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Topic: Is it possible to use QR codes to manage cold stoarage (Read 1130 times)

legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1086
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
Depending on tx size it may not be practicable via QR codes, though.

For "cold storage" this is never going to be an issue - tx sizes are an issue only when one is trying to be a "wallet" (such as Armory).

Also a QR code can actually handle a fair amount of data provided that your cam is good enough quality (at least 4K is no problem at all from my own practical experience).
legendary
Activity: 1358
Merit: 1001
https://gliph.me/hUF
It is possible.

Depending on tx size it may not be practicable via QR codes, though. Audio works regardless: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/tx-signing-via-minimodem-735111

Probably not what you wanted to hear, anyway, just saying Wink
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1086
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
You might want to take a look at CIYAM Safe https://susestudio.com/a/kp8B3G/ciyam-safe.

Although not (yet) so user friendly it does let you do 100% air-gapped offline tx signing (i.e. you just use QR codes to do all the "comms").

For the "offline" computer I specifically bought an old laptop (without WiFi) and further *mangled* it to prevent it from ever (at all easily) being "connected" to the internet.

BTW - it also uses GPG (and QR codes of GPG encrypted data) to let you safely keep "back ups" of your "encrypted offline keys" on your "online system".
hero member
Activity: 661
Merit: 503
A simple and secure Bitcoin wallet!
Phones can break very easily (this is especially true of their screens). If a phone's screen was to become cracked to the point that a QR code is not readable then what would happen? I see that you say it is easily clone-able but did not see additional information in the first few posts.

It also looks like the cold storage phone is not actually disconnected from the internet
Bither Cold Wallet
-snip-
3. Realtime monitoring the network status (Wifi, 3G, BlueTooth).
If a computer/phone is connected to wifi to monitor the network then it is not truly offline. I don't see any reason why the cold storage couldn't push the TX from cold storage (or why it is even considered cold storage)

Mobile phone is definitely stable than a computer, when you keep the phone in your home Smiley

Monitoring network status does not mean to connect to the internet. It will just monitor the phone's setting, when you try to open the wifi, 3G, BlooTooth, Bither will warning you.
full member
Activity: 224
Merit: 100
Phones can break very easily (this is especially true of their screens). If a phone's screen was to become cracked to the point that a QR code is not readable then what would happen? I see that you say it is easily clone-able but did not see additional information in the first few posts.

It also looks like the cold storage phone is not actually disconnected from the internet
Bither Cold Wallet
-snip-
3. Realtime monitoring the network status (Wifi, 3G, BlueTooth).
If a computer/phone is connected to wifi to monitor the network then it is not truly offline. I don't see any reason why the cold storage couldn't push the TX from cold storage (or why it is even considered cold storage)
hero member
Activity: 661
Merit: 503
A simple and secure Bitcoin wallet!
full member
Activity: 224
Merit: 100
I am not sure if this belongs in Technical Discussion or Beginners/Help.

I want to see if this is possible:

  • Create a BTC address from an offline computer
  • Have BTC send to this cold storage address
  • Use a QR code with a "list" of all unspent inputs that would be scanned with a webcam on the cold storage computer
  • Use a QR code with a BTC address that you want to send to from cold storage (the webcam on the cold storage computer would also scan this)
  • Create a signed transaction with the above information with the offline transaction
  • Use a QR code that would contain the signed TX that would be scanned by the online computer
  • Online computer uses blockchain.info/pushtx (or other means to push a TX to the network) to broadcast the TX

This would eliminate the possibility that your cold storage computer would get infected with malware via a USB drive when transferring an unsigned TX from an online computer to an offline/cold storage computer to another.
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