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Coldcard Hardware Wallet
Coldcard Hardware Wallet
  • Why we recommend Coldcard
  • Guide Overview
  • Wasabi Wallet companion app
  • 🏰Security Overview
    • Is Coldcard secure?
    • Securing the wallet: overview of the basics
    • How people lose their Bitcoin
  • 🔐Create your wallet & backup
    • What you need
    • Initializing the device
    • Coldcard PIN Overview
    • PIN Steps
    • Updating the Firmware
      • Verifying the Firmware
    • Wallet backup basics
    • Create Wallet backup
      • Dice Roll Method (optional)
      • MicroSD backup (optional)
    • Seed XOR (optional)
      • Steps for Seed XOR
      • Restoring from Seed XOR
    • Passphrase Overview
    • Steps for adding a passphrase
      • Lockdown Seed
    • Installing Wasabi Wallet
      • Verifying Wasabi Wallet
    • Connecting to Wasabi Wallet
      • Air-Gapped Coldcard (optional)
  • ⛓️How to use Coldcard with Wasabi Wallet
    • Steps for receiving Bitcoin payments
    • Steps for sending Bitcoin
      • Privacy/Coin Control
      • PSBT Method (optional)
  • 🏹More Features
    • PIN Security Features
    • Power & Login
    • Address Explorer
    • BIP-85 Wallets
      • Using BIP-85 with Wasabi
  • ⚠️Summary
    • DO's & DONT's
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  1. Security Overview

Securing the wallet: overview of the basics

There are 3 security mechanisms that prevent you from accidental loss or theft of your Bitcoin:

  1. Two-part PIN on the Coldcard device

  2. Seed Backup recovery codes

  3. Wallet passphrases

If you lose your Coldcard

  • The Seed Backup allows you to recover your Bitcoin wallets

  • Your Passphrase allows you to unlock the recovered Bitcoin wallets

WARNING

Both the Seed Backup and the Passphrase are required to recover a lost wallet. If you lose the Seed Backup OR the Passphrase, you will not be able to recover access to your Bitcoin if you lose the Coldcard device.

If someone steals your Coldcard

The PIN protects unauthorized access to your Coldcard device, should it fall into the wrong hands.

If someone steals your Coldcard and your PIN

They will be able to unlock the device, but they will not have access to your Bitcoin wallets without the Passphrase

If someone steals your Seed Backup recovery codes

They will not be able to recover your Bitcoin wallets without the Passphrase.

WARNING

If someone has access to both your Seed Backup or Coldcard and its PIN and your Passphrase, they can steal your Bitcoin! DO NOT KEEP A COPY OF THEM IN THE SAME PLACE!

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Last updated 3 years ago

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