What is Paper Wallet?

A paper wallet is simply your keys or seed phrase recorded on physical paper rather than stored digitally. Because it is offline, it cannot be reached by remote hackers, malware, or phishing. It represents one of the oldest forms of cold storage, though today a hardware wallet is usually a more practical choice.

This matters because keeping a backup entirely offline removes a huge category of digital attack. Your recovery phrase written on paper and locked away is invisible to the internet.

Example: when setting up a wallet, you write the seed phrase on paper and store it in a safe, rather than saving it as a photo or in a notes app where malware could find it.

Safety note: paper is vulnerable to fire, water, loss, and prying eyes, so store it securely and consider a durable backup and a second copy in a separate location. Never photograph your paper wallet or type its contents into any device except when genuinely restoring. Anyone who physically finds it can take your funds, so treat it like cash or gold. Related terms include seed phrase, cold storage, hardware wallet, and self-custody.