Quote from: magick on February 03, 2025, 09:38:20 PM

Blue wallet option:

(Before proceeding make sure your device is secure. Check that it has up to date antivirus software and is free from malware to protect your wallet and personal information)

- Launch the Blue wallet app on your device.
- Tap on the "+" sign to add a new wallet.
- Select the option “Import Wallet”.
- You’ll be prompted to enter the key in your case compressed WIF<52 characters long> Type it in carefully to avoid any mistakes.
- Once you've entered your WIF click on “Done”.
- After importing you may need to choose the type of wallet, select "Legacy (P2PKH)" from the options available.
- Click on “Import” to confirm and complete the process.

Now that your wallet is imported you should have access to your coins

If you want to transfer your coins to your Coinbase account find your Coinbase Bitcoin receive address and use the Blue wallet app to send your coins there.

Before sending all in one transaction consider a test transaction with small amount this way you can ensure everything is working correctly without risking a lot of money.

If you encounter any errors during the process please share the error message you see (without revealing any private information) so others can assist you.

OK, so I am going to proceed with this option (and THANK YOU FOR REPLYING WITH THIS INFO!).
I downloaded Blue Wallet from the  App Store on my iPhone. I have imported a few small BTC wallets (both from public key for watch-only and from private key for full control/spend), $100 or less of BTC value, and everything worked flawlessly. Now I am ready to do the big/real one.

But before I "risk" several BTC that are stored on a paper wallet (explained above in the top post) by importing them into a new Blue Wallet spending wallet, and then using my Coinbase receive address to send the BTC from Blue to Coinbase, I thought I would try to understand what seems like fear many of you have about losing coins that I don't have any experience with or grid for understanding.

Here is the gist of what I hear many of you saying:
- Stop messing with private keys on "hot wallets", because... ??
   - What might happen? What is a "hot wallet"? How does having a "hot wallet" cause potential loss?

- Go offline ("air-gapped"), do part offline, do part online (all with the blinds/drapes closed), because... ??
   - How is this safer than just importing the wallet into Blue on my iPhone and then sending to Coinbase?
   - I can see how 1 option is an anxiety-inducing difficult and confusing set of steps and how the other option is tap-tap, send, easy/done, but I do not understand how the super difficult option is "safer" than the super easy option?

- Do research and know for sure what you are doing will work, because... ??
   - The way I see it this is impossible, can you ever know 100% for sure if it's going to work?
   - LoyceV said, and I quote "You can't possibly be sure about this, there's always a risk."
   - But then LoyceV said, in contradiction, "If you're talking about $100k+, why rush things instead of spending a few hours extra to do it 100% safe?"
   - But apparently there IS NO 100% safe. There is ALWAYS risk, but risk of what?? Why is the method I am going to try any LESS SAFE than another method?
   - LoyceV also said it will highly likely work just fine, like a 95% chance. Isn't that also true of any other crypto transferring method as well?

- Coinbase sucks so don't use it, because... ??
   - Is Coinbase compromised somehow? Is this a "you are not a serious crypto pro if you use Coinbase" type bias?
   - It's just the place we need to send the BTC to so that we can get it withdrawn out into the checking account, so how could this be a bad idea?

Does this all have to do with PC/Windows computers that doesn't apply at all to  iPhone devices regarding malware or hackers being able to see transactions moving thru the ether? Is this outdated info that is no longer fully relevant in 2025 with better technology and secure internet networks and  devices that are not susceptible to the vast majority of all hacks/malware/network malfeasance?

I am not trying to upset anyone and I greatly appreciate all the feedback and helpful info. I just want to understand why something that looks and feels totally straightforward and impossible to mess with/hack/steal (importing the paper wallet private key into Blue Wallet on my iPhone and then sending that BTC to my personal Coinbase BTC wallet for withdrawal) seems to induce ire and/or fear on some folks' parts.

What is it you are afraid of? What's the "risk"?
- Doing something incorrectly and freezing or jettisoning your own BTC?
- Or an actual hack/over-the-air heist/theft of your BTC?
   - If this is the fear/risk, how is this possible with the method I am going to use?

I guess the bottom line, be-all end-all question is... Does anyone have personal experience with them or someone they personally know trying to import BTC (regardless of how much) from a paper wallet to a Blue Wallet spending wallet and then sending that BTC to that same person's personal Coinbase BTC wallet for ultimate withdrawal, and it not working? If something bad happened, what happened? Or is this just overly-cautious parenting because we don't want to see our kids get hurt (and rightfully so) but the reality is the bad outcomes we fear hardly ever happen, and when they do they happen to the risk-takers and the risk-avoidant alike? That's pretty much how I am seeing it, so please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks again guys, I really do appreciate all the help.

dsamuel24

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