GlossaryIntermediate
Paper Wallet
A physical printed copy of a wallet's public address and private key.
A paper wallet is a physical, typically printed, document containing a wallet's public address and private key (often as QR codes), created as a form of offline, air-gapped cold storage.
Paper wallets carry real practical risks — physical damage, loss, or being generated on a compromised device — that have made other cold-storage methods, like hardware wallets, more commonly recommended today.
Examples
- A paper wallet generated offline can serve as one form of cold storage.
- Fire, water damage, or simple loss are real, practical risks specific to physical paper wallets.