How do I make a Bitcoin Private Key offline?
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In light of the recent controversy surrounding Senator Pocahontas and her proposal to ban the ownership of certain words, I thought I'd create a simple guide on generating a bitcoin private key offline. This way, you can also become a threat to our democracy.
Requirements:
- Paper 📄
- Pen or pencil
- Dice or Coin 🎲
- Calculator
- Printed out copy of the BIP-0039 protocols word list from GitHub
BIP-0039 word list - An analog computer, or hardware wallet.
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Step 1:
A. For a 12 word seed phrase, number your paper 1 through 12, skip a line & number it one through 12 again.
B. Write out “ 1024, 512, 256, etc…” at the top columns of the paper as shown in the image below:
Step 2:
A. Roll dice ( even numbers = 0, odd numbers = 1) or flip your coin ( heads = 0, tails = 1)
B. Record your roll on the paper. Begin at the “1” beneath “1024” & continue to roll and record under each column from left to right.
Step 3:
Once you have completed your rolls on the first row take every column where you recorded a “1” & add the number above it, then add the “+1” at the end of the row & write the number.
In the image below 1 was recorded in 512, 128, 64 & 16.
512 + 128 + 64 + 16 + 1 = 721
Step 4:
Continue this process until you get to the final 4 spaces on the paper.
Note: The 12th word to your seed is your “ checksum” word. This word must be a mathematically compatible fit with your previous 11 words ensuring your seed can function with the BIP-0039 protocol.
Step 5:
A. Before we can find out the final checksum word we must first translate our binary digits to their corresponding BIP-0039 seed words.
B. Open up the word list & write down the word associated with each number that you wrote down.
Ex. (721 = foam)
Step 6:
Continue step 5 all the way to word 11.
Step 7:
A. To find the final checksum word we must first import our 11 words onto our hardware wallet.
(For this example, I am using a COLDCARD wallet MK4 by Coinkite)
B. Select “ Import Existing” on device.
Step 8:
A. Select “ 12 words” on device.
B. Enter all your words up to word 11.
Step 9:
A. To find your final checksum word, add up your 1s and 0s in your 12th row.
B. Get out your BIP-0039 word list & start at word “ 801” (the sum of your 7 rolls) for this example.
Step 10:
Your checksum could be any word between 801 & 816 so we will have to guess each one for the 12th word by inputting it on the device until the device confirms that we found a compatible checksum.
Step 11:
When you find your 12th word your device will confirm it’s a fit by applying the private key into a PubKey private key dataset that you can use to sign TX’s with the device, & broadcast to the internet without revealing sensitive data (like private key) through PSBT’s.
The odds of someone else being able to guess your specific private key is 2048^12
You have better odds of picking out a specific atom on earth, than anyone has to crack that key.
Adding a passphrase moves this from the realm of mathematical improbability & into impossibility.
Generating a key completely offline is something all of us must know & teach for maximum security. We can’t trust generating this on any device, or application, etc which all represent potential attack vectors.
Everyone has a right to preserve the fruits of their labor securely in a monetary standard that doesn’t redistribute your wealth.
The state & banking parasites hate Bitcoin because it’s money that they can’t weaponize against you unlike the dollar.