[Ethereum] Safe way to generate and store Ether on multiple paper wallets

cold-storageether

I have a certain amount x of Ether in my wallet on my PC. Now I want to divide this amount x by 30, and print each x/30th of my Ether on a separate paper. So, basically, I'd just like to have 30 bills of Ether.

[Q1] Is there an intelligent, secure and convenient to do this?

[Q2] Is it even recommended to do this?

Best Answer

The subject of paper wallets has been covered before. See: Is there a way to generate ethereum paper wallets?

But I think the more useful part about your question regards the usefulness of generating multiple paper wallets with smaller balances rather than one with a single, large balance.

There are pros and cons to generating multiple wallets:

Pros

  • You can store multiple wallets in different places, mitigating risk
  • Protect against bugs that may rarely occur in private key generation
  • Easier to physically exchange paper wallets with smaller amounts

Cons

  • It takes longer to sweep 30 paper wallets than 1
  • You will encounter higher fees if you want to make 30 separate transactions
  • It's more difficult to keep track of 30 pieces of paper than 1

Basically, it comes down to what you want to do with your Ethereum later on.

If you're looking for secure offline storage for an extended period of time, I'd go with a single paper wallet. If you plan on using Ethereum for more frequent transactions, look into getting a hardware wallet like Trezor. Hardware wallets offer similar security without sacrificing liquidity or useability.

Also, for bulk key generation, check out the accepted answer on this question: Is it possible to *write* (not print) a paper wallet without having to copy a big JSON?

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