If you’ve bought bitcoin, chances are that you want to self-custody. Without self-custody, you don’t really have bitcoin, so why wouldn’t you? Using a hardware device to set up an offline bitcoin wallet is generally recommended. But backing up your wallet is actually much more important than having a hardware wallet. Yet, bitcoin backups are often ignored as an afterthought.
We’ll now be looking into why backing up your bitcoin wallet is crucial, but more importantly how to properly do it with the right products to secure your bitcoin holdings for multiple generations without trusted third parties.
Backup First
If you don’t self-custody and rely on a trusted third party like an exchange, custodian or broker, you may have good reasons for this, but perhaps you would be better off thinking about holding your own keys. As the adage goes, not your keys, not your…
Now of course, if you only have $10 or $50 worth of bitcoin in self-custody, backing up your wallet may not be relevant at this time. But if, for example, you hold a month's worth of salary, a year’s worth of savings or even more than 5% of your net worth, then a backup may be absolutely essential to secure your bitcoin holdings.
You should backup your bitcoin because electronics and hardware devices fail. That’s not specific to bitcoin or to openly criticize hardware wallet manufacturers. Rather, hardware wallets are similar to other general consumer electronics such as computers and USB keys, in that they break over time due to life hazards.
Having multiple keys within a multisig wallet may help reduce this risk of hardware failure, but is it enough for you to feel comfortable for the next 30 years? If not, read on. Paper backups are generally included when you buy a hardware wallet, but well, they’re paper. Paper is at risk of loss, shredding, misplacement, ink may fade, etc… Using paper for your backup is not a good idea. You should not store highly sensitive and perhaps incredibly valuable data onto paper for many years.
Medium of Storage
Over the years, and since Cryptosteel announced the world’s first metal backup back in 2013, we have seen many different formats of bitcoin metal backups by multiple different vendors. Which one is the preferred today? Is there any better format between cassettes, tiles, plates, punch cards and others?
First things first, make sure that your backup is built with high grade stainless steel, which is highly durable. Titanium options may also be a good alternative. Any other medium of storage used by existing manufacturers or recommended by free DIY options may be more fragile and prone to complete data loss in case of fire or other corrosive hazards (such as Aluminium).
Formats also exist in various options, such as flat cassettes with moving tiles, punching metal cards, ring tiles mounted onto a core, punchable tubes, punchable rings threaded onto a core, and more. So, which one is the best and why?
We need to establish the needs of someone who is backing their bitcoin seed phrase. The most important aspect is that it should be simple. Some would argue that’s not the priority but it really is. If it is difficult or inconvenient to use, then few people will do it right, while many others may be unable to complete a successful backup. Of course, a good bitcoin backup must be durable, recoverable, affordable and private, but that should almost be basic requirements for any product.
Anatomy of a Good Backup
We cannot start this discussion without sharing Lopp’s comprehensive technical overview of what makes a good seed phrase backup, based on his past research testing various models of metal bitcoin backups. The following analysis is more akin to an opinionated view of metal bitcoin backups as of 2024 focused on usability, security and durability.
A simple way to backup your bitcoin should require no extra tooling. That’s the best way to keep things simple for anyone looking to durably backup their bitcoin holdings. Requiring no tools is also safer with no risk of harm due to poor usage of tools. It’s also more discrete and enjoyable as there should be no noise from the process of making a backup. A larger number of people are able to backup their holdings if it does not require specialized equipment, such as sharp items, hammers, anvils or punches.
Obviously, your backup must be durable. That’s the whole point. We’ve established that stainless steel is the best alloy to rely on. But about the format? Over the years, we’ve seen different shapes of backups. What matters is that the format be resistant to life hazards, including fire, flood, tons of weight press and extreme changes in any of these conditions. We’re concerned about concrete life risks such as floods, hurricanes, as well as house and apartment fires, which can cause high temperatures but also buildings to crumble.
Options for backup formats usually fall within 6 categories to record data: sliding, stamping, engraving, etching, punching and stacking.
Sliding
Introduced in 2013 by Cryptosteel, the sliding backup design is a rail-based device in which you slide tiles, such as Cassette by Cryptosteel, Simbit or Billfodl. They are quite easy to set up, not requiring specialized tooling and are resistant to most risks such as corrosion from acid, heat from fire, and water floods. But this design may pose some risks of partial or even complete data loss if the medium gets bent or twisted by a very heavy weight press.
Vendor Reviews: Cryptosteel Cassette, Simbit, Ellipal Mnemonic Metal, Bunkeroid, HODL Wallet (discontinued), Billfodl (discontinued), Steeldisk (discontinued)
Engraving
Similar to stamping, engraving does not necessarily require stamps, but can be done with various sharp tools to permanently mark the metal, such as dremel, small chisels, and gravers. Of course, engraving can be done on many different formats of metal backups, but require even more specialized tools and security measures to avoid injuries than with stamping.
Vendor Reviews: SteelWallet (DIY), Steelki, CryptoVault (discontinued), Crypto Key Stack (discontinued)
Etching
Etching is used to mark metal backups with the corrosive action of an acid or electrochemical process. This is probably the least popular way to mark metal backups but is usually available as an option with vendors that rely on engraving for imprinting a backup in metal. It relies on highly specialized tools and is hazardous due to the dangerous chemical products required.
Vendor Reviews: Steelki, Black Seed Ink, Cryptoetch (discontinued), SteelWallet (DIY), CryptoVault (discontinued), Crypto Key Stack (discontinued)
Stamping
Usually the most widespread technique in both commercial and DIY products, stamping is a way to mark metal backups of different formats, from plates to hexagonal tubular shapes, fender washers and rings. Stamping requires medium to advanced technical skills, as it requires using tools, such as hammers, stamps and optional jig and guiding rails to ensure stamping is done safely with the correct alignment of characters. Wearing protective gears for eyes and fingers is usually recommended for safety.
Vendor Reviews: Coldbit, DIY BulletProof Bitcoin, Crypto Keys (discontinued), Hodlinox (discontinued), SAFU Ninja (DIY), Safe Seed, Seedor, Cryptotag
Punching
Similar to stamping, punching requires medium to advanced technical skills as special tools such as punches and hammers are used to mark metal permanently. It’s also quite popular as stamping, and requires only one single shape to punch, instead of multiple unique stamps. It’s usually done on metal plates with grids as well as hexagonal tubular shapes. It can be quite difficult to mark metal punching without making errors but also reading data may prove inconvenient for recovery. Wearing protective gears for eyes and fingers is usually recommended for safety.
Vendor Reviews: Blockplate, Seedplate, Smallseed, Attenuo (discontinued), Steelwallet, Coldkeys S, Bitplate Domino
Stacking
One of the least widespread commercial products, and perhaps most underappreciated formats is to stack tiles and other ring parts, such as fender washers. This design is compatible with beginners having low levels of technical skills, and DIY enthusiasts. The order and completeness of seed phrases is absolutely crucial for recovery, so this design must have reliable cotter-pins acting as closing and retention clips, or should include numbering for each word. Other than that, assembling these products does not require any tools, except for DIY options using the “stacking” design combined with “stamping”, for instance.
Vendor Reviews: Cryptosteel Capsule, Cryptosteel Seed12, SAFU Ninja DIY
Additional Considerations
Affordability
How much does a backup cost? The price at which a bitcoin backup product is available is an important criteria for many consumers. This is also true for hardware wallet manufacturers who may consider bundling their hardware devices with backup products. A price point under $50 is considered affordable. Anything over 100$ is considered premium, while the most common pricing is within the $50-100 range usually.
Erasability
Can errors be made and corrected without rendering the backup obsolete? Very few backup formats are editable and erasable. This can be useful for error correction, backup reuse with new seed phrases and also for educational content. It’s also a great benefit to discard a seed phrase backup privately, without leaking any sensitive information. Usually, the “stacking” model is the only compatible format to erase a backup.
Tamper-Evidence
Is it obvious if someone saw or made a copy of a backup? Revealing that a backup has been viewed by a third party is an important feature for anyone worried about the “evil maid attack”. Usually, tamper-evident seals are DIY and do not come built into the backup design. Very few backups have such seals integrated as part of the core product, though it is a useful privacy and security add-on.
Compactness
How small is a backup in size to hide it easily? The dimensions of a backup matter quite a lot to be able to hide it in some safe place, but also from a durability standpoint. A small and compact backup is less likely to bend to tons of weight pressure.
Seed12 as a Recommended Backup
Based on the previous discussion, our recommended bitcoin self-custody backup as of December 2024 is the Seed12 by Cryptosteel. Assemble your backup by threading character tiles onto the core, encasing them in an optional protective capsule and tamper-proof seal.
- Affordable: For $30, the Seed12 Core and $59 the Seed12 Security Kit are priced quite competitively to other commercial backups. Of course, DIY options remain more affordable for constrained budgets.
- Durable: Made from high grade stainless steel, Seed12 is highly resistant to impact, flood and fire temperatures.
- Compact: Packaged in a matchbox-sized case.
- No tools: This backup system requires no tools, such as hammers or sharp punches, making it easy and safe to set up.
- Erasable: As one of the smallest backup kits ever designed, it is also erasable and reusable, built with a modular tile system for easy error correction.
- Flexible: Consumers can purchase additional parts and only pay for what they use, such as extra tiles, capsules or tamper-proof seals.
The Right Conditions to Backup
Now that we’ve covered most aspects and considerations of what makes a good bitcoin backup, let’s briefly cover how and where to actually set it up. When setting up your bitcoin backup, ensure the following:
- Secure Environment: Choose a private, distraction-free space to set up your backup without risk of being overheard or observed.
- Backup Location: Store in a secure, fireproof, and waterproof location, such as a home safe or a safety deposit box for additional security.
- Redundancy: Create multiple backups and store them in geographically separated locations.
- Privacy Measures: Use tamper-evident seals or concealment techniques to detect or prevent unauthorized access.
- Documentation: Clearly label backups and write a documented plan to help yourself and your trusted ones to recover your bitcoin with your backups.
- Regular Checks: Periodically verify the backup's condition and accessibility while ensuring it remains private and simple to use to recover your bitcoin.
If you have bitcoin in self-custody, you must have a good backup. Backing up your bitcoin is not just a precaution—it’s a necessity for securing your holdings over the long term. With the right materials, such as stainless steel or titanium, and careful attention to format, usability, and durability, you can ensure your backup withstands life’s challenges. Whether you opt for sliding, stamping, punching, or stacking designs, prioritize simplicity and reliability. By following proper setup conditions and choosing high-quality products built to last, you can protect your bitcoin for generations without relying on third parties.
This is a guest post by Thibaud. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
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