Hardware wallets seem to be the default suggestion for secure storage.
There's a good reason for that, and those reasons do indeed refute your reasoning below.
-It's difficult to verify what's actually implemented on the device. They're so niche, fragmented, and complex that I doubt there's enough verification
The open source hardware wallets are no more or less difficult to verify than any software wallet, they just require a different set of skills. Anyone can crack open a case and use google to search for every piece of hardware attached to the PCB. You don't even need to be an electrical engineer to figure out what those doohickies do. The firm ware is often less complex than most software wallets to verify.
I'm not claiming to be an expert, but even novices like me can easily research which HW wallets are trustworthy.
-Hardware wallets have only been around a few years. It's not clear how durable they are
Trezor One has been around for since 2013, the Model T has been around since 2017. Paper backups can last centuries. The durability is hardly an issue.
Instead, I've been using my own software focused strategy that's simple enough to verify yourself. I figured I'd make it publicly available now
Here's the repo with code and more details,
https://github.com/abandon-ability-able/electrumLiveCDI'd appreciate any feedback
-AAA
I commend you with taking initiative to come up with something better. But realistically, any software wallet coupled with an on-line system is vulnerable, and any software wallet coupled with an off-line system can be used as safely and securely as a hardware wallet.
