# Cold Wallets Explained: What Offline Storage Really Protects — And What It Doesn’t

A software flaw introduced back in 2021 cost users thousands of Bitcoin in July 2026. The wallets that lost the funds were cold ones — offline, air-gapped, exactly as the marketing describes. They were drained regardless. That caveat never makes it onto the packaging, so we'll begin with it and then

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Published | 3 September 2026 |

Source: https://egamers.io/cold-wallets-explained-what-offline-storage-really-protects-and-what-it-doesnt/