Paper Wallet
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In Brief
A paper wallet is an offline method of storing crypto by printing or writing your public address and private key (often as QR codes) on paper, keeping the keys completely off any internet-connected device.
What Is a Paper Wallet?
A paper wallet is a physical document that contains a crypto wallet's public address and private key — often printed as QR codes — for storing cryptocurrency offline. Because the keys exist only on paper and never touch an internet-connected device, a paper wallet is a form of cold storage.
Paper wallets were an early do-it-yourself approach to securing crypto. While largely superseded by hardware wallets and modern recovery-phrase backups, they're still searched for and occasionally used.
How Does a Paper Wallet Work?
You generate a new key pair (ideally on an offline, clean device).
The public address and private key are printed or written on paper, usually as QR codes.
You deposit funds by sending crypto to the public address.
The funds stay secure as long as the paper — and the private key on it — remains safe and secret.
To spend, you import or "sweep" the private key into a software wallet.
Pros and Cons of Paper Wallets
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Keys stored fully offline | Paper can be lost, damaged, or destroyed |
| No hardware cost | Risky generation if device is compromised |
| Immune to remote hacking | Awkward to spend partial amounts |
| Simple concept | No standard backup like a recovery phrase |
Why Paper Wallets Have Fallen Out of Favor
Paper wallets carry practical risks: the printer or device used to create them could be compromised, paper degrades or can be lost, and spending funds often exposes the key. Modern alternatives — hardware wallets and BIP-39 recovery phrases — provide stronger, more user-friendly cold-storage security, which is why paper wallets are now rarely recommended.
Paper Wallet vs Modern Self-Custody
Today, most self-custody is handled through software wallets backed by a secret recovery phrase (and, for larger amounts, hardware wallets). These offer the same "you hold the keys" principle as a paper wallet, but with better usability, recoverability, and security.
Paper Wallets and Trust Wallet
Trust Wallet offers modern, non-custodial self-custody without the drawbacks of paper: your keys are secured on your device and backed up by a secret recovery phrase you control. Across 100+ blockchains, you can store, send, swap, and stake crypto while keeping full ownership of your keys — the same self-custody principle behind a paper wallet, made practical for everyday use.