Using BIP38 to encrypt BIP39 seed phrase

[apogio]

I haven't used it in a real application yet, but it sure is on my list of options now. It's just text, what's intimidating about text?
Easy test: print it in a large enough font, and see if you can restore your addresses on a freshly rebooted Linux Live system.
I don't mind having different storage systems for different copies of the same backup.

Please test it, because it's super easy to make a mistake with so many characters.
Well, intimidating as in "backing up a password of 15-20 chars is much easier".
Because don't forget that saving the above cipher isn't enough. You 'd also need to save the password.
So, one would argue that saving the BIP38 standard (6P....) and the password is easier than saving the AES256 produced ascii (--armor) message and the password.

[LoyceV]

Because don't forget that saving the above cipher isn't enough. You 'd also need to save the password.

That's the thing: I don't like saving passwords I'm okay with printing and typing (not writing!) just a few hundred random characters, that takes at most a few minutes.

Allow me to post my funded example:

Code:

BIP38: "first rental car license plate I still remember" <space> "my first PIN code" <space> "the first name of the first girl I made out with"
1. 6PRL3QGHHoD7yVvsc35aaNGgyX17FzRB8qTj9FAvgSYhcdActgwsf9np72
2. 6PRRsmpx2iooJHYvfAFMpmgiDfQccCD9ZLHKohvynHQ1dL6yAp1ozCNgdA
3. 6PRVEFUjbzjLm2EjsDJgEgJYgwYsVPUUcbvao6oj34GALekqFhcDhqWurv
4. 6PRSQwYndhgSzUTaQr4enWRGHwXjpM64rbVWqmvkLg3RjDWLDKhAvudTkL
5. 6PRJETargBHXTcMpxKH2fgScRRPVMGYaNSnehjjFXqVQdSAtgUcEKCthHV
6. 6PRKGcSrm3r5Qo3wCBCCisTg7DVjnMXZpL1vmxjEWQDavZYjvi3tx5Fimg
7. 6PRLEcRHg825dYy67s5Ne7t7sEA4ya1f2bYfzvhkT6e8bG22Xt3g4obHdG
8. 6PRVfJ3GCSAtGbMJ4wtAwaYYcedseWSP5d5tfSKdd93x782WoHxcDf8mSd
9. 6PRNpsRASvmpcsVby29uzSkM4Lo7RMco5yj12sbaLzCdwrk23svGHgHzv2
10. 6PRUaK81Ljqo5uxoi7c6iYnmRVZ25cK5WSbSsFBYzuEugtimH2qUtahLCi
11. 6PRKNfxYJNoL1rqMnj73Z9A6DvKyXZjxsJo7vhoi2tKXAtxtT8RgPXsByx
12. 6PRR3EjeMxHFfhpKARWzFaQzaSeeQr7YazxkGKySoQ4sWT5p45ANWu5GP3

This contains of course just a small amount, enough for buying dinner on the road, but not enough to be worth brute-forcing. I obfuscated the password into something I won't forget any time soon, while still giving a lot of possibilities. Let's say 10 million possible license plates times 10,000 possible PIN codes times 1000 common names. I'll use those funds if I ever need it in the future

[apogio]

That's the thing: I don't like saving passwords I'm okay with printing and typing (not writing!) just a few hundred random characters, that takes at most a few minutes.

Allow me to post my funded example:

Code:

BIP38: "first rental car license plate I still remember" <space> "my first PIN code" <space> "the first name of the first girl I made out with"
1. 6PRL3QGHHoD7yVvsc35aaNGgyX17FzRB8qTj9FAvgSYhcdActgwsf9np72
2. 6PRRsmpx2iooJHYvfAFMpmgiDfQccCD9ZLHKohvynHQ1dL6yAp1ozCNgdA
3. 6PRVEFUjbzjLm2EjsDJgEgJYgwYsVPUUcbvao6oj34GALekqFhcDhqWurv
4. 6PRSQwYndhgSzUTaQr4enWRGHwXjpM64rbVWqmvkLg3RjDWLDKhAvudTkL
5. 6PRJETargBHXTcMpxKH2fgScRRPVMGYaNSnehjjFXqVQdSAtgUcEKCthHV
6. 6PRKGcSrm3r5Qo3wCBCCisTg7DVjnMXZpL1vmxjEWQDavZYjvi3tx5Fimg
7. 6PRLEcRHg825dYy67s5Ne7t7sEA4ya1f2bYfzvhkT6e8bG22Xt3g4obHdG
8. 6PRVfJ3GCSAtGbMJ4wtAwaYYcedseWSP5d5tfSKdd93x782WoHxcDf8mSd
9. 6PRNpsRASvmpcsVby29uzSkM4Lo7RMco5yj12sbaLzCdwrk23svGHgHzv2
10. 6PRUaK81Ljqo5uxoi7c6iYnmRVZ25cK5WSbSsFBYzuEugtimH2qUtahLCi
11. 6PRKNfxYJNoL1rqMnj73Z9A6DvKyXZjxsJo7vhoi2tKXAtxtT8RgPXsByx
12. 6PRR3EjeMxHFfhpKARWzFaQzaSeeQr7YazxkGKySoQ4sWT5p45ANWu5GP3

This contains of course just a small amount, enough for buying dinner on the road, but not enough to be worth brute-forcing. I obfuscated the password into something I won't forget any time soon, while still giving a lot of possibilities. Let's say 10 million possible license plates times 10,000 possible PIN codes times 1000 common names. I'll use those funds if I ever need it in the future

I 'll answer in bullets:

1. would you put a significant amount of money in something like this? Obviously maintaining it secret and not putting the backup in a forum post.

2. would you let anyone know the 3 secrets? If it's your wife, I suggest that you change the 3rd hint, unless it's the same person Just kidding.

3. brute-forcing is super consuming for sure and not worth the effort.

4. if you save this on paper, would it be worth adding some info on the same paper about how to recover it? It should be good to include a guide because it's not very easy for non-technical non-bitcoin-savvy people to understand what they have to do even if the know the password.

5. how many backups would you do?

[LoyceV]

1. would you put a significant amount of money in something like this? Obviously maintaining it secret and not putting the backup in a forum post.

I wouldn't put a significant amount of money in anything that only has one backup, and I like having options to use different systems. Even if I'd forget how to use one of my backups, I can just find back another one.

2. would you let anyone know the 3 secrets? If it's your wife, I suggest that you change the 3rd hint, unless it's the same person Just kidding.

Some yes, some no. Depending on which backup it is again.

3. brute-forcing is super consuming for sure and not worth the effort.

That's the idea

4. if you save this on paper, would it be worth adding some info on the same paper about how to recover it? It should be good to include a guide because it's not very easy for non-technical non-bitcoin-savvy people to understand what they have to do even if the know the password.

I'd add enough for myself to understand it. I've seen too many problems recovering Bitcoins, and had my own difficulty too. Non-Bitcoin-savvy people aren't supposed to gain access to my backups.

5. how many backups would you do?

OPSEC