Safeguarding the seed phrase and private keys is the number one priority of every crypto user. By securing your keys, you guarantee yourself access to your assets. This is the allure of non-custodial crypto wallets such as Ledger, Metamask, Rabby, Trezor, Trust Wallet, and others. However, securing these keys requires diligence.
It’s generally accepted that once you’ve recorded your seed phrase, keeping it somewhere it can’t be stolen or damaged does the trick. This is why you’ll often come across advice telling you to write your recovery phrase on paper. It’s solid advice, but you don’t actually want a medium that is as fragile as paper.
What would be better is storing your seed phrase on a more durable medium—one that could last a lifetime if needed. Though not mainstream, crypto users have been backing up keys on steel for quite some time. In most cases, this involves the help of special crypto metal steel wallets.
What Are Steel Crypto Backup Solutions, and How Do They Work?
Steel wallets should not be confused with hardware wallets, which also store private keys offline and are, consequently, considered one of the safest ways to store crypto.
Hardware wallets are actual electronic devices that can send and receive cryptocurrencies. Steel wallets, on the other hand, are only tools, used for storing your mnemonic phrase offline on a medium that is secure and durable. So, you’ll need a separate crypto wallet before you can use one of these.
A steel wallet is typically a small steel container or capsule containing metal tiles representing ASCII characters. To back up your crypto wallet, you have to arrange the tiles into the words making up your seed phrase. You then store these in the correct order inside the steel wallet. The value proposition here is that the mnemonic is recorded on a practically indestructible medium.
Best Crypto Metal Steel Wallets
So, what are the best steel wallets available in the market?
Cryptosteel Capsule
Cryptosteel Capsule is a sleek, capsule-style backup solution designed to securely store your crypto recovery phrase. Made from 304 stainless steel, this device is built for durability and resistance to heat and corrosion. It has machine-stamped tiles representing letters and symbols that you use to store a password or recovery phrase.
The capsule is a great option for users who prefer a stylish and compact design. It comes with detailed instructions that make it easy to get started. However, due to its compact size, recovering the seed phrase can be slow and cumbersome, as only one letter is visible at a time.
Cryptosteel Cassette
Cryptosteel Cassette offers a cassette-style design for storing up to 24 seed words in a secure, fire-resistant 304 stainless steel frame. The cassette’s packaging includes basic hand-drawn instructions to aid with setup.
The setup process, however, can be a bit frustrating due to the disorganized and warped character tiles. During shipping, tiles often shift and mix within the package, which leads to extra effort in sorting them out. But to make up for that, recovery with the Cryptosteel Cassette is relatively simple because the words are laid out like a text.
Billfodl
Billfodl is another popular metal backup solution. Made from 316 marine-grade stainless steel, it is highly resistant to extreme heat, corrosion, and impact. Similar to other options, Billfodl uses a tile system in which users slide pre-stamped tiles with letters into slots to form their seed phrase.
Setup can be time-consuming due to the need to individually insert each letter, but once complete, it offers a durable and tamper-resistant method for storing seed phrases. The letters are large enough to be easily readable, and unlike some other products, the tiles are organized in a manner that makes finding the correct characters faster.
Billfodl’s clear instructions and organized packaging add to its user-friendliness. Even better, recovering the seed phrase is straightforward, as the full words are immediately visible once the device is opened.
Steelwallet
Steelwallet is another seed phrase backup solution that uses 304 stainless steel to offer solid durability against fire, corrosion, and mechanical damage. What sets it apart is the etching method. Instead of pre-made tiles, you manually engrave or stamp the seed words yourself onto two metal plates using a punch kit.
This adds an extra layer of personalization. There is complete flexibility in formatting and spacing, and there’s no risk of tiles becoming warped or misplaced. However, this does require more effort, so setting up Steelwallet is more time-consuming than other options.
Packaging is minimal, with basic instructions included. Recovery is also easy, as the words are visible on the metal plates.
Cryptotag Zeus
Cryptotag Zeus is a top-tier metal Bitcoin backup solution crafted from high-grade titanium to offer maximum protection for your crypto seed phrases. Like the Steelwallet, setting up the Cryptotag Zeus involves recording your seed phrase numbers on conversion sheets and then carefully stamping each number onto the titanium plates.
Recovery with the Zeus is straightforward if the initial setup is done accurately. The engraved characters are permanent and easy to read. This ensures reliable access to your seed phrase when needed.
Problems You Might Run Into
Steel wallets are highly durable and secure. But that doesn’t mean things cannot go wrong. Here are some (un)common issues with metal steel wallets:
- User Error: The most common issue is human error, typically when the user incorrectly assembles the seed phrase or private key tiles. This could lead to an unusable backup, locking the user out of their funds.
- Loss or Misplacement: If the wallet is lost or misplaced, it becomes very difficult (or impossible) to recover the stored cryptocurrency, especially if it’s the only backup.
- Physical Theft: While the wallet is tamper-resistant, it’s not immune to theft. If someone physically steals the wallet, they can eventually access the private key or seed phrase unless other precautions (like storing it in a safe) are taken.
- Partial Damage: Extreme conditions, like prolonged high heat or intense force, could still deform or damage the steel enough to make some tiles unreadable, particularly if they are misaligned or loosely arranged inside the wallet.
- Complexity: Manually encoding a long seed phrase or private key with metal tiles can be tedious and lead to mistakes, especially for people unfamiliar with the system.
- Corrosion Over Time: Although the wallet is corrosion-resistant, exposure to certain extreme environments over long periods (e.g., highly acidic environments) could still potentially cause the steel to degrade.
These issues are relatively rare and stem from how securely the user manages the backup. In such an occurrence, you’ll find an incomplete or invalid seed phrase when you open your wallet.
Dealing With Metal Steel Wallet Issues
Having an invalid seed phrase means you cannot recover your wallet. To access your crypto, you’ll have to, first, recover the complete, valid seed phrase. You can attempt on your own, in which case, you’ll find our guide to recovering incomplete and invalid mnemonics useful.
Generally, recovering an invalid seed phrase is difficult. It requires the right cryptographic tools, the hardware to run them, and the technical know-how to use them. This is why you want the services of a crypto wallet recovery expert; someone who specializes in solving issues with crypto wallets, including invalid/incomplete mnemonics.
Professional Crypto Recovery is a specialist in crypto recoveries. Having been in IT for more than 20 years, we have the expertise to recover your seed phrase from its crypto metal steel backup. Our services are fast and affordable. Contact us today to get started.