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DIY Bitcoin Seed

Fund Loss Warning

Mistakes in seed generation can result in permanent, irreversible loss of all Bitcoin.

Common fatal errors:

  • Using a compromised computer — If your "air-gapped" machine was ever connected to the internet, it may have malware that captures your seed
  • Insufficient randomness — Using weak entropy (like mental "random" numbers) makes your seed guessable
  • Transcription errors — A single wrong word means a completely different (empty) wallet
  • Improper backup storage — Paper burns, fades, and water-damages easily

There is no recovery. No customer support. No password reset. If you lose access to your seed or generate it insecurely, your Bitcoin is gone forever.

Do not proceed unless you fully understand these risks.

What You'll Do

In this guide, you will:

  • Generate true randomness using physical dice rolls
  • Convert binary entropy to BIP39 seed words
  • Calculate and verify your checksum
  • Securely backup your seed phrase on metal

Time required: 2-4 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated cost: $10-30 (casino dice) + $20-50 (metal backup plate)
Requirements: Air-gapped computer or Raspberry Pi Zero, casino dice

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you understand:

Who Is This Guide For?​

SituationRecommendation
Learning with small amountsNot recommended — Use hardware wallet's built-in seed generation
Moderate holdings, want to learnMaybe — Practice on testnet first, understand the risks
Significant holdings, high security needsYes — Verifiable entropy is worth the effort
Don't trust hardware wallet RNGYes — This eliminates that trust requirement
Not comfortable with technical processesNo — A mistake here loses everything

Most people should use their hardware wallet's seed generation. This guide is for users who want verifiable randomness and understand the additional risks of manual processes.

Why Generate Your Own Seed?​

Most wallets generate seeds for you, but this requires trust:

RiskDescription
Weak randomnessSoftware may not use proper entropy
BackdoorsWallets could have security flaws or intentional vulnerabilities
Supply chain attacksPre-generated seeds have been found in compromised hardware wallets

By generating your own seed with physical dice, you:

  • Verify the randomness yourself — no trust required
  • Eliminate software vulnerabilities — dice can't be hacked
  • Understand what you're protecting — knowledge is security

Critical Environment Requirements​

Before You Begin

Your seed generation environment must meet ALL of these requirements:

  • Air-gapped computer — A machine that has NEVER connected to the internet and NEVER will
  • Fresh operating system — Booted from a verified, read-only medium (like Tails USB)
  • No wireless hardware — WiFi and Bluetooth physically removed or disabled in BIOS
  • No cameras or microphones — Cover or disconnect them
  • Private location — No one can see your screen or seed words
  • No electronic devices nearby — Phones, smartwatches, etc. can capture keystrokes or screens

If any of these are not met, your seed may be compromised before you even finish generating it.

What You'll Create​

A 24-word BIP39 seed phrase generated from 256 bits of true randomness:

1.  reward    7.  camera    13. ritual    19. whisper
2.  symptom   8.  reward    14. ocean     20. weasel
3.  rude      9.  pride     15. rib       21. chunk
4.  hamster   10. roof      16. wing      22. rival
5.  wide      11. weather   17. board     23. obvious
6.  weekend   12. keep      18. potato    24. clean

This seed can restore your Bitcoin wallet on any BIP39-compatible software or hardware wallet.

Guide Overview​

StepWhat You'll Do
1. RequirementsGather materials and set up air-gapped environment
2. Dice RollingGenerate 256 bits of entropy with 99 dice rolls
3. Binary to DecimalConvert binary to numbers (0-2047)
4. ChecksumCalculate the verification bits
5. BIP39 WordsLook up your 24 words
6. BackupStore your seed securely on metal

Let's begin!