Everything from the setup guide on one page, one line per job. Tick items off as you go. Your ticks are stored only in this browser, nothing is sent anywhere.
Prefer paper? The PDF has the same list plus a page for your notes: which device is which, the fingerprints, and the dates of your checks. Print it and keep a copy with each backup.
1. Plan your quorum and gear
- Three hardware wallets from three different makers, bought from the maker or from Amazon.com itself (not a third-party seller, not a reseller)
- Three places picked for the backups. None of them can disappear in the same fire, flood or burglary as another
2. Prepare your signing computer
- Laptop wiped and Windows reinstalled with Microsoft’s own installer
- Windows fully updated, antivirus on, clipboard sync and cloud backup off
- Nothing installed except Sparrow and the three makers’ apps
3. Install and verify Sparrow
- Developer key fingerprint matches
D4D0 D320 2FC0 6849 A257 B38D E946 1833 4C67 4B40 - Good signature on the manifest, and the hash of the .msi matches it
- Connected to
electrum.blockstream.info, Use Proxy off
4. Initialize the three devices
- Packaging checked and each maker’s authenticity check passed
- A different PIN on each device, none written down next to a device
- Trezor Safe 5 set to a 24-word backup, not the 20-word default
- BitBox02 microSD backup skipped, or the card destroyed
- Ledger: Bitcoin app 2.1 or newer, Ledger Recover not switched on
- Passphrase (optional): the same on all three, at most 50 plain ASCII characters, never used anywhere before
5. Back up your seeds on metal
- Each seed on stainless steel or titanium, checked word by word against the paper
- Each plate checked on its own device: Check Backup, Recovery Check or Show recovery words
- Paper recovery cards burned
- Seed words never typed, photographed or stored digitally
6. Create the multisig wallet
- 2 of 3, Native SegWit (P2WSH), path
m/48'/0'/0'/2' - Three different devices imported, each unlocked with the passphrase if you use one
- Master fingerprint written down for device A, B and C
7. Back up the wallet configuration
- Descriptor PDF printed, one copy per location
- Descriptor text file on one USB stick per location
- Device letter and fingerprint written on each printout
- No seed words on any USB stick
8. Verify an address on each device
- Wallet registered on the BitBox02 and the Ledger
- A receive address checked on the BitBox02 or Ledger screen, every character
9. Send a test transaction
- Small amount received and confirmed
- Test spend signed with two devices, amount and address checked on the device screens
10. Rehearse a recovery
- Descriptor imported from the USB stick into a fresh Sparrow; addresses and balance match
- Passphrase read from the card gives the same address on the device
- Boxes taken to their three places
- Real funds moved in, a small amount first
Once a year
- Boxes opened and checked: plates, passphrase card, USB stick, silica gel
- Firmware updated on each device
- Each seed checked on its device again
- Recovery rehearsed again from one of the boxes
- Inheritance letter up to date and sealed