Guides ·

How to Create a Paper Wallet: Complete Guide (2026)

A paper wallet is one of the oldest and most straightforward methods of securing cryptocurrency offline. By printing or writing your private key and public address on a physical piece of paper, you remove all digital attack vectors: no hacker, no malware, and no exchange collapse can touch funds stored this way.

Despite the rise of hardware wallets and multi-signature schemes, paper wallets remain a valid cold storage option in 2026, particularly for long-term holdings, gifting crypto, or creating physical backups of individual keys. This guide covers the full process for creating paper wallets securely, the blockchains that work best with this approach, and the physical security measures that keep your paper wallet safe for years.

What Is a Paper Wallet?

A paper wallet is a physical document containing two critical pieces of information:

  1. A public address (or QR code) where cryptocurrency can be received.
  2. A private key (or QR code) that authorizes spending from that address.

The concept is simple: generate a key pair, print it, and store the paper securely. The cryptocurrency exists on the blockchain, not on the paper itself. The paper simply holds the credentials needed to access and spend those funds.

Paper wallets differ from seed phrase backups in an important way. A seed phrase (12 or 24 words following the BIP39 standard) generates an entire HD wallet hierarchy with potentially millions of addresses. A paper wallet typically contains a single private key and its corresponding address. This makes paper wallets simpler but less flexible.

The primary advantage of a paper wallet is its complete air-gap from the digital world. Once printed, the private key exists only in physical form. There is no encrypted file to decrypt, no hardware device to malfunction, no firmware to update. The trade-off is that all security responsibility shifts to physical security: protecting the paper from damage, theft, and unauthorized viewing.

For a broader understanding of the relationship between keys and phrases, see our explainer on seed phrases vs private keys.

Supported Blockchains

Paper wallets work with any cryptocurrency that uses a straightforward address-and-private-key model. They are most practical for UTXO-based chains and simple account-based chains.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the most common use case for paper wallets. A Bitcoin paper wallet contains a single address (typically in Bech32 or legacy Base58Check format) and the corresponding private key in Wallet Import Format (WIF). SafeSeed's Bitcoin Paper Wallet Generator creates both the key pair and a printable layout with QR codes.

Bitcoin paper wallets work exceptionally well because Bitcoin's UTXO model means you can fund the address with any number of transactions. However, spending requires importing the private key into wallet software, and you should always send the entire balance in one transaction (sending any change to a new address you control) to avoid the well-known change address pitfall.

Ethereum

Ethereum paper wallets contain a 42-character address (starting with 0x) and a 64-character hexadecimal private key. SafeSeed's Ethereum Paper Wallet Generator handles generation and formatting. Since one Ethereum key works across all EVM chains (Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, and others), a single paper wallet secures your address on the entire EVM ecosystem. Our guide on EVM address security explains this cross-chain relationship in detail.

One consideration specific to Ethereum: to move tokens from a paper wallet, you need ETH for gas fees. If your paper wallet holds only ERC-20 tokens, you will need to send a small amount of ETH to the address first before you can sweep the tokens.

Litecoin and Dogecoin

Litecoin and Dogecoin both use Bitcoin-derived address formats and work well with paper wallets. The generation process is nearly identical to Bitcoin, with different address version bytes and network parameters. Both use the secp256k1 curve for key generation.

Blockchains less suited to paper wallets

Some blockchains are less practical for paper wallets due to their account models or staking requirements. Solana, for example, uses Ed25519 keys and has a rent mechanism that can drain small balances on inactive accounts. While technically possible, a Solana paper wallet requires more careful management. For Solana, a seed phrase backup following our Solana wallet generation guide is generally a better approach.

Step-by-Step Creation

Creating a paper wallet securely requires the same air-gapped approach used for offline seed phrase generation. The process below covers the complete workflow.

1. Prepare your environment

Follow the same air-gapped environment principles described in our offline Bitcoin seed generation guide:

  • Use a computer that is not connected to the internet (WiFi disabled, ethernet unplugged).
  • Ideally, boot from a Linux live USB for a clean operating environment.
  • Close all unnecessary applications.
  • Remove cameras and smartphones from the area.

2. Access the generator offline

While still connected (on a separate device if needed), download the SafeSeed paper wallet generator page. Save the complete page to a USB drive, transfer it to your air-gapped machine, and open it locally in the browser.

For Bitcoin, use the Bitcoin Paper Wallet Generator. For Ethereum, use the Ethereum Paper Wallet Generator. Both tools run entirely client-side using the Web Crypto API for randomness.

3. Generate the key pair

Click generate to create a new random private key and its corresponding public address. SafeSeed sources randomness from crypto.getRandomValues(), the browser's cryptographic random number generator, ensuring proper entropy. For more on why randomness quality matters, see what entropy means in cryptocurrency.

The generator will display:

  • The public address (for receiving funds)
  • The private key (for spending funds)
  • QR codes for both

4. Print the wallet

Use a printer that is directly connected to your air-gapped computer via USB cable. Do not use a network printer, as print jobs sent over WiFi or ethernet could be intercepted or cached on the print server.

Printing best practices:

  • Use a dumb USB printer (one without WiFi, memory cards, or internal storage if possible).
  • Print at least two copies.
  • Verify that both the address and private key are clearly legible.
  • If your printer stores print jobs internally, clear the print queue and, if possible, reset the printer memory.

If you do not have access to a secure printer, writing the address and private key by hand is a perfectly valid alternative. It takes longer but eliminates all printer-related risks.

5. Verify the address

Before sending any funds to the paper wallet's address, verify it independently. Use SafeSeed's Bitcoin Address Validator or Ethereum Address Validator (still on your offline machine, from the locally saved page) to confirm the address has a valid format and checksum. For more on validation, see how to validate crypto addresses.

6. Fund the wallet

Once you have verified the address and securely stored the paper wallet, you can send cryptocurrency to the public address. Send a small test amount first, confirm it arrives using a block explorer (on a separate device), then send the remainder.

QR Codes for Easy Scanning

QR codes are a critical feature of practical paper wallets. They eliminate the error-prone process of manually typing long hexadecimal strings when you need to fund or sweep the wallet.

The public address QR code

This QR code encodes the receiving address. Anyone can scan it to send cryptocurrency to your paper wallet. It is safe to share (just like the address itself). In practice, you might show this QR code to someone who wants to send you bitcoin, or scan it yourself from a mobile wallet to fund the paper wallet.

The private key QR code

This QR code encodes the private key. It must be kept secret and protected. When you eventually want to spend funds from the paper wallet, you scan this QR code with a wallet application to import the key. This process is called "sweeping" the wallet.

Security considerations for QR codes:

  • The private key QR code should be covered, folded, or sealed until needed. Some paper wallet designs include a fold-over flap that conceals the private key.
  • Be aware that any camera that scans the private key QR code now has access to the key. Only scan with a device you trust completely.
  • QR codes can degrade if printed at low quality or on poor paper. Print at high resolution and store flat (not folded across the QR code itself).

A well-designed paper wallet has a clear visual separation between the public side (address + public QR code) and the private side (private key + private QR code). The public side can be visible for receiving funds, while the private side should be sealed or concealed.

Physical Security Best Practices

The moment you print a paper wallet, your security model shifts entirely from digital to physical. The paper becomes the single point of failure.

Protection against environmental damage

Water damage: Store paper wallets in waterproof bags (ziplock at a minimum, or a dedicated waterproof document container). For long-term storage, consider lamination, though be aware that some lamination processes involve heat that could smear inkjet-printed text.

Fire damage: A standard fireproof safe rated for document storage (typically UL-rated for at least one hour at 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit) protects paper wallets from house fires. For maximum protection, combine paper wallets with a metal backup of the private key.

Degradation over time: Thermal paper (used by many receipt printers) fades within months. Always use standard printer paper or higher-quality stock. Laser printing is more durable than inkjet over long periods. Writing with pencil on acid-free paper is arguably the most durable non-metal option.

Protection against theft and unauthorized access

  • Store paper wallets in a locked safe.
  • Consider splitting information: store the address in one location and the private key in another. An attacker who finds only one piece cannot steal your funds.
  • Use tamper-evident envelopes or bags that show visible signs if someone has opened them.
  • Do not label the storage location obviously. A safe labeled "Bitcoin Private Keys" is an invitation.

Geographic distribution

Follow the same principle used for seed phrase cold storage: do not keep all copies in one location.

  • Primary copy: Your home safe.
  • Secondary copy: A bank safety deposit box, or a trusted location at a different address.
  • Consider metal backup: For the most important wallets, stamp or engrave the private key on stainless steel as a fire-proof and flood-proof backup.

Access planning

If something happens to you, can your heirs or trusted parties access the funds? Paper wallets have no "forgot password" button. Consider:

  • Including paper wallet recovery instructions in your estate plan.
  • Informing a trusted person about the existence and location of the wallet.
  • Storing clear, written instructions alongside the wallet that explain how to sweep the funds into a software wallet.

Limitations and Alternatives

Paper wallets are a proven cold storage method, but they are not without drawbacks. Understanding these limitations helps you decide if they are the right choice for your situation.

Single-address limitation

A paper wallet typically holds one private key and one address. Unlike an HD wallet generated from a seed phrase, there is no hierarchy of addresses. For privacy, Bitcoin best practice is to use a fresh address for every transaction. A paper wallet used repeatedly for receiving violates this principle. If you need multiple receiving addresses, either create multiple paper wallets or use a seed phrase-based cold storage approach.

Spending complexity

To spend from a paper wallet, you must import or sweep the private key into a software wallet. This temporarily exposes the private key to a connected device. Best practice is to sweep the entire balance to a new wallet in a single transaction. If you sweep to a new address and leave change on the paper wallet, you re-expose the key unnecessarily.

No passphrase protection

A raw private key on paper has no encryption. Anyone who sees it can spend the funds. BIP38 encrypted paper wallets exist (adding password protection to the printed private key), but this introduces the risk of forgetting the password years later.

Alternatives to consider

Hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor, Coldcard) provide cold storage with a better user experience for regular transactions. They keep the private key on a secure element and sign transactions without ever exposing the key.

Metal seed phrase backups combined with a hardware wallet give you the security of physical offline storage plus the convenience of a hardware device for transactions.

Multi-signature setups distribute trust across multiple keys, so no single compromised paper wallet can drain your funds.

Air-gapped seed phrase generation using SafeSeed's Bitcoin Seed Phrase Generator gives you the benefits of offline generation with the flexibility of an HD wallet. See our guide on generating Bitcoin seed phrases offline for the full process.

When paper wallets still make sense

Despite these limitations, paper wallets remain valuable in specific scenarios:

  • Gifting cryptocurrency: A paper wallet is a tangible, physical gift that recipients can hold and later redeem.
  • Simple long-term cold storage: For a single lump sum you plan to hold without touching for years, the simplicity of a paper wallet is an advantage, not a drawback.
  • Educational purposes: Paper wallets concretely demonstrate how cryptocurrency keys work, making them excellent teaching tools.
  • Offline backup of individual keys: Even if you primarily use a hardware wallet, having a paper backup of specific important keys can serve as a last-resort recovery option.

Paper wallets have been used since the earliest days of Bitcoin, and the concept remains sound. The private key is the secret, and physical possession of that secret is something no hacker can breach remotely. Combined with proper physical security measures, a paper wallet created on an air-gapped machine using a trusted generator like SafeSeed provides a level of security that is hard to surpass for simple, long-term storage.