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Introduction

A 'paper wallet' is a catch-all term for any physical object with a key pair (private key and public payment address) showing on it. The most obvious paper wallets are ones you can print onto paper, like this one. But often plastic and metal are used for their durable qualities. This website provides information centered around engraving 'paper wallets' onto plastic and metal with widely available laser engravers.

Advantages of Paper Wallets​

  • Paper wallets are valuable because they turn cryptocurrency into a physical object. Humans are very intuitive and very good at protecting physical object.

  • They make great gifts and an easy way to onboard the crypto-curious. The receiver does not need any knowledge, an app, or even electricity. You just give it to them like you'd hand them a business card. They are free to explore more about cryptocurrency on their own time and terms, but now they have a little skin in the game.

Disadvantages of Paper Wallets​

  • Anyone who obtains a picture of your private key can take your cryptocurrency.

  • If you did not make the paper wallet yourself, you are trusting someone to do that for you. They may be able to take your cryptocurrency.

For the reasons above, it is never appropriate to store large amounts of cryptocurrency on a paper wallet that you did not generate yourself.

Want to know more? Check out this video: