Storing Your Crypto On A Flash Drive: How To Set Up A USB As A Cold Wallet

Crypto Crime: Why You Need a Hardware Wallet

As with regular ol' money, some people want to steal your digital money, too - and they will, if you're not careful. I'm not saying this just to scare you, though. I come prepared, with data. Did you know that 2022 was a record year for crypto criminals? Yep, they stole $3.8 billion in cryptocurrency. I'm not sure what the deal is this year (the data isn't available yet), but I guess we'll find out soon.

But to make sure you don't find out the hard way, you should start looking at offline crypto storage options. And, hey if you can't afford a Ledger or Trezor wallet, there are still ways to protect your crypto - without the high price tag. Ever thought about just using a good old USB drive?

DIY Hardware Wallet: How To Store Your Crypto on a USB Drive

If you're strapped for cash, but also don't want to leave all your digital "cash" up for grabs on some exchange that can be hacked, you should consider creating your own hardware wallet. I'm no expert on the matter, but I did get my info from the leading experts on hardware crypto storage - The Crypto Merchant. They wrote a guide which tells you all you need to do to turn your USB drive into crypto storage.

And it's super simple - here's the gist of it:

1. Formatting the USB: To make your USB compatible to hold cryptocurrency, you should first ensure the drive is clean - that means no data and definitely no malware. Once you're sure the USB is clean, just format it and select the exFAT file system.
2. Encrypting the USB: If you're running a newer version of Windows, you can easily encrypt your flash drives using the BitLocker security feature. Just follow the steps and you'll be done in minutes. This will also provide you with your recovery key, which is very important so make sure to hide it well, and keep separate from your wallet.
3. Setting a Password: Look, we all know the best practices when it comes to setting a password - even if we sometimes choose to ignore them. And while that's not-so-scary on something like AO3 or MyAnimeList, when it comes to your money make damn well sure you're following all the recommendations. Create a unique password consisting of at least 12 characters and combine upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.

And that's it - your DIY hardware wallet is ready. For more tips, you can just read the full guide by The Crypto Merchant - and check out their hardware wallet recommendations, too.

And speaking of...

Hardware Crypto Wallets: Where & What to Buy?

If you're having second thoughts about DIY crypto storage, check out The Crypto Merchant's collection of hardware wallets and other security solutions like seed phrase backup tools.

They are the authorized retailer for major brands, including Trezor, KeepKey, Ledger, and Billfodl. All products are sourced directly from the manufacturer and verified secured.

Find your crypto wallet at https://www.thecryptomerchant.com/