Skip to main content

Burner Wallets Guide

Complete guide to using burner wallets for enhanced privacy and security when making payments with reply.cash.

What is a Burner Wallet?​

A burner wallet is a temporary cryptocurrency wallet that you create, use for a short period (typically a week or less), and then discard. Unlike your main wallet, burner wallets are designed to be disposable and help maintain privacy by breaking transaction links.

Key Characteristics:

  • ✅ Temporary - Used for a short period, then discarded
  • ✅ Disposable - Not meant for long-term storage
  • ✅ Privacy-focused - Helps break transaction links
  • ✅ Limited funds - Only contains what you need for the period
  • ✅ Fresh addresses - Not connected to your main wallet

Why Use Burner Wallets?

Privacy Benefits:

  • Not traced - Fresh wallet addresses aren't linked to your main wallet
  • Limited exposure - Only funds you transfer to burner wallet are exposed
  • Disposable - Discard wallet after use, breaking transaction links
  • Anonymity - Harder to track your payment patterns

Security Benefits:

  • Limited risk - Only keep a week's worth of budget in burner wallet
  • Isolated - If compromised, only burner wallet funds are at risk
  • Mobile-friendly - Keep burner wallets on mobile for convenience
  • Easy to replace - Simply create a new one when needed

How to Get a Burner Wallet​

Solflare has built-in burner wallet functionality, making it easy to create temporary wallets.

Step 1: Open Solflare​

  1. Open Solflare extension or mobile app
  2. Ensure your main wallet is unlocked

Step 2: Create Burner Wallet​

  1. Click "Add Wallet" or "Create Wallet"
  2. Select "Create Burner Wallet" or "Temporary Wallet"
  3. Solflare will generate a new wallet
  4. Save the recovery phrase (even for burner wallets, in case you need to recover)
  5. Click "Continue"

Step 3: Fund Your Burner Wallet​

  1. Transfer only what you need for the week
  2. Send SOL for gas fees
  3. Send USDC for payments
  4. Best Practice: Only fund with a week's worth of budget

Method 2: Create with Any Solana Wallet​

You can create a burner wallet using any Solana wallet:

  1. Phantom: Create a new wallet, use temporarily, then discard
  2. Backpack: Create a new wallet for temporary use
  3. MetaMask: Create a new Solana wallet via Snap
  4. Brave Wallet: Create a new wallet in Brave browser

Steps:

  1. Create a new wallet (don't import existing)
  2. Save recovery phrase (even for burner wallets)
  3. Fund with week's budget only
  4. Use for payments
  5. Discard when done

Seeding Liquidity on Solana (Not Traced)​

When creating a burner wallet, you need to fund it with SOL and USDC. Here are privacy-focused methods to seed liquidity without being traced:

Method 1: Direct Transfer from Main Wallet​

Simple but less private:

  1. Transfer SOL and USDC from your main wallet to burner wallet
  2. Use burner wallet for payments
  3. Discard after use

Note: This method creates a link between your main wallet and burner wallet, but burner wallet transactions remain separate.

Method 2: Privacy-Focused Transfer via Zcash Shielded Pool​

More private method using Zcash shielded pools:

Step 1: Transfer to Zcash Shielded Pool​

  1. Send funds from your main wallet to a Zcash shielded address (z-address)
  2. Funds enter the Zcash privacy pool
  3. Transaction details are shielded (amount, sender, recipient hidden)

Step 2: Transfer via NEAR Intents to Solana​

  1. Use NEAR Intents to bridge from Zcash to Solana
  2. NEAR Intents allows cross-chain transfers with privacy
  3. Transfer from Zcash shielded pool to Solana
  4. Funds arrive in a fresh Solana wallet address

Step 3: Use Fresh Solana Wallet​

  1. The Solana wallet receiving funds from NEAR Intents is your burner wallet
  2. This wallet has no direct link to your main wallet
  3. Use this wallet for payments via reply.cash
  4. Discard after use

Benefits:

  • ✅ No direct link - Zcash shielded pool breaks the link
  • ✅ NEAR Intents - Cross-chain bridge maintains privacy
  • ✅ Fresh address - New Solana address not connected to main wallet
  • ✅ Enhanced privacy - Multiple privacy layers

Method 3: Privacy Cash Integration​

Using Privacy Cash for enhanced privacy:

  1. Deposit funds into Privacy Cash pool
  2. Withdraw to a fresh Solana wallet
  3. Use fresh wallet as burner wallet
  4. Discard after use

Sources:

Best Practices for Burner Wallets​

Budget Management​

One Week's Budget:

  • ✅ Only fund burner wallet with one week's worth of budget
  • ✅ Calculate your weekly payment needs
  • ✅ Add small buffer for unexpected expenses
  • ✅ Don't overfund - only what you need

Example:

  • If you spend $100/week on payments, fund burner wallet with $110-120
  • Include SOL for gas fees (0.01-0.1 SOL)
  • Don't keep large amounts in burner wallets

Mobile-First Approach​

Keep Burner Wallets on Mobile:

  • ✅ Convenience - Easy to access and use
  • ✅ Quick payments - Make payments on the go
  • ✅ Isolated - Separate from desktop main wallet
  • ✅ Easy to discard - Simple to delete app/wallet

Setup:

  1. Install Solana wallet app on mobile (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack)
  2. Create burner wallet in mobile app
  3. Fund with week's budget
  4. Use for payments
  5. Discard when done

Use Up and Discard​

When to Discard:

  • ✅ Funds depleted - When you've used up the budget
  • ✅ Week is up - After one week of use
  • ✅ Security concern - If you suspect compromise
  • ✅ Privacy reset - When you want a fresh start

How to Discard:

  1. Transfer remaining funds to main wallet (if any)
  2. Delete wallet from app
  3. Clear app data (if possible)
  4. Create new burner wallet for next period

Important: Once you discard a burner wallet, you cannot recover it unless you saved the recovery phrase. Only save recovery phrase if you might need to recover funds.

Security Practices​

Protect Burner Wallets:

  • ✅ Use strong passwords - Even for temporary wallets
  • ✅ Enable biometric - Use fingerprint/face ID on mobile
  • ✅ Don't reuse - Create fresh wallet each period
  • ✅ Monitor balance - Check regularly for unexpected activity
  • ✅ Discard immediately - Don't keep old burner wallets

What NOT to Do:

  • ❌ Don't keep large amounts in burner wallets
  • ❌ Don't reuse burner wallets after discarding
  • ❌ Don't share burner wallet addresses publicly
  • ❌ Don't use burner wallets for long-term storage
  • ❌ Don't forget to discard after use

Using Burner Wallets with reply.cash​

Step 1: Create Burner Wallet​

  1. Create a new wallet using Solflare or your preferred wallet
  2. Save recovery phrase (optional, only if you might need to recover)
  3. Fund with week's budget

Step 2: Connect to reply.cash​

  1. Visit app.reply.cash
  2. Click "Connect Wallet"
  3. Select your burner wallet
  4. Approve connection
  5. Your burner wallet is connected!

Step 3: Make Payments​

  1. Use burner wallet for all payments
  2. Monitor balance
  3. When funds are low, create new burner wallet
  4. Transfer remaining funds to new burner wallet (if any)

Step 4: Discard When Done​

  1. After week or when funds depleted
  2. Transfer any remaining funds to main wallet
  3. Delete burner wallet
  4. Create new burner wallet for next period

Privacy Considerations​

What Burner Wallets Help With:

  • ✅ Breaking links between payments
  • ✅ Preventing pattern analysis
  • ✅ Reducing exposure of main wallet
  • ✅ Maintaining payment privacy

What They Don't Help With:

  • ❌ If you transfer directly from main wallet, link exists
  • ❌ Blockchain analysis can still track on-chain activity
  • ❌ Recipient addresses are still visible on blockchain
  • ❌ For maximum privacy, use privacy-focused methods (Zcash, Privacy Cash)

Enhanced Privacy Methods​

For Maximum Privacy:

  1. Zcash Shielded Pool → Transfer to shielded address
  2. NEAR Intents → Bridge to Solana via NEAR
  3. Fresh Solana Wallet → Receive in new burner wallet
  4. Use for Payments → Make payments via reply.cash
  5. Discard → Delete wallet after use

This method creates multiple privacy layers and breaks transaction links effectively.

Troubleshooting​

Burner Wallet Not Working​

  • Check Balance: Ensure you have SOL for gas fees
  • Network: Verify you're on Solana network
  • Update Wallet: Update wallet app to latest version
  • Recreate: Create a new burner wallet if needed

Can't Transfer Funds​

  • Insufficient Balance: Check you have enough funds
  • Gas Fees: Ensure you have SOL for transaction fees
  • Network Issues: Wait and try again
  • Wallet Locked: Unlock wallet before transferring

Privacy Concerns​

  • Use Privacy Methods: Use Zcash/NEAR Intents for enhanced privacy
  • Fresh Wallets: Always create new wallets, don't reuse
  • Discard Regularly: Discard burner wallets weekly
  • Monitor: Check for unexpected activity

Additional Resources​

Burner wallets are an excellent tool for maintaining privacy and security. Follow best practices: only fund with a week's budget, keep on mobile, use up and discard regularly.