FAQ

The Icynote banknote is fabricated using special polymer paper which is resistant to 74 degrees Celsius [165 degrees Fahrenheit]. The ink used can support a full washing machine cycle. The holograms which protect the private key are also able to protect the ink against humidity and water. The banknote is secure for at least 20 years. This banknote cold wallet is one of the most secure and durable banknotes in the world.

During payment, any user with the appropriate mobile app can verify the total assets in the Icynote. A digital signature protects the receiver against unauthorized copies. If the recipient does not have the app, he/she must download it from the official App Store. Do not make any transactions without checking the balance. The receiver must visually check the Icynote and that it is in good shape, and verify all secure elements which are shown in the application – similarly to when accepting a banknote.

You can charge your Icynote by sending Bitcoins to the cold wallet QR code. Ensure that you scan it and check the last 4 numbers printed on the Icynote. After sending the number of Bitcoins wait a few minutes and then you have completed everything. You can make a real-time check with our Icynote App by scanning the QR code. You can always consult your cold wallet balance even when out and about without it.

You can receive Bitcoins as many times as you like, the number of Bitcoins you receive in the cold wallet is unrestricted. Ensure that your Icynote is neither damaged nor scratched-off. Otherwise keep it safe and inaccessible for third parties. Should you wish to spend or withdraw your funds from the Icynote, you can transfer the Icynote (as cash) or scratch it free and pass the private contained on.

It is your decision whether you accept the Icynote or not. To accept it, you must check that the banknote is not broken/damaged, nor scratched off and that you receive it from a secure source. The Icynote is protected by two layers, one metallic and one polymer, both of which reflect light, even from lasers, thus making it impossible to see what is printed inside. It is also impossible to scan it with a magnetic, X-ray or static scanner. If your transaction is substantial, it is better to scratch off the Icynote and transfer the assets from one Icynote to another Icynote or any cold wallet. 

If you lose your banknote, you lose your money, tokens, or whatever you have inside your cold wallet. The same is true if you lose a gold ingot or cash. If this happens, we are sorry but we cannot recover it in any way since we neither keep records nor have a copy of your private keys. We confirm, once again that we destroy all private keys when we print the banknote.

You must protect your cold wallet yourself in the same way you protect your cash or precious documents. Nobody can read the private key, scan or use your funds if you keep it inaccessible to third parties. Your cryptocurrencies are stocked on the blockchain and protected against third parties.The only way to read the private key is by scratching-off the hologram. (once a banknote is scratched-off, damaged or has been opened it cannot be securely transferred to anyone, the private key is then compromised).

The private key is protected physically by a metallic hologram and a polymer protection layer. Only three companies in the world apply this hologram technology and it is very difficult to copy. On top of that, we use special magnetic inks for offset printing, intaglio-like printing and 30 other highly confidential security features.

Some malware can read electronic wallets. So, if your private keys are compromised, once you charge your funds in the wallets, hackers can steal them. Another problem is that you must print a code, usually, a list of key phrases and the printing process of key phrases creates breaches. For example, if you use a WiFi-connected printer, your computer will send your file to your printer unencrypted. In theory, this means that anyone who has infiltrated the network can see the file and steal it.

The likelihood of hacking our physical process of creation in Switzerland is unlikely, we work offline so any hacking must be performed physically. We print using a just-in-time process, so the cold wallets only exist for 10 minutes from creation to deletion. Each new cold wallet file is erased by the next cold wallet. At the end of the process, a security company analyzes the printer's hard drives and deletes any information related to the printing process. We not only delete the files, we also have the hard drive destroyed by a secure company.

Every Icynote fabricated by us is unique, nobody can see it from creation to printing. The only way anyone can see the private key is by scratching-off the Icynote. This is an irreversible process. So, you can see and feel whether the banknote has been “opened” and is therefore compromised.

We generate them in a room, under the supervision of a Swiss notary and an auditing company. Each Icynote is unique, the private key is printed only once and no copies are kept. If you lose your Icynote, you lose your assets. We respect the NIST SP800-22 Test Suite compliance standard for the random number generator which creates the cold wallet.

A hardware wallet is an electronic device which stores private crypto keys. The private key generation to hardware wallet installation can be compromised because the process is usually performed by an insecure computer and connection. The difficulty and the level of software and hardware knowledge required are high and hence executed by IT professionals. This is why we do not recommend electronic devices for cold wallets. From another point of view, nobody can certify the hardware and the chip makers’ production.

Crypto addresses aren’t like bank statements; no central entity manages them. You are responsible for logging your transaction history reliably and securely. If you hold it on an Exchange platform like Coinbase or Binance, you do not control your private keys. If you buy an Icynote, the initial balance is 0.00 ; otherwise it is not new. You can use our Icynote App or another blockchain explorer to keep track of tansactions directly in the blockchain.

The private keys are embedded in the banknote during the secure fabrication process. In order to ensure that nobody uses your keys, you must always keep your Icynotes inaccessible to third parties. Keep them like you keep cash.

Our protocol and our security process ensure that no one see the private keys. Furthermore, the security printing management system complies with laws and regulations in force in Switzerland.

If your cold wallet is empty, that means somebody has opened it and scratched it off and read the private key. You must keep it in a safe place.

You can have as many bitcoins or assets in your Icynotes as you want. They are not physically stocked in the cold wallet, but in the blockchain. In any case, do not let the police or anyone open your Icynotes. Have them put in a sealed bag and contact your lawyer. You are not transporting assets, you are transporting a keyword to access your assets in the blockchain.

Yes, this is dependent on you and trust by the person who will receive the “charged” Icynotes. Be careful, selling and buying Bitcoins in some countries is illegal. A transaction in Bitcoins entails some costs to be paid to the Blockchain miners, but when you transfer an Icynote there is no cost and no waste of energy. For your business, you can charge the price of the value of the empty “Icynotes” as follow Assets you charged + Price of brand new Icynotes.

Yes, you can pay with your Icynote like with cash. If the person from the other side do not accept the Icynote, you can scratch the code and transfer the assets using an app.

No, you can only transfer the Bitcoins if you type exactly the private key. But you must MAKE SURE that the receiving cold wallet is correct since sending is irreversible here. Again, if you transfer your Bitcoins to a wrong address, you lose the Bitcoins. That’s why this is better to transfer the Icynotes physically.

This is impossible, nobody in the world can block a cold wallet account or an Icynote. So, as long as you keep it physically away from others no judgment, police or government can force you, you are the owner and you control it.

No, we do not share informations about our customers to the Swiss authorities. We are not required to keep customer records and you can buy your Icynotes without unveiling your personal information. 

In order to send your Bitcoins to another wallet, you must scratch-off the cold wallet and take the private key it contains. Many solutions exist on the market.

Go to the Google Play Store for signed, original and safe Icynote Application . Install it and start scanning your Icynotes either for checking the value of the Bitcoins inside the Icynote or for checking that the Icynote is a true one.

Check the 16 digit code under the QR code of your Icynote and if the Icynote recognize it as original, then you have the original application. Repeat this process with another Icynote and on another phone if more verification is needed.

No, maybe in the future we can add this functionality. But, based on the regulations and laws of many countries, we prefer to be “allowed” everywhere and that each user can then download an application valid in his/her own country.

You can add new Icynotes, check your balance, check the total balance of all your banknotes, change currency, rename your Icynotes and learn about security and how it works. You cannot transfer Bitcoins with our Application, you can select specific secure programs yourself.

Once the order has been placed and the payment received, the order takes 7 days to arrive in the USA.

Once the order has been placed and the payment received, the order takes 7 days to arrive in European countries.

Yes, if you are living close to Geneva, you can pick your order up at our office. Of course, no delivery costs will be charged, if you select this option during your order. Once the order has been placed and the payment received, we will contact you to schedule a pick-up appointment at our offices, in Geneva.

Once the order has been placed and the payment received, the order takes 15 days to arrive to countries in South America.

Once the order has been placed and the payment received, the order to Russia and Kazakhstan takes 10 days, and delivery to Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia take about 6 days.

Once the order has been placed and the payment received, the order takes 10 days to arrive in Asian countries.