Why keep wallet records on paper
Digital lists disappear when phones upgrade, accounts lock, or files sit in forgotten folders. A bound notebook sits on a shelf, needs no password, and can be read by anyone you choose — on their own time, without a screen.
This guide explains the section layout we use in our sessions and notebooks. You can follow it with our volumes or adapt it to any sturdy ledger you already own.
Section 1: Wallet index
Start with a table of every wallet you actively use or intend to keep long-term.
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Name | A label you will recognise — “Main savings”, “Trading”, “Cold storage” |
| Chain / network | Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. |
| Address | Full address, written carefully |
| Date opened | When you first used this wallet |
| Status | Active, dormant, or closed |
Keep one row per wallet. If you rotate addresses within the same wallet software, note that in the custody section instead of adding duplicate rows.
Section 2: Custody notes
For each wallet in the index, write a short paragraph covering:
- Where recovery information is stored (safe, bank box, with a trusted person)
- Who else knows about this wallet
- Any hardware device associated with it
- Date of last verification that recovery material is still where you expect
Update this section whenever custody changes — a new safe, a partner who learned the location, a device replacement.
Section 3: Exchange history
Record significant movements: deposits, withdrawals, swaps above a threshold you set for yourself. Each entry needs a date, direction (in/out), approximate amount, and source or destination wallet name from your index.
You do not need every micro-transaction. The goal is a readable history, not a forensic audit.
Section 4: Annual summary
Once a year, write a single page with:
- Date of the summary
- Total approximate net worth across all wallets (your own estimate is fine)
- Notes on major changes that year — new wallets, closed ones, large moves
- Signature or initials
Comparing year-over-year pages shows drift without opening any application.
Daily habits that help
- Date everything. Undated entries become guesses within months.
- Use pencil for estimates, pen for confirmed facts. Erase and correct estimates freely.
- Cross-reference by name. Always use the wallet name from your index, not just an address fragment.
- Store the notebook separately from recovery material. The notebook describes where secrets live; it should not contain them.
When to book a session
If you have more than a handful of wallets, inherited records you cannot interpret, or a household member who needs to understand your layout, a Ledger Consolidation Session gives you a guided start with our pre-printed sections.
Companion reference sheets
For clients who want printable section templates on their own computer, we publish reference sheets through the Microsoft Store.