Another year, time for another review of our favorite crypto wallets. We are not striving to provide a full overview. There are just too many wallets out there. Some of them are okay, lots of them are scams. Be careful, do lots of research before sending funds to any waller or just stick to our list of Monkey-approved tested and trusted wallets:
edge (iOS/Android)
Privacy, autonomy, and protection all in one easy to use mobile wallet. edge is brand new from the people behind Airbitz, our long-time favorite mobile wallet. If you have an Airbitz wallet, you can just download edge and sign in with your existing credentials. It looks and feels great and has the same features we liked so much in Airbitz: high security and ease of use. The most significant improvement is Bitcoin SegWit support. We do not see the point but for all those get-rich-quick people out there; edge also supports the major shitcoins like Ethereum, Bcash, and Dash.
Exodus (Mac/Windows/Linux)
Exodus is still our go-to wallet on Windows, Mac or Linux for new users. We wrote about it earlier, and it was featured in last year's overview. Everything we wrote before still holds: slick design, ease of use, robust security and great support. We would like to see Bitcoin SegWit integration, but at least that is on the roadmap.
Electrum (Mac/Windows/Linux/Android)
New to the list but probably the best light-weight bitcoin wallet for advanced users. Electrum has features like multisig and Pay to many (for batching transactions). It also offers support for third-party plugins like a Ledger hardware wallet. It has good security; funds can be recovered from a secret phrase, and you can easily export your private keys and use them in other Bitcoin clients.
Bitcoin Core (Mac/Windows/Linux)
Bitcoin Core is the reference implementation of bitcoin. Initially, the software was published by Satoshi Nakamoto under the name Bitcoin and later renamed to Bitcoin Core to distinguish it from the network. It offers the best security and privacy available, but this comes at a cost. Bitcoin Core stores a full copy of the blockchain on your computer. You need a least 145 GB of free hard disk space and an unlimited, fast internet connection to keep the wallet synced with the blockchain. It is not practical for most users but running a full node is a great way to support the bitcoin network and to keep it decentralized.
Ledger Nano S (Hardware wallet)
The safest way to store bitcoins is away from your computer, out of the reach of malware, spyware, and viruses. The <Ledger Nano S is still the best Bitcoin hardware wallet available, based on robust safety features for storing cryptographic assets and securing digital payments. It connects to any computer through USB and has a secure OLED display to double-check and confirm each transaction with a single tap on its side buttons. When you own a significant amount of bitcoin, you need to protect your confidential data and the access to your funds. With the Ledger Nano S, secrets like private keys are never exposed: sensitive operations are isolated inside the hardware wallet within a secure element, locked by a PIN code. Transactions cannot get tampered with; they are physically verified on the embedded screen with a simple press on a button. Through the Ledger Manager app, it is possible to install wallets for all the main scam coins (like Ethereum, Dash, Zcash, and others) or other applications like FIDO Universal Second Factor Authentication. It is best to order it directly from the manufacturer.
Just holding too boring? Check out our guide about where to trade cryptocurrencies and our Coinigy review, if you like detailed price charts in real-time. Keeping your funds safe starts with keeping your internet connection secure. Always use a VPN, we recommend TorGuard. Get 10% off for life on any TorGuard subscription plan with bonus code MekongMonkey.
This article was published first on MekongMonkey on February 24, 2018: "The Best Cryptocurrency Wallets in 2018". Republished here in a slightly edited version.
Picture credits: 1. Unsplash, 2. edge security, 3. Exodus, 4. Electrum, 5. Bitcoin Core, 6. Ledger Wallet, 7. Unsplash
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