Cold Storage
SECURITYDEFINITION
Keeping private keys on a device that never touches the internet — the standard for storing bitcoin savings.
An attacker who cannot reach your keys cannot steal your coins, no matter what malware infects your computer. Cold storage — usually a hardware wallet — signs transactions inside the offline device, so the keys never leave it even when you spend.
The rule of thumb we use across every review: hot wallets hold spending money, cold storage holds everything else. See our ranked picks in the wallets section.
IN A SENTENCE
“Everything beyond a month of spending goes into cold storage.”
Key facts
Common questions
Is a hardware wallet the same as cold storage?
It is the most practical form. Air-gapped devices, and properly generated steel-backed seeds, also qualify.
What if the device breaks?
Your seed phrase restores everything onto a new device — the backup, not the gadget, is what matters.