Easy Offline Bitcoin Storage

Keep your Bitcoin keys offline and disconnected from the internet. Physical access required for theft — comparable to gold in a safe.

Start here

Update the COLDCARD before wallet setup, generate 24 seed words with the current on-device flow, and consider a strong BIP39 passphrase. Back up every required secret, pair Cove as watch-only, restore once to prove the backup, then send a small test amount before moving the rest.

What You Need

COLDCARD Q
Two steel plates + steel punch
A phone

1 Acquire Hardware

Purchase a COLDCARD Q, two steel plates, and a steel punch. Buy directly from coldcard.com to avoid supply chain risks.

2 Create a PIN, Then Update

Power on the COLDCARD Q and create a secure PIN. Once you reach the main menu, install and verify firmware 1.5.1Q or later before creating or restoring a wallet.

3 Generate Your Seed Words

Select New Seed Words > 24 Words, then follow the device prompt for key presses, private dice rolls, or private coin flips. The words are the master key to your bitcoin; never record the input sequence or the words digitally.

4 Optional: Add a Strong Passphrase

A BIP39 passphrase creates a separate wallet and protects against theft of the seed backup alone. On the COLDCARD, select Passphrase, enter a strong and unique passphrase on the Q, select APPLY, and record the wallet's eight-character extended fingerprint (XFP).

Do not rely on memory. Back up the exact passphrase separately from the seed words. COLDCARD does not store it, every typo opens a different wallet, and losing it means permanent loss. If you are not ready to manage another required secret, skip this optional step.

Follow the detailed COLDCARD passphrase procedure. Re-enter the passphrase and verify the XFP after every power cycle, before pairing or signing.

5 Back Up Your Seed on Steel

Stamp your 24 seed words into both steel plates using the punch. Store each plate in a separate, secure location.

Critical: Anyone who sees these words can steal your bitcoin. Never enter them into a computer or phone. Never photograph them. Only enter them directly into a COLDCARD when restoring.

If you added a passphrase, keep its backup separate from both seed plates. You'll verify the complete recovery works in step 8 below.

6 Install Cove Wallet

Download Cove Wallet on your phone (iOS / Android). Cove is a Bitcoin-only mobile wallet with full COLDCARD support via QR codes.

7 Pair COLDCARD with Cove

On your COLDCARD Q, go to Advanced/Tools > Export Wallet > Cove Wallet and display the QR code. In Cove, tap Import Wallet and scan the QR. This creates a watch-only wallet on your phone — it can see your balance and generate receiving addresses, but cannot spend without the COLDCARD.

To send bitcoin: Cove builds the transaction and displays a QR code. Scan it with your COLDCARD Q, verify the details on the device screen, approve and sign, then scan the signed QR back into Cove to broadcast. Your keys never leave the COLDCARD.

8 Test Your Complete Backup

Prove your backup works before trusting it with real money. Wipe the COLDCARD (Advanced/Tools > Danger Zone > Seed Functions > Destroy Seed). The device restarts to the setup screen — choose Import Existing > 24 Words and enter the words from your steel plate. If you added a passphrase, enter it again and confirm that the displayed XFP exactly matches the one you recorded. Delete the old wallet in Cove, re-pair from scratch (step 7), and verify you see the same addresses.

If something went wrong during stamping, find out now — not after a house fire.

9 Buy Bitcoin

Purchase bitcoin through a non-custodial broker like Bull Bitcoin, Strike, River, or Relai. Once purchased, withdraw to your Cove wallet by scanning a receive address QR code. Never leave bitcoin on an exchange — transfer it to your own wallet as soon as possible.

10 Practice

Start with a small amount first. Practice the full send flow — build, scan, sign, broadcast — until it feels natural. Once comfortable, transfer the rest. This is the same process you will use for any amount.

Next steps: Use the Checklist, then read the full Guide for cybersecurity, recovery kits, passphrases, multisig, privacy, physical security, and inheritance planning. Explore the Bitcoin Security Glossary to understand every term.