How Do I Make a Paper Bitcoin Wallet?

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are digital currencies, meaning you can never hold a bitcoin in your hand. Instead, you store bitcoins in one of three basic kinds of wallets: hardware wallets, software wallets, and paper wallets. Of these three options, paper wallets are the least secure by a wide margin.

Still, paper bitcoins wallets have some practical use cases. But we discuss those elsewhere on the site (What Is a Bitcoin Paper Wallet and How Do I Use One?). So for the purposes of this article, let’s dive straight into how to make a paper Bitcoin wallet using one of RockItCoin’s Bitcoin ATMs.

How to Make a Paper Bitcoin Wallet with a Bitcoin ATM

Step 1. Visit the Nearest RockItCoin ATM

With thousands of our kiosks installed across the US, there’s bound to be one close by. Visit our Bitcoin ATM Locations page if you need help finding the nearest one.

Step 2. Select “Buy Coins” on the ATM

When you first approach one of our Bitcoin ATMs, you’ll be greeted with three options. When making a paper wallet, select Buy Coins.

You won’t be required to actually fund the wallet if you don’t want to. But what’s the point of making a paper wallet you don’t use?

Step 3. Select the dollar amount you wish to spend on coins

Our Bitcoin ATMs allow you to purchase as little as $10 worth of crypto and as much as $15,000. Select the appropriate range for today’s purchase.

If you plan on making a purchase worth $10,000 or more, you may be interested in our OTC crypto trading desk. Trading “over-the-counter” via this service allows you to take advantage of discounted rates, quick settlements, and personalized support from professional crypto traders.

Step 4. Use the keypad to enter your cell phone number

At RockItCoin, your privacy and security are our top priorities. Providing your phone allows us to streamline future purchases. You’ll receive an SMS text to confirm that you entered the number correctly.

Rest assured that we never collect or store any unnecessary information about our users.

Step 5. Enter and Verify a PIN

This step is intended to simplify future purchases. By entering a PIN, you’ll be able to skip the SMS text next time and purchase your coins that much faster.

Step 6. Select your choice of coin

Our kiosks allow you to create paper wallets for Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash. Given the topic of this guide, you’ll likely want to select Bitcoin.

In the future, we hope to add support for paper Ethereum wallets, too. Once we’ve done so, we’ll be sure to update this guide accordingly.

Step 6. Select “Create New Wallet”

By touching Create New Wallet the kiosk will do just that, create a new (empty) Bitcoin wallet.

If you don’t need a paper wallet and just want to purchase coins to fill an existing wallet (paper or otherwise), you can scan your wallet’s QR code or enter its address manually.

Step 7. Check the Wallet for Fades, Rips, and Misprints

After selecting Create New Wallet the kiosk will print a receipt with both the public address and private key for the wallet. (Learn more about public and private keys) Here is an example of the receipt you’ll receive:

Make sure the text and the QR code are clearly visible before you continue. Failure to do so could result in you losing all of the coins in the wallet.

The kiosk screen will prompt you with similar warnings. Touch the large blue button to confirm that you’d read the warning and are ready to fund your wallet.

Step 8. Insert Cash to Fund the Wallet

Now that you’ve confirmed that your paper Bitcoin wallet is legible, it’s time to put it to use. Before you do anything, confirm that the address on the screen matches the public address on your receipt.

Once you’re certain the two addresses match, insert cash (bills only) to purchase Bitcoin for your new paper wallet and click Finish.

Step 8 ½. Take Your Receipt

You already have your paper wallet and your Bitcoin is on its way. If you’d like a receipt, you can have the ATM print a physical one or send a receipt to an email address you provide. We strongly recommend taking a receipt, but doing so is not necessary.

Select your choice of receipt options. Then wait for coins to fill your wallet.

Be aware that Bitcoin transactions take a few minutes to confirm. So don’t fret if your wallet’s balance still shows 0 BTC as you walk away from the kiosk. This is to be expected and will be true of any Bitcoin purchases/transfers to or from any wallet. The coins will arrive within minutes.

What to Do After You Make a Paper Bitcoin Wallet

Congratulations! You just made a paper Bitcoin wallet! Now find a safe place to store the private key (the QR code on the BOTTOM), somewhere that no one else will ever find it. You may also want to make a backup copy of the wallet, or simply link it to a software wallet, like the RockItCoin mobile app.

If anyone else gets hold of your private key, they will have full access to the coins in your wallet. So storing the wallet (and backups) in secure locations is non-negotiable.

If you plan to use this address to receive bitcoins from others, make a copy or take a picture of the public address (the QR code on the TOP). Just be sure the copy or picture doesn’t include the private key. Once you have a copy of the address, feel free to share it. People who know this public address can send coins into the wallet, but they would need the private key to take coins out.

To learn more about paper Bitcoin wallets, read through our other FAQ page on the topic:

What Is a Bitcoin Paper Wallet and How Do I Use One?

And if you need some coins to fill your wallet, you can buy crypto for cash at thousands of Bitcoin ATM locations around the country or do so with a credit or debit card right here on our site!