How to get a Bitcoin Wallet
Setting up your first Bitcoin wallet is simple. There are several quality mobile, desktop, and hybrid wallets available. If you want to do thorough research then you can read our comprehensive guide on how to find the best Bitcoin wallet.
A great path would be
(1) a mobile wallet like Airbitz (iPhone, Android), Breadwallet (iPhone) or Mycelium (Android),
(2) acquire bitcoins from a friend, as payment for a good or service or buy bitcoins from one of the many exchanges
(3) if you decide to store large amounts of bitcoins and want to know they are absolutely safe then use Armory.
Best Mobile Bitcoin Wallets
iPhone and Android apps are available with popular choices including:
Copay - Copay is a Bitcoin wallet by Bitpay and available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Linux, Max OS X, and Windows. Because Copay is available on multiple platforms, it’s easy to use the same wallet or accounts across multiple devices.Copay’s simple, clean user interface makes it a good choice for new Bitcoin users. Copay is also a good option for businesses due to a shared account feature, which requires a certain number of users to sign each transaction. Two co-founders, for example, could create a 2 of 2 wallet where both will be required to sign each transaction.
Airbitz - AirBitz is another Bitcoin wallet that’s great for everyday use. It’s integrated with Fold, meaning you can get 20% discounts at Starbucks from within the wallet.Airbitz manages accounts with usernames and passwords, but doesn’t have access to your funds. This type of account creation is easier for less technical users who may have trouble backing up or understanding HD seeds.
Breadwallet - Breadwallet’s combination of simplicity and security has made it the most popular iOS wallet. iPhone users in search of their first Bitcoin wallet should find Breadwallet easy to understand.
Best Bitcoin Software Wallets - Bitcoin software wallets are downloaded to your computer, give you more control and do not depend on third-party services. Most software bitcoin wallets require a day or so to download the blockchain before they are ready for use.
Armory - Armory is the most mature, secure and full-featured Bitcoin wallet but it can be technologically intimidating for users. Whether you are an individual storing $1,000 or institution storing $1,000,000,000 this is the most secure option available. Users are in complete control all Bitcoin private keys and can setup a secure offline-signing process in Armory.
Bitcoin Core - Bitcoin Core is the “official” Bitcoin client and wallet, though isn’t used by many due to slow speeds and a lack of features. Bitcoin Core, however, is a full node, meaning it helps verify and transmit other Bitcoin transactions across the network and stores a copy of the entire blockchain. This offers better privacy since Core doesn’t have to rely on data from external servers or other peers on the network. Bitcoin Core routed through Tor is considered one of the best ways to use Bitcoin privately.
Best Hybrid Bitcoin Wallets - Hybrid Bitcoin allows you to both control the private keys and have the easy of use of a web wallet.
Copay - Copay is a Bitcoin wallet by Bitpay and available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Linux, Max OS X, and Windows. Because Copay is available on multiple platforms, it’s easy to use the same wallet or accounts across multiple devices.Copay’s simple, clean, user-interface makes it a good choice for new Bitcoin users. Copay is also a good option for businesses due to a shared account feature, which requires a certain number of users to sign each transaction. Two co-founders, for example, could create a 2 of 2 wallet where both will be required to sign each transaction.
Best Bitcoin Web Wallets - Bitcoin web wallets are the easiest and most convenient to use but are potentially less secure than the above options because the private keys to your bitcoins are usually held by a third-party. Due to the large number of security breaches where people have lost bitcoins, we do not recommend any of the current Bitcoin web wallets. A wallet like Copay can be used on mobile & desktop. It provides the benefits of a software wallet and is easy to use across many devices. Copay also helps you securely share wallets with other people.
Best Bitcoin Hardware Wallets - Bitcoin hardware wallets are the most secure because they do not expose your private keys to the network.
- Ledger Wallet - Smartcard based and malware proof
- OPENDIME - The Bitcoin Credit Stick
Chuck Reynolds
Contributor
