Bitcoin Suisse opens online ordering of Bitcoin Certificates

Bitcoin Suisse AG launches a new Bitcoin product to the Swiss market. The people of Switzerland, as well as those ordering the certificates from abroad, are now able to put a Bitcoin physically in their pocket. It combines old and new technology. It is a printed Bitcoin certificate, commonly referred to as a paper wallet, in the shape of an early 20th century bank note. But unlike self-printed paper wallets, it is a professional product with a much higher degree of security and features.

Certificate as a private key for Bitcoins
For storage and usage of Bitcoin, one needs a so-called „wallet“ – a digital representation of a billfold. It’s most important property is the private keys it contain – similar to the keys for a Safe. Only the one who hold/know the private key, can access the stored crypto-assets associated with that key and use them for e.g. payment. It is thus very important to keep the private keys associated with one’s digital assets secret and safe, because he who holds the key, has full control of the assets.

There are numerous possibilities on how to store ones private keys. In the age of cyber-crime, one of the safest is to store the keys offline – as far away from the internet as possible, and only bring the assets online as needed. One way to store ones keys offline is to print them – and this is called a “paper wallet” (regardless of the material). Then all one has to deal with in terms of security risks, is losing the paper wallet itself.

The Bitcoin certificates of Bitcoin Suisse AG offers this well proven and convenient way of storing digital assets, a way which people have grown accustomed to in the course of centuries, through letters of credit and later bank notes.

The private key is printed on a strip of plastic, covered with a scratch-off layer, and is placed and fastened within the certificate between several layers of plastic and metal foil. By opening the certificate and removing the scratch-off layer, the holder can access the private key in the common WIF format (both represented alpha-numerically and as a QR code) and is thus the sole beneficiary of the Bitcoins associated with that key.

Due to the numerous layers and other safety features, the certificate can only be opened once. Closing it again in a neat fashion is impossible, as the process of opening it intentionally leaves clear traces. Among the many security features, the certificates are embossed with the company seal and each certificate features a Bitcoin Suisse hologram. Each certificate is a genuine and individual item with its unique serial number and distinct surface structure – similar to a fingerprint.

The certificates can be purchased from Bitcoin Suisse AG in five different denominations:

• Generic Bitcoin – variable content
• 100 MilliBit (1/10 Bitcoin)
• 500 MilliBit (1/2 Bitcoin)
• 1 Bitcoin
• 10 Bitcoin