What is a crypto wallet?

Just as we need a wallet to protect our cash and credit cards, we should also know where we’re going to store and retrieve our digital assets.

When we buy digital currency on an exchange such as Binance, you have the option to store your assets in the exchange wallet, which is one form of storage. But you can also move them off the platform to a personal wallet, which may be a hot wallet (software connected to the Internet) or cold storage (an utterly offline device).

This blog is about what you need to know about cryptocurrency wallets and how to decide which storage option is right for you.

How do crypto wallets work

Blockchain is a public ledger that stores data in the form of “blocks.” These consist of records of transactions, the balances held at any given address, and who has the key to the credits. The coins exist on a blockchain, and the wallet software permits you to interact with the credits kept on that blockchain. The wallet stores address and allow its owners to move coins to other wallets or exchanges while allowing other network members to see the assets held at any given address.

When transmitting a crypto transaction, always make sure you’re sending to an address for a wallet of the same type of cryptocurrency. If you send Ethereum (ETH) to a Litecoin (LTC) address, for instance, you will lose the cryptos forever. Sending money through QR codes or a series of numbers and letters seems really weird at first. But after doing it a few times, the procedure becomes straightforward.

Some crypto wallets have extra features like swapping of tokens, staking tokens for a fixed return paid out to members, as well as access to decentralized applications (dApps) created on different networks.”

Each wallet has its distinctions, and there are some general steps involved in sending or receiving funds using a crypto wallet:

• To receive assets, you need to retrieve an address (a public key) from your wallet. You can generate the address of your wallet, copy the alphanumeric address or QR code and transfer the assets.
•  With the address of the receiving wallet, you can send funds. Click on the “send” feature of the wallet and indicate the wallet’s address you plan to send coins to. Select the cryptos you’d like to send, and confirm. Send a small test transaction before sending considerable amounts of crypto for the first try. It would be best if you always considered that sending coins requires a transaction fee to miners in exchange for processing the transaction.

How to Pick the suitable Crypto Wallet

First, you should consider your risk tolerance and goals, as well as your knowledge level when it comes to crypto. Then you can choose a storage option for retaining your assets.

1. If you want to hold your coins long-term and have no plan to trade regularly, cold storage makes the most sense.
2. You may prefer the simplicity of being capable of buying and keeping your coins within an exchange if you’re a beginner.

Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center recommends that people go to the source to make their own decision about how they’re going to engage and where, after they’ve done some homework. Don’t rely on choices you see promoted in your inbox. “After they’ve done some looking into, is this a fair exchange, are these real companies that are presenting the storage options?”

When it comes to specific alternatives, it’s more reasonable to stick to the same rule of thumb as choosing a coin to invest in or an exchange to trade on — the more mainstream, less risky options are usually the most popular options.

“I put much weight into the durability of the platform or the device,” DeCicco says. “You could have holes in the security of the software, and that’s where hackers can utilize to get in. wallets that showed their quality and are time-tested are more reliable than other innovative types of wallets.