List of Bitcoin wallets: how to choose?
1. Best hardware wallet
This actually is the safest mode of securing Bitcoin and crypto-currencies.
|
Name |
Product |
Ease of use |
Security |
Currencies |
Price |
|
Ledger Wallet |
|
☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Multiple |
70 € |
|
Trezor Wallet |
|
☆☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆ |
Multiple
|
80 € |
2. Best Bitcoin platform storage
Warning: this is the most convenient form of storage but also the least secure.
Indeed in case of company bankruptcy or platform hacking, your crypto-currencies can be lost permanently
Here are the 3 most popular platforms and offers the best security guarantee:
|
Name |
Ease of use |
Security |
Currencies |
|
|
☆☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Multiple See list
|
|
|
☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Multiple See list
|
|
|
☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆ |
Multiple See list
|
3. Best wallet for computeur use
Many software have developed interfaces for both computers and tablets. Here is a non-exhaustive list:
|
Name |
Ease of use |
Security |
Currencies |
OS |
|
Bitcoin Core |
☆☆☆ Takes a lot of space in the computer's memory |
☆☆☆☆☆ Maximum |
Bitcoin |
Mac and Windows |
|
Copay |
☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Bitcoin |
Mac and Windows |
|
|
☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Bitcoin |
Mac and Windows |
|
Jaxx |
☆☆☆☆ |
☆☆ Semi open source Private keys are not directly accessible |
Multiple See list |
Mac and Windows |
Electrum
4. Best Bitcoin wallet for smartphone
We have selected two mobile apps, the safest and easiest to use for everyday
|
Name |
Ease of use | Security | Currencies |
smartphone |
|
Bread Wallet |
☆☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆ |
Multiple See list |
IOS and Android |
|
Mycelium |
☆☆☆ |
☆☆☆☆ |
Bitcoin |
Android |
5. How does a crypto-wallet work?
Understanding how a wallet oprates helps to avoid mishandling.
A) What is the difference between public key and private key?
A wallet can have one or more bitcoin addresses.
Each bitcoin address is composed of two keys:
- The public key
A public key allows you to receive payments directly and can be communicated without risk.
It is commonly called "address", which can be found on your wallet’s homepage. To ensure maximum privacy, it is advised to use one address per transaction. This key consists of a 12-character alphanumeric sequence.
- The private key
In theory, to be able to spend your bitcoins, you must provide a private key.
This key, which is longer, consists of a 26-character alphanumeric sequence.
However for ease of use, your private keys are usually hidden by a software. Indeed, you can access it directly by a password only defined by you.
Private keys are the title of properties of your addresses. Make sure not to disclose them!
B) What is the validation period for a bitcoin transaction?
When you send Bitcoin, the transaction must be validated in the blockchain, the operations registry.
Each operation must be confirmed six times before being permanently recorded on the network.
The average time for validation (total or for each validation?) Is 10 to 20 minutes. The confirmation of the transaction through search engines exploring the blockchain. Just type in destination Bitcoin address to get all the information related to the transaction (cost of the transaction, number of validations etc ...)
Note: The time of validation is variable. You can speed up the processing of transactions by paying fees.
|
Warning If you are not yet familiar with Bitcoin and the world of cryptocurrencies, there are many things you need to know about risks and good practices.
|
