Bitcoin has been one of the most lucrative investments of the 21st century, so it’s no surprise that you might find yourself wanting to purchase some. But before you jump the gun, you should know exactly how to store Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — you wouldn’t want to risk losing your hard-earned cash.
Truth be told, storing Bitcoin isn’t at all difficult. The key is storing it in a safe, yet accessible place, and knowing how you should store for different purposes. Without further ado, here’s our guide to storing Bitcoin.
How do I store Bitcoin?
Although it may sound daunting at first, Bitcoin isn’t at all difficult to store. That’s because holding Bitcoin is really just having access to a password — a private key — which lets you transact with the coins on the public network.
That’s right: storing Bitcoin is as simple as storing a bunch of numbers and letters. This gives you a fair number of options when it comes to the different ways and places you can hold it.
In general, the places you hold your private keys are referred to as wallets. Some wallets can also be used to send Bitcoin (like software ones), while others can only be used to store and receive Bitcoin (like paper ones).
Before we discuss the ways in which you can hold Bitcoin, let’s talk a little more about private keys.
Private keys
Private keys are the alphanumeric passcodes which give you access to your cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. They’re extremely important, because the only way that you can send a chunk of cryptocurrency is by ‘signing’ the transaction with your secretly-kept private key. No keys means no coins.
Most private keys are 64 characters long, with the characters ranging from 0 to 9 and A to F. Remembering this long passcode is nowhere near as easy as remembering your 4 digit bank pin or your 16 digit credit card number, not to mention the extra 6 characters which can be included (A-F). This is why Bitcoin users choose write down their keys either digitally or physically.
When we talk about the different ways to store Bitcoin, we’re really just talking about the most secure and accessible places — wallets — to write down our private keys. Let’s take a look at them now.
Where can I store Bitcoin?
There are four popular places to store cryptocurrencies: online, on your computer (software), on a physical device (hardware), or on a piece of paper. Discussing these one-by-one, you’ll see how easy it can be to over-complicate things.
Online bitcoin wallets
Online wallets are the most frequently used Bitcoin storage systems. With an online wallet, like the immensely popular Coinbase, a third party takes care of storing your private keys. As long as they are trustworthy service, this means that you can send, store, and receive Bitcoin without ever having to touch a private key.
The benefits of using an online wallet are:
- Quick and easy setup
- No technical knowledge required
- Accessible from anywhere
- Buying, storing, and selling on one service
The disadvantages are:
- Limited ownership of your private keys
- Risk of losing access to your coins
- Transaction fees
Best online bitcoin wallets
You can also store bitcoins on iPhone bitcoin wallets or Android bitcoin wallets.
Bitcoin software wallets
Software wallets are another lightweight, easy solution to storing Bitcoin. These wallets store private keys on your computer’s hard drive as secretly and as safely as possible. Software wallets also offer the functionality to automatically transact with your Bitcoin, doing the hard part of the work for you.
The benefits of using a software wallet are:
Little technical knowledge required
Complete ownership of your private keys
Easy to send and receive
The disadvantages are:
Significant setup time
Needing access to the same computer
Risk of being hacked
Best online bitcoin software wallets
Bitcoin hardware wallets
Hardware wallets are dedicated devices which store your Bitcoin on a portable, failproof computer. That’s right, they’re boxed-up computers which create, encrypt, and isolate your private keys, preventing them from ever getting out. What’s more, they can be secured with a pin and backed-up with long passphrases, in case anything does happen to the device itself. Although this may sound excessive, it certainly makes hardware wallets a secure way to store your coins.
The benefits of using a hardware wallet are:
- Extreme security
- Relatively portable
- Complete ownership of your private keys
- Built-in transaction functions
The disadvantages are:
- Physical device
- Significant one-time cost ($50+)
- Some technical knowledge required
Best hardware wallets for storing bitcoin
Paper bitcoin wallets
Our last way of storing Bitcoin is as safe as it is cost effective: the paper wallet. Paper wallets are computer printouts with your private keys written down. While they might be a little problematic to take care of, there’s certainly no risk of your printed paper being hacked.
The benefits of using a paper wallet are:
- Flawless digital security
Relatively portable
Complete ownership of your private keys
The disadvantages are:
- Risk of natural damage (fire, water, etc)
- Keys kept in plain sight
- Time-taking to setup and transact with
- Some technical knowledge required
Best Bitcoin Paper Wallets
Note: For the most part, you don’t “buy” paper wallets. As a result, the above services will just create a print out for a generic paper wallet, or generate an address and private key for your custom paper wallet.
What’s the best way to store Bitcoin?
With four surprisingly unique ways to do so, you might be wondering how best to store your Bitcoins. The thing is, that’s not such an easy question to answer.
Why? Because the ‘word’ best is a little ambiguous: who knows whether you’re looking for added security or extra accessibility, and whether you’re looking to store pennies or your marriage’s retirement fund.
With that in mind, we’ll start by discussing the definitively easiest way to store Bitcoin, then the definitively safest way to store Bitcoin, and finally the best way to store Bitcoin under your particular circumstances.
The easiest way to store Bitcoin
Without a doubt, the easiest way to store Bitcoin is using an online wallet. You need absolutely no technical knowledge; you can buy, sell, and hold in the same place; and there’s no lengthy setup or physical limitations.
It’s all for a big sacrifice though: having no access to your private keys. This means that in a certain sense you don’t own your cryptocurrencies at all, and you’ve got to hope that the service provider is willing to cooperate when it comes to withdrawing or spending your coins.
The safest way to store Bitcoin
The safest way to store Bitcoin would have to be with a hardware wallet. The security offered by a standalone, single-purpose device has no match. There’s almost no risk of your cryptocurrencies being hacked, and it’s not like someone can steal everything with just the device (as with a paper wallet), thanks to the clever PIN systems.
The sacrifice of storing in a hardware wallet comes as a loss of usability and accessibility, along with a significant price tag. You’ll obviously need to carry your hardware wallet around with you when you want to spend, and you’ll need some technical knowledge to setup and use it effectively.
A comparison: The best way to store Bitcoin
Now let’s try to answer the more complicated question: what’s the best way to store Bitcoin? To make a meaningful conclusion, you’ll need to identify what features and characteristics you need most, and what you’re willing to sacrifice instead.
Then, you’ll need to understand the different selling points and limitations that certain storage methods offer. To help you out with this, we’ve compiled a table comparing the four wallets we mentioned above:
| Online | Software | Hardware | Paper | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | None | None | $XX-$XXX | Little |
| Security | As safe as the service | As safe as your computer | Safest wallet (by far) | Safe from hackers |
| Accessibility | Best | Good | Poor | Poor |
| Expertise Required | None | Little | Moderate amount | Moderate amount |
| Best For? | Small, quick transactions OR if buying for first time | Everyday cryptocurrency usage | Holding large amounts long-term | Holding moderate amounts long-term |
See if you can match your ideal wallet with any of those listed above, based on both the features and limitations. This is our favorite approach to picking the right wallet.
If you can already see which storage method will work best for you, excellent! We’ve done our job.
If not, here’s some more handy advice to help you decide:
- Remember that you can use a combination of storage methods for your Bitcoin. For example, you could keep a small, liquid amount on an online wallet for quick transactions, while keeping your biggest holdings offline.
- If you’re serious about holding onto Bitcoins for an extended period of time, forget about using a software wallet or online wallet. Either of these methods have too high a risk of random failure.
- Finally, you should know that software wallets exist for mobile devices too. This means that you can use a software wallet even if you don’t have a laptop/desktop, or if you’re not able to travel with one.