Crypto User’s Guitar Offers More Security Than Traditional Methods

Last Friday I caught up with a colleague and a friend whom I have never met in person, but only online and he asked about crypto safety, which led me write this Blog.

The conversation started casually enough, but then we delved into the world of cryptocurrency security, I found myself sharing a rather unconventional approach that has served me well. While many crypto enthusiasts swear by hardware wallets, paper backups, or encrypted digital storage, I’ve found harmony in an unexpected place, the intersection of music and memory.

You see, I’ve always believed that the human brain is the most powerful computer ever created. While the article from Tech Shinobi details an impressive setup using Tails, Feather, and KeepAssXC for cold storage, I’ve taken a different path. I’ve chosen to memorize my three seed phrases for what I call my “three horsemen”, my primary crypto wallets. But this isn’t just rote memorization; it’s where my life as a musician comes into play.

Each seed phrase has become a song, carefully woven into melodies using different musical keys. The first phrase flows in A major, creating a bright, uplifting tune that’s impossible to forget. The second rides on E minor, with a darker, more contemplative progression that makes each word fall naturally into place. The third? That’s my favorite, a blues progression in G that turns my security words into a soulful journey.

Now, some might call this approach reckless. They’d point to articles like the one from Learn Repo that catalogs numerous horror stories of lost crypto funds and compromised wallets. They’d argue that the average human brain can only retain about seven pieces of information at a time, making it impossible to reliably store 12-24 word seed phrases. But as someone who’s memorized countless songs, from complex jazz standards to lengthy folk ballads, I respectfully disagree.

However, I’m not naive about the fragility of human memory. A head injury, a stroke, or any number of unfortunate events could potentially wipe away these carefully crafted mental symphonies. That’s why I’ve created what I call my “backup band”, a hybrid approach that combines the best of both worlds. While my primary security remains in my musical memory, I’ve taken cues from the cold wallet setup described in the Tech Shinobi article, creating an encrypted backup system that would make any security expert proud.

The beauty of this approach lies in its adaptability to the future. As we stand on the brink of revolutionary developments in human-computer interfaces, the potential for enhancing our natural memory with cybernetic capabilities becomes more real each day. Imagine a future where our memorized seed phrases could be securely backed up to a neural implant, protected by both biological and digital security measures.

But until that cyberpunk future arrives, I’ll keep strumming my guitar, letting my seed phrases flow through chord progressions and melodies. The rhythm serves as a mnemonic device, while the emotional connection to the music creates deeper, more resilient neural pathways than any random string of words could achieve.

To those who might want to try this approach, remember that security through obscurity isn’t enough. The music should be private, never recorded or performed publicly. The melodies should be complex enough to be unique but simple enough to recall without effort. Think of it as writing a lullaby for your digital assets, something intimate and personal that stays within your mind’s eye.

In the end, crypto security isn’t just about choosing between hot and cold wallets, or hardware versus software solutions. It’s about finding a system that aligns with your lifestyle, skills, and personal risk assessment. For me, that system rings out in A major, hums in E minor, and grooves in G. What’s your security symphony going to sound like?

Just remember, whatever approach you choose, whether it’s the technical sophistication detailed in the Tech Shinobi article or my musical mnemonic method, the key is to have redundancy. Because in the world of cryptocurrency, there are no password reset buttons, no customer service hotlines to call when things go wrong. Your security is quite literally your own personal symphony to compose.