulnerable to hacking.
- Security: Paper wallets provide an extra layer of security, as they require physical access to spend the funds.
- Control: With a paper wallet, you control your private key rather than relying on a third party to secure it
- Ease of use: Paper wallets are easy to use and can be created by anyone with a computer and printer access.
- Low cost: Paper wallets are a cheap and secure way to store cryptocurrency, as they do not require special hardware or software.
Paper Wallet Risks
There are also some risks to consider when using a paper wallet:
- Physical security: If the paper wallet is lost or stolen, the funds it holds will also be lost. So keep the paper wallet in a secure location.
- Damage: The paper wallet could become damaged, making it difficult or impossible to access the private key.
- Human error: There is a risk of human error when creating or using a paper wallet. For example, the private key could be written down incorrectly, or the paper wallet could be mistakenly thrown away.
- Lack of accessibility: Paper wallets are offline, so they are not as convenient to access as online wallets. You must import the private key into a wallet app or online exchange to spend the funds.
- Lack of features: Paper wallets do not have the same features as some online wallets, such as the ability to view transactions or set up automatic payments.
N.B.: Paper wallets were very popular between 2011 and 2016, as there were very few options to store Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Paper wallets are now considered obsolete and even dangerous to store your cryptocurrency on. It’s best to avoid them if you don’t know for sure what you are doing.