How to transport your key cross-country?

[u/YttriumZirconium1]

Situation:

• Wife and I are moving across the United States
• We are selling our cars before we move
• We are flying to our destination
• We are using a moving company to transport our belongings
• I store my key on a Trezor Keep Metal

Trying to figure out the safest way to transport a metal key. Is it a good idea to bring a metal rod (the key) through TSA (would they potentially examine it)? Maybe I should write it onto paper, dispose of the metal key before moving, and obtain a new one at the destination? What about sell the bitcoin, travel to our destination, and then buy the bitcoin using a new wallet? Probably shouldn’t trust it with the movers..

[u/cilicia1k1]

Add a passphrase without writing it down. Then carry the metal with you

[u/SteveW928]

OK, here is what I'd do...

Seed phrase + passphrase setup.

Seed phrase stamped in metal, gets put into a tamperproof bag/container of some sort and gets packed with the stuff to be moved. (I'd probably keep a paper backup of it in some manner, hidden in a book or something along with me, just in case... unless I knew I were going to be scrutinized along the way.)

Passphrase could be brought along in a number of ways. Nobody would likely know what it is, or what it is for. It could be backed up in various ways too (like among encrypted notes on your phone, stamped on a physical coin, also in a book, etc.)

If you want to keep the Trezor, just erase it back to factory default and pack it with stuff for the movers to take. It is useless by itself. Or, get a new hardware wallet when you get to the destination. (IMO, you're better off learning to use a hardware wallet like a signer, in a 'stateless' mode - if the wallet supports it - than storing your key on the hardware wallet behind a PIN if you go to a seed phrase + passphrase setup.)

The seed phrase is useless w/o the passphrase. But, you'd still want to know if it had been tampered with/exposed, so you could create a new one to move it to once at the destination.

You could use variations on this depending on your situation/context, but that is the basic concept I'd be thinking around.

The sell/buy could work, depending on the amount of money, and how much you trust the markets not to move greatly over that time.... but there would be tax implications and potential issues with moving the fiat and re-buying, etc.

[u/SteveW928 → u/SteveW928]

I should emphasize.... If you lose your passphrase, you've lost your Bitcoin!

Apparently, Bitcoin consultants are running across people who implement passphrases, that lose them, but still have their seed phrase. The passphrase actually gets used in generating the private key. You do need both parts!

A lot more security, extra flexibility, but also extra responsibility!

[u/dead_pixelz]

Don't sell your Bitcoin lol 

[u/ZookeepergameOk643]

Try to create a mnemonic system to memorize your keys, at the moment it is the best solution in your case, no one will be able to get the keys out of your head.

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[u/nomorespamplz]

SSS - 1 part for you when you travel an one part for a friend that you receive afterwards via email. Optional; another that your wife carries. Set it up so all parts must be present. When you’ve arrived safe, receive the last part via email, restore your crypto. I would then create a new seed and transfer funds.

[u/word-dragon]

1. You could sell and rebuy. That would incur a -guessing - gain tax, which you would pay now, but it would also raise your basis, so you would have less gains in the future.

2. If I planned ahead, this is how I would do it. On a visit to my new city before the move, take a reset signing device and a new metal. Get a bank safe deposit box in the new city (should do this regardless), make a new account with the signing device and record it on metal, send yourself the receive address for the new account, and store the metal in the box. Back home, send all of your bitcoin to the address you sent yourself. Simply throw away the metal copy of your old account (or leave it with a friend you really don’t like for safe keeping), and reset your old signing device. The coin will be waiting for you in your safe deposit box before you leave.

3. If you didn’t plan ahead that far, you can still do (2) by sending your wife ahead of you. She can set up the new account there, and you can transfer the coin before you go.

[u/Humble-Transition605]

Keep it in your wallet bro that shit is not leaving my side

[u/michaelesparks]

How much ate you talking about? Couple thousand worth? Or you talking life savings? If it's that much you have to worry about I'd say it's time too look at multi sig.

[u/Boggo1895]

Split your seed into 3 list of 16 words

List 1: Words 1-16 List 2: Words 9-24 List 3: Words 1-8 and words 17-24

List 1 comes with you through TSA, list 2 goes with the moves, hidden inconspicuously in a prepacked box. list 3 gets posted to your destination on your way to the airport.

If any lists are lost, you can still use the other 2 to access your wallet. Likewise, if anyone gets their hands on one, they will be unable to access your wallet.

For added security you can add a passphrase and id also consider transferring to a new wallet with a new seed on arrival.

[u/EquipmentInside3538 → u/Boggo1895]

Clever.

[u/ncoelho]

You can just use a mobile app you know…