All terms
Keys kept on a device that never connects to the internet.
Cold storage means the private key is generated and stored on hardware that is never online. Transactions are signed on the device, so the key never touches your computer.
This is the standard for holdings you cannot afford to lose. Even if your computer is fully compromised, the attacker cannot extract the key.
A hardware wallet is cold storage. A wallet app on your phone is not, no matter how careful you are.
That cold storage means an app you rarely open. It means keys that have never touched an internet connected device. A wallet on your phone that you use twice a year is still a hot wallet with all the same exposure.
Common questions
Is a hardware wallet the same as cold storage?
How do I spend from cold storage without warming it up?
Where this comes up on the site
The guides that actually use this word, rather than a list of everything we have written.
Where to go next
More security terms
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