Looking for the best Bitcoin wallets with security in mind? – this guide is for you.
The whole idea of Bitcoin is that you can be in full control of your own money.
Bitcoin has already proved itself in being a very viable alternative standart to government-controlled fiat currencies. And because of the open-source nature, there are also of course many different types of Bitcoin wallets that can be used to store your private keys.
That being said, when it comes to security, and privacy, not every wallet is the same.
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Full Node Wallets
A Bitcoin full node is a program that serves the entire Bitcoin network by validating transactions and blocks. These wallets communicate with other full nodes, and miners, they require a heavy amount of bandwidth, hardware space, and memory.
Full nodes are usually run by Bitcoin miners, businesses, privacy-conscious users, or enthusiasts who prefer to verify the network themselves.
These programs stand as protection for the entire Bitcoin network since the network requires consensus, which means that no single entity can enforce rules without the miners, and the people running the nodes first agreeing.
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Bitcoin Core
Bitcoin Core is the original full Bitcoin client, it is stored on your computer and builds the backbone of which the entire Bitcoin network relies on. It downloads the entire blockchain and can take a few days to fully sync. This wallet acts as a full node on the network and therefore communicates with other nodes and miners. It offers a very high level of privacy and security. However, it has fewer features, can be complex and it requires a lot of space and memory.
Lightweight Wallets
These are software wallets that get downloaded on your computer, and they do not require you to download the entire blockchain.
Lightweight wallets connect with Bitcoin full nodes, and can therefore act as a very secure way to approach the entire network.
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Electrum
Electrum is fast, safe, and private while maintaining low resource usage. It is considered one of the most secure bitcoin lightweight wallets available today. This is a perfect wallet both for beginners and old school elites, It has a wide variety of features such as being able to act as cold storage, do multisign transactions and it can be integrated with the major hardware wallets, such as Ledger Nano S
Wasabi Wallet
Wasabi wallet works like any other normal Bitcoin lightweight wallet, you can send, receive, and store Bitcoins. However, it has a special feature called CoinJoin, which makes it the most anonymous Bitcoin wallet out there.
Mobile Wallets
Mobile wallets are applications you can download to your phone, they allow you to conveniently pay for things on the go. What makes mobile wallets so convenient is the fact, you can send and receive payments by simply taking pictures of QR codes.
Although smartphones by default can be very secure and act as perfect cold storage systems, for most people this is not the most convenient way and you may want to keep larger Bitcoin holdings in a different wallet.
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Samourai Wallet
SamouraiWallet is the most advanced bitcoin wallets available on Android today. It is designed from the ground up by an anonymous group that refers to itself as the Samourai’s. This wallet is extremely portable, it keeps your transactions private your identity masked and your funds secured.
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Blockstream GREEN
Blockstream GREEN is the most advanced iOS wallet in the industry today. It is designed to offers both convenience and security with all the latest tools and features one would want from a mobile wallet.
Hardware Wallets
Safety is one of the most important things in the cryptocurrency world, and one of the best ways to protect your savings is to use a physical hardware wallet device.
These devices can differ in shape and size yet the key element for the most is the same. They isolate your private keys but still allow you to send funds over the internet.
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Opendime
Opendime which is the true cypherpunk Bitcoin credit stick is a small USB device that allows you to transact and spend Bitcoin like cash. You can connect the device with any pc to check balance and pass it around multiple times without having to worry that someone can steal the funds afterward. The way Opendime works is that it keeps Bitcoin private keys in the device, and in order to use the funds the device seal must be broken, in other words, you must destroy the device in order to spend the funds.
Trezor
Trezor was the first hardware wallet manufacturer in the world. They released their flagship product in 2013, and since then have come up with a bunch of new devices and products to store, manage and trade your coins. Trezor is arguably one of the key leaders and most popular choices in the industry and therefore a top-notch pick for anyone looking to store their coins.
Ledger
Ledger is a hardware wallet manufacturer that offers some of the lowest-priced devices in the market. Their software offers a wide variety of services from multi wallets to managing, tracking and trading your coins. This is a great choice for anyone just starting out with hardware wallets.
KeepKey
KeepKey is a hardware wallet coming from ShapeShift, their device offers a web-based interface and acts as a multi-wallet for all major cryptocurrencies. This is a great choice because of how well it’s connected to ShapeShift’s and what this combination can offer.
BitBox
BitBox is an open-source hardware wallet designed to protect your assets with the latest Swiss-made hardware. This wallet supports BTC, LTC, ETH, and ERC-20 tokens, and uses OLED display and invisible touch sensors which makes it convenient and simplistic choice.
BitLox
BitLox is an open-source hardware mobile Bluetooth wallet designed to fit your pocket. The device is lightweight and comes with a convenient display, it also has many build-in hidden features such as emergency PIN to wipe all user data and it comes with a leather protection case.
BC Vault
BC Vault is a multi-cryptocurrency hardware wallet designed with true safety in mind. The way BCVault actually works is that it encrypts the private keys on the devices RAM itself, which you can then backup either on paper, SDCard, or send directly on your email. The wallet ships pre-loaded with 1 BTC, and If you manage to break the encryption it’s all yours. And on top of being able to easily manage all your cryptos, the device can also be used as a UF2 authenticator with the usual web services.
CoolWallet
CoolWallet is a unique hardware wallet designed with mobility on the mind. This wallet uses a combination of mobile phone and hardware through Bluetooth. It lets you track your expenses, spend and receive cryptocurrencies, and has biometric and physical F2A to ensure your security, all this while also keeping your funds offline. CoolWallet is probably the best choice for someone who is traveling a lot or just happen to be always on the go.
Bitfi
Bitfi is a new unique crypto hardware wallet. This device is different from all the rest since it doesn’t store your private keys at all. Instead, it lets users create signing requests through the device with a pin code and passphrase, while simultaneously calculating the private key and then destroying it immediately. This is truly a unique perspective since the device acts as a private key generator and not a wallet. This way users can stay safe even if someone manages to access the device by hacking or other malicious activities.
Sugi
Sugi is a multifunctional hardware wallet card that keeps your keys offline without chunky devices, cables, or complex user experience. Sugi card not only acts as cold storage but it is also a simplified payment card for everyday use.
Safepal
SafePal is the first hardware wallet invested and backed by Binance. This unique piece of a device can be paired together with your mobile phone. It has a functional 1.3″ inch high-resolution screen to show every detail of your assets. You can scan your transactions, and manage over 1000+ assets all while keeping your funds secure and offline. This is a perfect crypto management combination for the masses.
Ellipal
Ellipal is a completely isolated offline hardware wallet. The wallet is designed in such a way that it won’t connect to any network device or use any wireless or physical connections such as Bluetooth or USB, instead, the air capped device uses verifiable QR codes to verify transactions. This way no information can be stolen from it through the network nor it can be controlled remotely, making it one of the most complete protection wallets against hackers. Ellipal is also dustproof and waterproof and comes with a strong metal casing designed to resist against any physical abuse.
Cobo
Cobo is all in one Bitcoin hardware wallet solution for those who are serious about safeguarding their cryptocurrencies. The complete Cobo Vault pack includes everything from hardware device to stainless steel cold storage tablet. The hardware device itself is completely air gabbed meaning it eliminates all the possibilities for hackers to use technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB, and so on, instead, it uses QR codes to confirm transactions. And the stainless steel cold storage memory tablet can resist natural incidents such as fire, water, and shocks.
To learn more read both of our reviews written about Cobo:
- Cobo Tablet | Impressive Cold Storage Solution (2020 Review)
- Cobo Vault – 100% Air-Gabbed Verifiable Hardware Wallet (Review)
Keevo
Keevo is the link between security and convenience. The wallet uses multi-factor, multi-signature two-chip architecture, and with a master key never leaving the device. Keevo has multiple factors for keeping your assets secure, pin code, your fingerprint, and the device itself, all from which you can always recover the wallet seed. On top of this, Keevo is an excellent choice for managing someone’s assets, as it is the first hardware wallet offering a beneficiary solution, meaning someone else can encrypt their private keys on your device.
Cold Storage Wallets
Cold storage wallet means you generate the public and private keys offline. When done properly, this is by far the most secure way to store your keys.
Paper wallets for example are a great way to get started with cold storages.
Remember though, once these private keys are exposed to the internet, the wallet should no longer be used as you cannot be sure of its security anymore.
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Shieldfolio
Shieldfolio is a unique cold storage notebook designed with Bitcoiners in mind. The notebook is water-resistant and can be combined with a special Shieldfolio ghost pen, which hides your private keys and passwords from plain sight. The ghost pen also comes with UV light which can be used to reveal all your hidden messages.
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Billfodl
Billfodl is a cold storage metal wallet designed for serious Bitcoin holders. The wallet comes with a bunch of letters and numbers that allows the storage of your private keys. Because Billfodl is made of stainless steel, it is also fireproof, waterproof, shockproof, and god knows what else, you cannot destroy it, unlike paper wallets.
CypherSafe
CypherSafe cold storage products such as The CypherWheel are designed with the Bitcoin community in mind, making them easy to use, cost-effective and resistant to damage, keeping your confidential information & Bitcoin recovery seed safe from prying eyes.
Cryptosteel
Cryptosteel produces multiple different stainless steel offline cold storage wallets. The wallets are designed to store data without the need for third-party involvement. These solid metal devices can survive extreme conditions and work under nearly all circumstances.
BalletCrypto
BalletCrypto is a nonelectric physical offline cold storage wallet that comes with pre-printed QR code stickers both public and private keys. Because of this, we cannot actually recommend Ballet for any serious cold storage holding, and it’s rather more of a great gift idea. However, if you still want to get one, you can use code BitShills for 5% discount.
Paper Wallet
Paper Wallet is an extremely convenient way to get started with cold storage wallets, all you do is load up a website, turn off your internet, and print your keys on a paper.
Here are some example websites you can use.
www.bitaddress.org
www.walletgenerator.net
www.bitcoinpaperwallet.com