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GLOSSARY/WALLET

Wallet

BASICS
DEFINITION
Software or hardware that manages your keys and talks to the network. Wallets hold keys, not coins — the bitcoin lives on the blockchain.
A wallet generates your seed phrase, derives addresses, watches the chain for your transactions, and signs spends. "Which wallet has my bitcoin" really means "which keys control which UTXOs" — restore the same seed in two apps and both show the same coins.
The taxonomy that matters: hot vs cold (keys online or offline), custodial vs self-custodial (their keys or yours), single-sig vs multisig. Our wallets section ranks the top three in every category.
IN A SENTENCE
“She restored the same wallet on her phone and laptop from one seed phrase.”

Key facts

HoldsKeys, not coins
CategoriesHot · cold · custodial · multisig
Our rankings15 wallets across 5 classes

Common questions

What happens if my wallet app shuts down?

Nothing to your bitcoin — restore your seed phrase in any compatible wallet. The standard (BIP-39) outlives any vendor.

Can I have multiple wallets?

Yes, and you should: a hot one for spending, cold storage for savings.
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