COLDSTACK
Secure Crypto Key Storage
Formerly Key Manager — now ColdStack
A portable, self-contained ~45MB Windows application (coldstack.exe) for encrypting and managing your cryptocurrency wallet information. Built by Kris Racette with military-grade encryption standards. Now with a Go Online toggle — fetch wallet balances across 15+ chains and live crypto prices via CoinGecko, all while keeping your private keys offline.
Vault Initialisation — Create your master password
Account Management — Organise by investor or wallet
BIP39 Derivation Engine — Derive addresses from mnemonics
Address Management — Multi-chain support
Private Key Vault — Encrypted, masked by default
Portfolio View — Full vault overview
ColdStack v4.1 — BIP39 derivation engine, Go Online toggle, wallet balance fetching, CoinGecko price feeds, ERC-20 token support, multi-chain HD wallet
What is ColdStack?
ColdStack (formerly Key Manager) is a secure application created by Kris Racette for storing and managing cryptocurrency wallet information. It encrypts your data with AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption and Argon2id key derivation — the same standards used by password managers and crypto exchanges.
No installation required. No Python dependencies. Just copy the ~45MB self-contained coldstack.exe to a USB drive and run it. Your encrypted vault lives in the same directory, so it travels with you. Everything stays local — no telemetry, no background polling, no data ever leaves your computer without your explicit action.
Version 4.1 adds a Go Online toggle — when enabled, ColdStack fetches wallet balances via public RPC endpoints and live crypto prices via CoinGecko's free API. Balance fetching supports 15+ chains including EVM (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, BSC, Polygon, Optimism, HyperEVM/HYPE), BTC, SOL, DASH, SUI, ZEC, XRP, ADA, ATOM, SCRT, and RUNE. Prices are cached in-memory for 60 seconds and never written to disk. Offline by default — zero network requests unless you explicitly enable it. The CLI EXE has been deprecated; CLI mode remains available via python src/main.py for development and scripting.
Features
AES-256-GCM Encryption
Military-grade authenticated encryption. Your data is protected with the same standard used by governments and financial institutions worldwide.
Argon2id Key Derivation
Winner of the Password Hashing Competition. 64MB memory, 3 iterations, 4 lanes — resistant to brute-force and side-channel attacks.
Portable — USB Ready
Self-contained ~45MB coldstack.exe. No installation. No Python runtime needed. Copy to a USB drive and your vault goes where you go.
Auto-Lock on Idle
5-minute inactivity timeout automatically locks the vault. Sensitive data is cleared from memory. Re-entry requires your master password.
CSV / Excel Import
Bulk-import addresses from CSV or Excel files. Supports 20+ predefined chains plus custom labels. Format guide built into the app.
Masked by Default
Mnemonics and private keys are hidden by default. Reveal on demand with password re-entry. Auto-hide after 5 minutes of inactivity.
BIP39 Derivation Engine
Derive addresses and private keys directly from 24-word mnemonics. Supports EVM, BTC (Taproot/SegWit/Legacy), SOL, DASH, and SUI with standard HD wallet paths (BIP-32/BIP-44). No browser, no external tool — derivation happens locally inside the encrypted vault.
Check for Updates NEW
User-initiated update check via a single GitHub API call. Offline by default — only fires when you click the button. Runs in a background thread so the GUI stays responsive. No auto-updates, no background polling, no telemetry.
Enhanced Key Management
Private keys are now derived per-chain from your mnemonic, not stored as static entries. View individual chain keys or the master key. Each key is encrypted at rest and masked by default.
Go Online Toggle NEW
Offline by default. When enabled, unlocks read-only balance fetching and price feeds. Your keys never leave the vault. Online/Offline indicator in the status bar.
Wallet Balance Fetching NEW
Check balances inline on each address card. Supports 15+ chains including EVM (ETH, ARB, BASE, BSC, POLY, OPT), BTC, SOL, SUI, DASH, ZEC, XRP, ADA, ATOM, SCRT, RUNE, and HyperEVM (HYPE).
CoinGecko Price Feeds NEW
Live crypto prices via CoinGecko's free API. 60-second in-memory cache. No API key required. Choose USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, or CHF as your default currency.
ERC-20 Token Support NEW
Fetch ERC-20 token balances alongside native chain balances. Configurable token contract addresses per chain. All EVM chains supported including HyperEVM.
Compact Card Layout NEW
Redesigned address cards showing coin + chain + derivation on one line, with balances appearing only when fetched. Reduced vertical space per card.
What You Can Store
Wallet Addresses
Organized by account and chain. 20+ predefined chains including BTC, EVM, SOL, ZEC, XMR, and more.
24-Word Mnemonics
Store recovery phrases encrypted. Derive addresses and keys directly from them using the BIP39 engine. Hidden by default. Reveal only when needed with password confirmation.
Private Keys
Multiple chain-specific keys per account. Labeled and organized. Protected with the same encryption as everything else.
Security Architecture
Supported Chains
Get ColdStack
Freeware. Open source. No installation. Download the v4.1 release from GitHub and start securing your crypto keys today.
Download ColdStack v4.1 →Built by Kris Racette • Released as freeware • Source available on GitHub
About the Developer
Kris Racette (also known as Kristopher Racette and Kristopher Marc Racette) is a financial professional with 18+ years of accounting experience and a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales. As the Founder of Executive Mind, Kris bridges the gap between financial strategy and technical implementation.
ColdStack (formerly Key Manager) was built to solve a real problem: securely storing cryptocurrency wallet information without relying on cloud services or third-party apps. Every design decision prioritizes security, portability, and user control. The source code is available for audit and contribution on GitHub.