<p>I believe the basis of this recommendation is clients' tendency to create invisible <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1629/why-does-bitcoin-send-the-change-to-a-different-address">change addresses</a>. A transaction sending the <em>entire balance</em> to a known address <strong>eliminates the possibility that a part of the balance could be lost when a private key for a change address is not retained</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-09T05:20:47.797Z
2013-11-09T05:20:47.797Z
2017-04-13T12:47:34.187Z
Colin Dean
<p>The point of an offline wallet is that your private key has never been stored on any internet-connected computer, where it might be  vulnerable to an attacker. In order to spend coins from an address, you have to copy the private key back onto a connected computer, to generate and send the transaction. The address will still work just fine for sending and receiving coins, but it's no longer "offline".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-09T16:02:38.240Z
2013-11-09T16:02:38.240Z
Nate Eldredge
<p>You'd have use your private key to spend from the "savings" wallet. Your private key is then at risk least as many kinds of hacks as you used the private/paper/offline/savings wallet to avoid. To preserve the safety, it is recommended that you send coins to a fresh "savings" wallet that has had no chance of being known to a hacker.</p>

<p>How can you test a savings wallet? You can build confidence by using a test wallet only for small amounts that you do not keep there. You won't be able to test that the private key works on your real savings wallet without the risk that comes with using the private key. Some QR code scanners unhelpfully search the internet for what is scanned.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-09T18:12:13.683Z
2013-11-09T18:12:13.683Z
user7636
<p>According to <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_set_up_a_secure_offline_savings_wallet" rel="nofollow">How to set up a secure offline savings wallet</a>,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Every time you retrieve bitcoins from your savings wallet, create a fresh savings wallet by repeating the above procedure, and send all your remaining savings balance there.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Why do you need to create a fresh wallet after retrieving a few bitcoins? </p>

<p>Is the receiving address no longer valid?</p>

<p>How can you create a secure offline wallet, send bitcoins to it, and then test it to make sure that it works by sending a small amount out?</p>

<wallet><security><bitcoin-core><coldstorage>
Why does using a wallet in cold storage make it less secure?
Bitcoin Master
# Why does using a wallet in cold storage make it less secure?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-11-09)

According to [How to set up a secure offline savings wallet](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_set_up_a_secure_offline_savings_wallet),

> Every time you retrieve bitcoins from your savings wallet, create a fresh savings wallet by repeating the above procedure, and send all your remaining savings balance there.

Why do you need to create a fresh wallet after retrieving a few bitcoins?

Is the receiving address no longer valid?

How can you create a secure offline wallet, send bitcoins to it, and then test it to make sure that it works by sending a small amount out?

**Tags:** wallet, security, bitcoin-core, coldstorage


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-11-09. Score: 4

I believe the basis of this recommendation is clients' tendency to create invisible [change addresses](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1629/why-does-bitcoin-send-the-change-to-a-different-address). A transaction sending the *entire balance* to a known address **eliminates the possibility that a part of the balance could be lost when a private key for a change address is not retained**.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-11-09. Score: 2

The point of an offline wallet is that your private key has never been stored on any internet-connected computer, where it might be vulnerable to an attacker. In order to spend coins from an address, you have to copy the private key back onto a connected computer, to generate and send the transaction. The address will still work just fine for sending and receiving coins, but it's no longer "offline".


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### Answer by username_3 on 2013-11-09. Score: 2

You'd have use your private key to spend from the "savings" wallet. Your private key is then at risk least as many kinds of hacks as you used the private/paper/offline/savings wallet to avoid. To preserve the safety, it is recommended that you send coins to a fresh "savings" wallet that has had no chance of being known to a hacker.

How can you test a savings wallet? You can build confidence by using a test wallet only for small amounts that you do not keep there. You won't be able to test that the private key works on your real savings wallet without the risk that comes with using the private key. Some QR code scanners unhelpfully search the internet for what is scanned.


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