In this article, I am going to give you the 3 best cryptocurrency cold storage solutions. You’ve probably heard this before by your friend or colleague that introduced you to the wonderful world of cryptocurrency: “You need to store your bitcoin offline using cold storage”. So what does that mean exactly? There are many forms of cold storage, but there is considerably more forms of “Hot Wallets” or storage that is convenient and directly tied to an internet connection.
I don’t need to tell that this form of storage is convenient, but is riddled with considerable risk. With a normal bank account, if there is fraud or if someone hacks your account, you have recourse, and in most cases your will not be liable and be fully reimbursed. No harm no foul, right?
That is not the case when it comes to cryptocurrency. It’s about self-sovereignty and full ownership and responsibility of your own finances. With that in mind comes a great deal of responsibility and in this case, responsibility over your own finances and your own bank is a blessing. So what do you need to know? You absolutely, 100% need a cold storage solution for storing your cryptocurrency offline to keep your private keys and recovery seed safe.
I am going to share with you below the 3 best cryptocurrency and bitcoin cold storage solutions, starting with what I consider to be the most secure, all the way down to what is not so secure. However, everything that is offline (generally speaking) is still more secure than keeping your long term holdings on a phone or any other internet connected device.
HERE ARE THE TOP 3 COLD-STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR STORING YOUR CRYPTOCURRENCY OFFLINE
Be advised that these are considered to be the best practices currently in the industry and most commonly used tried and true methods. There are other ways to go about this, but as they are not properly vetted and not as commonly used, we will not be listing them here.
#1 HARDWARE WALLETS (MOST SECURE) 
You can probably tell by now that I am a strong advocate of hardware wallets. I even developed and built one working for a very prominent cryptocurrency company and I have the latest prototype not 2 feet from where I sit now.
I have a lot of first-hand experience in understanding why it is vitally important to own one and use one for any amount of cryptocurrency you don’t plan to spend in the next 24 hours. It has some keen advantages on top of being an “offline” device, which means it cannot be hacked.
- Private keys are generated on and never leave the device, even when it’s connected to the computer. This is crucial because if your private keys are stored in a secure environment and they are never removed from the device, there is no risk of them being exposed to the internet.
- Custom PIN Encryption – This is an extra layer of security that requires the user to set a 4-8 digit custom pin once it’s connected to USB port that is connected to the internet, like a desktop or laptop (or even a mobile phone). Without this PIN, you cannot even gain access to the application to make changes or sign transactions.
- Additional Device Verification – This means that any action you take on the web or desktop application with your mouse or a keystroke, requires authentication on the device itself to ensure there is no key-logging or unauthorized changes. For example, If I want to spend 0.25 BTC on a new snowboard on Amazon (Yes, you can do this with Purse.io), and you initiate that within the web app, it will prompt your to confirm the transaction on the hardware device via physically pressing a mechanical button. This is to ensure no mistakes and no unauthorized transactions occur.
#2 USB DRIVE (NOT AS SECURE)
This option is better than leaving all of your holdings on a hot wallet, but is still not recommended. Why? Because unlike a trusted hardware wallet, it has no security measures. If someone gains access to the unsuspecting USB drive, they will have unfettered access to your precious private keys.
It is not encrypted, it is not protected, and anyone with access to google can crack this if they have physical possession of it. Additionally, I cannot tell you how often these little devices have hardware failures. If you do not have a backup of these keys, your coins will be gone forever if something goes wrong.
#3 PAPER WALLET (EVEN LESS SECURE)
This one is a “Catch 22”. What do I mean by that? Well, I see the value of what it is and I understand why this invention was created. For instance, when I wanted to give my loved ones some bitcoin in their stocking at Christmas, it was (and still is) a great way to introduce bitcoin to the uninitiated and get them excited about this new technology.
A paper wallet is exactly what it sounds like, it’s your bitcoin in paper form. It usually includes a QR code to scan with your phone and import into a hot wallet and contains a written public and private key. This is not secure, but if you are gifting it to someone, or making a trade or transaction offline, it’s a decently good medium, especially if you don’t know or necessarily trust the recipient. 
As I mentioned above, if you are unfamiliar with this amazing piece of paper, it exposes everything you need to take control of this bitcoin. It has written out the public bitcoin address and the corresponding private key. If someone dropped this in the wind and I picked it up down the road, it would be like getting a winning lottery ticket (literally). As you can see there are very few recommended uses for this, and even when using this, you need to be very, very careful.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So, 3 best cryptocurrency cold storage solutions? When choosing the best cold storage solution for you, you need to understand what your end game is. What is your purpose and intent when deciding to pull your crypto offline? Most people who learn about the many advantages about cryptocurrency, typically plan to hold it for an extend period of time, whether it be for a long term investment or even everyday spending (like me).
The Bottomline: Unless you are planning to give some bitcoin away as a gift or you are making a one time transaction with a stranger in a dark alley, I STRONGLY recommend you purchase a hardware wallet. One of the most popular ones right now and is widely supported by a wide range of different cryptocurrencies is only $59 at the time of this writing.
Believe me, it won’t be that price for long. Once the next market cycle starts to ramp up, these prices are going to be increasing, and it is a steal considering you are protecting potentially millions or billions of dollars worth of lifetime crypto-assets. The hardware wallet in question here is the Ledger Nano S, and I use this as one of my everyday wallets as well for spending. If you click the “HOME” button at the top, you can see all the different wallets we offer and endorse right now, depending on what features you need and what works best for you.
If you have any questions or comments on this post, please sound off below! I’d love to hear from you! Until next time…
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. This adds no cost to you but it helps me focus on giving as much value as possible in every single post by being compensated for recommending products that help people succeed.
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CoinMine One Review (2020) – Is It Worth Buying? My Experience After 3 Months
In this Coinmine One review, I am going to talk about my experience with not only the user experience in the last few months, but if I think it’s a viable option for crypto mining, so stay tuned for the whole article to get my scoop.
I recently wrote an in-depth article before I received the device outlining the features and selling points I perceived it to have and I still hold true to those beliefs, but there are also some changes after actually using the device that I didn’t take into consideration. It’s a good read and it can be found HERE.
But in this article, I want to focus in on specifically who this device is for? Is it what I expected? And ultimately, if I think it was worth the price of the device (Which you can receive a special discount on below if you are interested).
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COINMINE FOR ONLY $649 WHEN USING DISCOUNT CODE “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT
Who Is the CoinMine One Intended For?
This at-home crypto miner is designed for the new user to crypto that wants to start participating into mining, without having the learn all the technical intricacies that go along with it.
For instance, when I first unboxed the device and plugged it in for the first time, all I did was download the app, scan the QR code that came in the box to connect it, and within 2 minutes I was mining my first cryptocurrency.
.It was stupidly easy to setup and very easy to figure out. You can mine up to 6 different coins currently ( ZCash, Monero, Grin, Ethereum, Handshake, and Bitcoin) and can switch between them whenever you want all within the app.
Additionally, you can choose “Bitcoin” mode that will mine the most profitable coin on the app and automatically convert it on the backend into your bitcoin wallet if all you want is bitcoin at the end of the day. This is makes it easy to set it and forget it and will automatically utilize the device in the most efficient way to get bitcoin into your wallet, even though you aren’t “mining” it directly.
Is The CoinMine One Device What I Expected?
Overall, I came into this purchase understanding that this wasn’t going to be the most profitable way to mine cryptocurrency. For me, I knew this device would be easy to use, require no maintenance, and I could literally set it and forget it.
Additionally, since I’ve received the device, they’ve added a free feature that allows you to compound interest by leaving your funds in the wallet they provide you by 6.5% per month. This is a free service that is a win-win for accruing your funds faster.
Now, you can transfer your earned funds into your own wallet, once you hit the minimum withdrawal amount, but I personally don’t because I like to utilize a portion of my crypto to earn interest and have it go to work for me.
I also want to point out that this device is super quiet and does not generate almost any heat, like most mining rigs do. This is quieter and sleeker than a playstation and takes less power too. This can easily go in every kitchen, office, or bedroom (if you want a nightlight), without causing a disruption.
If your goal is to participate in mining and earn passive income without: tons of work, research, loud noises, and excessive cooling and electricity costs, you won’t be disappointed.
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COINMINE FOR ONLY $649 WHEN USING DISCOUNT CODE “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT
Is The CoinMine One Worth The Price Of $799?
At their normal price of $799, it can seem a little steep, but it will eventually pay off, because cryptocurrency is still very early.
Luckily for you, I have a special referral code for my readers so they can utilize my specific Coinmine One discount code. All you need to do is click HERE and enter code “BITCOINLOCKUP” at checkout to drop the price to only $649.99, saving you some money right away.
This is the best discount they offer, so I wouldn’t expect to find it cheaper anywhere else. At this price, it’s definitely worth it and it’s been nothing but a positive experience and with the compound interest option automatically applied, you’ll recoup your initial investment sooner than you think. There is no longer a reason to wait!
CoinMine One Conclusion
Overall, Is this device the most efficient way to mine cryptocurrency? No. Is this the path to the most profitability to participate in cryptocurrency mining? No. So why would I do it?
This is designed for people that are new to the ecosystem that want to participate in securing the network of the coin they want to support and allows them to do it easily and safely without ANY technical knowledge required. It takes more skill to setup a playstation than it does with this device.
You can use the calculator on the site to see how long it could take to break even or become profitable, but you shouldn’t expect a return within the first year. Now, it is possible to become profitable much quicker, but that ultimately depend on the overall market and price of the coin you are mining.
So, is it worth the price? That honestly depends, for me this wasn’t strictly about profitability but finding a non-technical way to quickly and easily immerse myself into the ecosystem and be apart of something better!
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COINMINE FOR ONLY $649 WHEN USING DISCOUNT CODE “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT
What do you think? Would you buy the CoinMine One? Let us know down below in the comments!
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. This adds no cost to you but it helps me focus on giving as much value as possible in every single post by being compensated for recommending products that help people succeed.
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Proof Of Work Vs. Proof Of Stake | How Does It Work? (Beginner’s Guide)
What is Proof Of Work Vs. Proof Of Stake | How Does It Work? If you spend enough time in the crypto-community and you’ll witness debates over Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). Fans of PoW will argue that it’s the transaction system Satoshi Nakamoto had in mind for cryptocurrencies. Those in favor of PoS, on the other hand, will argue that mining is outdated, inefficient, and insecure compared to staking.
So you might be wondering, what’s the difference, is one actually better than the other, and why is it better? Well like most things here at Bitcoin Lockup, I am not here to give you my unsolicited opinions, but we are here to give you some objective information that might help you determine for yourself which proof has best proven its worth.
Proof Of Work Vs. Proof Of Stake | How Does It Work?
PROOF OF WORK
When Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin in 2008, he envisioned a currency that would rely on a trustless and distributed consensus system. This would allow Bitcoin to be decentralized both in technological and financial terms. For instance, when you transact money through a trusted system, a third-party (think banks, credit/debit cards, PayPal) handles these transactions in terms of debit and credit. If Mark sends Sally $100 dollars, the institution will debit Mark’s account $100 dollars and credit Sally with $100. All of the money is handled by and within the third party, so none of the transacted funds belong to either Mark nor Sally until they are withdrawn from the system.
Bitcoin differs from traditional financial hubs by being trustless. This is not to say you can’t trust Bitcoin and blockchain with your money. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Bitcoin’s trustless nature allows for a peer-to-peer exchange without the need for a third-party mediator.
The traditional mediators are replaced with miners, and these miners work on behalf of Bitcoin holders to see that transaction are successfully processed. In order to see that these transactions are approved, miners commit their computer’s processing power to solve the encrypted algorithms within each transaction. This is what we mean by Proof of Work.
Under a Proof of Work system, miners compete to verify that all the transactions within the candidate block (the block currently being built) are legitimate. To do this, they must solve the encrypted puzzles that verify the integrity of the transacted coins. The first miner to solve these puzzles receives an amount of the transacted currency, also known as a block reward. Once the problem is solved, the transactions create a block that is stored as a public ledger on the blockchain, and the miner announces the solution to the entire network.
As you can see, PoW is dictated by competition and computational output. Imagine an international math competition wherein a previously unsolved proof (the block) is given to the competitors (the miners). Whoever solves this proof first is awarded a prize (block reward), and the solved proof is then posted on the internet for all to see (the block being established in the blockchain).
PROOF OF STAKE
Proof of Stake differs entirely from Proof of Work. Instead of building blocks through work output, the creator of a block is determined by their share, or stake, in a currency.
Under this system, forgers (the PoS equivalent of a miner) are chosen to build blocks based on their stake in a currency and the age of that stake within the blockchain’s network. For instance, let’s say you hold 500,000 Cardano. First of all, allow me to hypothetically congratulate you on your fat stacks. Getting back to the example, under the Proof of Stake system, you’d be more likely to create the candidate block than someone with 100,000 ADA.
To go even further, if you had been holding your 500,000 ADA in the same address for a year, you’d be more likely to generate the next block than someone who also has 500,000 ADA but who has been holding it in a network address for half a year.
To give you another analogy, imagine if your odds to win the lottery increased based on a) how much money you put into it and b) how long you had been buying tickets. Now, you won’t make millions of dollars by staking your favorite PoS currency, but you can make some nice passive income on top of your investment gains.
It’s important to note that, for a stake to be chosen, it must be held on an address within the coin’s network. So if you were holding Cardano like in the above example, you would need to store it in Cardano’s core wallet. There are also no block rewards in the PoS system. Seeing as there’s no work-centric incentive to outcompete other miners, forgers are only awarded transaction fees.
There’s also a marked difference between Delegated Proof of Stake and regular Proof of Stake, but that’s for another article at another date.
PoW Coins:
PoW/PoS Hybrids:
–Dash
–Pivx
PoS Coins:
–QTUM
KEY DIFFERENCES AND TAKEAWAYS
Proponents of PoW will tell you it allows crypto to more effectively function as a currency. The PoS model, they argue, incentivizes users to stake their coins for extended periods of time, thereby making them inactive.
PoS fans, however, will defend their system’s overall superiority. For starters, it solves the problem of energy consumption that Bitcoin has created. As more transactions and users are added to Bitcoin’s network, more computing power will be needed to accommodate growth. The more computing power that is added to the network, the more the hashrate increases in difficulty. With more difficulty comes an increase in the amount of work a computer must generate to generate blocks, and this increased output leads to greater energy consumption.
Bitcoin’s growth and mining difficulty are exponentially tied to energy consumption, and critics see this as an unsolvable issue under the PoW model. It’s the reason that Bitcoin’s network alone consumes more energy than 159 countries.
Proof of Stake also defends against 51% attacks on the blockchain. As we’ve seen with the recent Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin civil war, disproportionate mining power can lead to de facto centralization of a blockchain’s network. In order to control a majority of a PoS blockchain, a validator would have to own 51% or more of that crypto’s overall supply. So in order for someone to attack Cardano’s blockchain, for instance, they would have to $609,286,157.643 worth of Cardano to do so. I really don’t see that happening.
Both PoS and PoW have their ups and downs, and I’ll be excited to see how the market responds to coins that utilize either system or a hybrid of both. One last thing to keep in mind for PoW, however, is that once all a currency’s coins are minted and circulated, block rewards will cease to exist. This may incentivize PoW coins to update to a PoS model, but only time will tell.
Still don’t have cold storage for your private keys? click HERE for the Ledger Nano S to hold all of the PoW and PoS coins discussed above!
What do you think? Do you think PoS will overtake PoW in popularity? Sound off below!
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. This adds no cost to you but it helps me focus on giving as much value as possible in every single post by being compensated for recommending products that help people succeed.
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Ledger Nano X vs Trezor Model T (2020) | Which 2nd-Generation Device Is Better?
Ledger Nano X vs Trezor Model T! In this comparison, we are going to do a head-to-head of two of the most competitive and popular new cryptocurrency hardware wallets in this edition of the hardware wallet roundups. In this comparison, I am going to dive into which of these 2nd-generation wallets is better. How big is your portfolio? Do you need mobile/wireless support? Do you use any 3rd party wallets for integration? Do you need web-based access instead of a required download?
These are all questions you will need to consider when deciding which of these wallets will be best for you. At the end of the day, the coin support is one of the most important factors (besides security) when deciding which hardware wallet is best for you. Ultimately, if if doesn’t support the coins you want to store offline, it won’t work for your particular situation, so keep that in mind as we dive into what I consider to be the most important factors when making a such an important decision, such as choosing a cryptocurrency hardware wallet.
So, let’s get right into the battle of Ledger Nano X vs Trezor Model T!
Ledger Nano X: Overview
The Nano X comes beautifully packaged with the device itself, a USB-C cable, a set of instructions and recovery seed cards. The previous bulky buttons that were on top of the device are now seamlessly integrated on it in a way that’s even a bit hard to notice. All in all a beautiful design. The primary features of this device are the bluetooth connection which allows you to manage this device using your smartphone via the iOS and Android app.
Additionally, you can now hodl, store, or manage up to 100 cryptos simultaneously, all without access to your desktop or laptop computer. This is easily it’s best new features, but aside from the upgraded storage capacity and the wireless connectivity, the device itself is now larger, has an integrated 2-function button, and an overall larger screen for verifying transactions. With a trusted device and a more universal charging cable, this makes it much more compelling to spend the extra money to store more coins and one that you can easily take with you as you travel.
Ledger Nano X: Security
Ledger is at the forefront of developing the industry’s device security. How? And in what ways?
CC EAL5+ SECURE ELEMENT
Only Ledger’s devices can claim the French cybersecurity agency ANSSI’s full certification.
The Nano X and Nano S both feature what is called a ‘secure element’. The chip seen below is the next generation chip that comes in the Nano X:
The secure chip meets the CC EAL5+ certification and run’s Ledger’s proprietary BOLOS operating system.
A Secure Element is a secure chip that…embeds intrinsic countermeasures against many known attacks. This kind of chip is tamper-resistant and protects your device to a range of different attacks.”
Ledger Nano X: User Experience
Honestly, the user experience is a massive upgrade from the Ledger Nano S. With that said, It has a few usability issues that I find to be quite difficult to overcome. Although this device is physically larger than its predecessor, it still has a fairly difficult to use early experience.
For example, the screen is still fairly small and still cannot accommodate a QR code for scanning. This may not seem like a big deal, but after using several hardware wallets, it really does make a big difference. Using a QR code is not only safer (because it removes the chance of error from manually typing in a wallet address), but it is incredibly faster and makes the entire of transacting offline, a much easier experience.
Although this device has stepped up the quality considerably from it’s latest iteration, I still feel that utilizing an all new form factor could have been beneficial and a little more innovative than replicating their 1st generation device with a few small tweaks.
Ledger Nano X: Coin Support
The Ledger Nano X utilizes the “Ledger Live” dashboard which is a desktop application that allows you to manage all of your coins, portfolio, and potential trades in an easy to use application. You can use this on both an iOS or Android app as well as a desktop.
This app allows you to manage up to 1,100 coins that are supported by the device. However, only about 200 of them are “native” apps. This means that you can manage them directly within the Ledger Live app, without having to connect to a 3rd party wallet, such as MyEtherWallet or MyCrypto. I will leave a link HERE with a list of fully supported coins.
Trezor Model T: Overview
The Trezor Model T was ahead of its time (if you ask me) when it came out in early 2018 . It came with many ground-breaking features, such as a touch screen for added security, an SD card slot for signing transactions offline and having additional external storage, and increasing the size of the device while also adding a more universal USB-C port.
This device is a worthy upgrade from its predecessor and added a lot of additional features and security to the way the device is used on a regular basis by adding additional factors of authentication. Additionally, it added a plethora of new coins being supported and increased the RAM size to store a much larger portfolio of coins that you could easily expand and grow into if need be.
Trezor Model T: Security
I will briefly touch on this here as most of this was gone over in depth in my Trezor One Review. As mentioned above, the physical security measures and differences are pointed out in its physicality of it’s packaging, but I will point out that there is one feature that I particularly like that is available on the Trezor Model T.
Both have an option to set a “passphrase” or a 25th seed word when accessing your account. This means that if/when you have to use your recovery seed to restore your device, you not only need the 24 seed words in the correct order, but you will need to enter in the custom passphrase in order to fully restore your wallet.
Here is the main difference on the Trezor Model T. Because the device has a touch screen, both the PIN and the custom passphrase (if you enable it) will be entered in on the device itself, and not the web app. Why is this important? Well, in the event that your web app is compromised or you have a key logger on your computer, you have a separation from your device and what you enter on the web app to unlock or access your device.
The Trezor One requires you enter in your PIN on the web application with a number grid, since it does not have a physical touch screen that allows you to enter it in on the device. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Trezor Model T: User Experience
The touch screen is sleek and very bright, which is nice, but it is also very small. Even if you have average sized hands, you may have difficulty with entering in the pin-code and/or additional “25th seed phrase” as a password on the device. More on that later.
This is one of my biggest complaints as the device itself doesn’t look that good when you’re ready to use it and it has a sticky film when you hold it and un-plug and plug in your device. I will say that this is the worst of your worries as the device is pretty solid and has a lot to offer in terms of security and functionality. The final thing that I noticed this device upon opening it up is it has a very sleek SD card slot that can be used for signing transactions offline and import them.
Trezor Model T: Coin Support
I will leave a link to the official list of what Trezor has listed on their website HERE, but I will point out a few of the coins that this device supports that you don’t really see on other hardware wallets that stands out to me and is what I use on my device as well. The primary coins
NOTE: This device hold over 1,200 coins in total, but the majority of them have 3rd party wallets developed by either the development team for that coin specifically that can be connected, OR major third party wallets that hold hundreds of ERC-20 tokens, such as Mycelium and MyEtherWallet.
Just to name a few coins that are now supported on the beta wallet or (native app wallet) on the web app that is easy to manage and is unique to this hardware wallet is: HoloChain (HOT), Lunyr (LUN), Chainlink (LINK), and Polymath (POLY). They are adding Native support to new coins and tokens all the time, so make sure to keep your eye out for it!
Ledger Nano X vs Trezor Model T: Conclusion
Ultimately, it really depends on how large your portfolio is (or you plan for it to be) and what particular coins you want to hold. They both support over 1,100 coins on both devices, but the Ledger Nano X can only hold 100 assets on your device at once, and The Trezor T can hold much more at once (I have over 210 different coins on there, currently). Also, do you make transactions on the go? Do you need it be able to work without a computer and be able to use on a smart phone?
At the end of the day, I would only spring for the extra $50 price for the Trezor Model T if you needed to hold more than 100 coins on your device at once. They are both very good devices with amazing development teams and reputations, but if you’re fairly new to the game and want a device that will work with your smart phone, I would choose the Ledger Nano X, personally.
So there you have it! Ledger Nano X would be my choice if I had less than 100 assets and didn’t plan on expanding beyond that, but again, each person’s plans and situations are different, so make sure and weigh the pros and cons I’ve listed above in detail to make the right choice for you.
What do you think? Would you choose the KeepKey over the Ledger Nano X? Let us know down below in the comments!
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. This adds no cost to you but it helps me focus on giving as much value as possible in every single post by being compensated for recommending products that help people succeed.
