- If you take Bitcoin security seriously, a Yeti wallet might be for you
- There are 3 levels of Yeti wallets available, depending on your security appetite
- Yeti wallets aren’t for the faint hearted as they require a lot of work to get going
A lot of people store their Bitcoin in different ways, but just how far would you go to keep your Bitcoin safe while you sleep at night? Some people like to live life on the edge, storing their Bitcoin fortune on an exchange, while others use an air gapped computer.
If you want to crank your Bitcoin security up a level, or seven, you might want to check out Yeti. With complete guides for three different security levels, you have total freedom of security over your Bitcoin – but which will you pick?
Yeti Cold Storage
Yeti is a pretty neat site that guides you through the processes involved in securing your Bitcoin. Some might call Yeti a bit of an extremist’s take on Bitcoin security, but in reality, if you have more than $50,000 in Bitcoin, do you want to take any risks? So, we kick things off with the most secure level Yeti has to offer – Yeti Cold…
Yeti Cold is recommended for people with $50,000 or more in Bitcoin, and is a 3 or 7 multisig wallet. If you do this, you’ll need the following items:
- Two laptops that can run Ubuntu and Bitcoin core (SSD will shave days off setup time)
- 8 small USB drives
- A Printer
- Printer Paper
No, this isn’t MacGyver’s shopping list, it’s just the items you will need to keep your Bitcoin more secure than Fort Knox. You will continue to follow the setup guide which instructs you to install a specific version of Ubuntu on both laptops, label the pair and install the Yeti app on the primary.
This whole process will leave you with an air gapped PC or laptop that holds all of your private keys to your Bitcoin. It’s by far the most secure way you can store your Bitcoin. It’s a bit of a hassle to do, but if it’s your life savings, it’s well worth it.
Yeti Warm Storage
Next up, we’re looking at the medium level security which is aimed at people with between $5,000 and $50,000. If you’ve got half a Bitcoin or more, Yeti Warm is meant for you. It’s a little scary seeing how much security you should be taking if you want to be ultra-secure, but you can never be too secure, right?
So, if you’re going to take the mid-level security option from Yeti, you’re going to need the following items:
- One laptop that can run Ubuntu and Bitcoin core (SSD will shave days off setup time)
- 8 small USB drives
- A Printer
- Printer Paper
It’s virtually the same setup as we saw with Yeti Cold, but without the air gapped computer to keep your private keys safe. You’ll still save one seed to each USB drive and have a printed version just to be extra safe.
Do clear your schedule if you opt for this as it can take several weeks to complete. That’s right, depending on your computer’s performance, this whole process can take an awful lot of time. But, security is worth it.
Yeti Hot Storage
Finally, we come to Yeti Hot, and this is meant for anyone with up to $5,000 in Bitcoin. At the time of writing, that’s around ¼ of a Bitcoin or less, so a LOT of people qualify for this level of security in their lives.
On this shopping list, you’ll need the following items:
- One laptop that can run Ubuntu and Bitcoin core (SSD will shave days off setup time)
- 4 small USB drives
- A Printer
- Printer Paper
Note that you’ll need less USB drives here, that’s down to the fact that you’ll double up the seeds on the USB drives to save time and space. It will still take a fair while to get everything loaded up, but you’ll have far quicker access to your Bitcoin whenever you want to make a transaction.
Which Wallet Will You Go For?
None of these wallets are a walk in the park to install and this isn’t something we recommend doing if you’re an average Bitcoiner. These wallets are meant for people who really know what they’re doing. If you lose 4 out of 7 seeds, you’ll NEVER be able to access the Bitcoin in these wallets.
So, if you’re going to head down the road of ultra-Bitcoin security, you need to take it seriously. This isn’t something you can do in an afternoon with a couple of beers. You need to pay full attention and make sure you do it properly, as one mistake could cost you your fortune.
But, once you’ve managed, you’ll have some of the most secure Bitcoin in the world. The fact you can add extra randomness into your seeds is super nice, especially if you don’t trust the Bitcoin randomness enough. If you’re quite techy and have Bitcoin you want to keep safe, Yeti is well worth checking out.
