A Special Consideration For Bitcoin Wallet Security

The Bitcoin Wallet: What Is It?

An electronic wallet that lets you send and receive Bitcoins is called a Bitcoin wallet. It is similar to a physical wallet. The wallet does not store physical currency, but instead maintains the cryptographic information needed to access Bitcoin addresses and make transactions. Other cryptocurrencies can also be stored in some Bitcoin wallets.

Bitcoin Wallets – Understanding their functions

Wallets are devices or programs that interact with Bitcoin’s blockchain. Despite common misconceptions, Bitcoin wallets act as an encrypted record of a blockchain address, as opposed to storing Bitcoins.

In a trusted Bitcoin wallet, a user’s address book is encrypted with a set of secret numbers, or private keys. Bitcoin transactions are signed with these keys, thereby allowing the user to control the bitcoins at that address. An attacker can transfer Bitcoins to their own wallet if they are able to steal a wallet’s private keys.

Wallets fall into four basic categories: desktop wallets, mobile wallets, web wallets, and hardware wallets.

Wallets for the desktop widely know as Desktop Wallets

The desktop wallet can be installed on a desktop or laptop computer and offers complete control over the wallet. In addition, some desktop wallets offer node software or exchange integration.

Due to the possibility of a computer being compromised, desktop wallets are considered relatively insecure.  Electrum, Armory, and Hive OS X are some well-known desktop wallets.Electrum, Armory, and Hive OS X are some well-known desktop wallets.

The Mobile Wallets

As with desktop wallets, mobile wallets work on smartphones or other mobile devices. Paying in physical stores is made quicker with Near-Field Communication (NFC) and QR codes.

In general, mobile wallets work on iOS and Android. As there have been many cases of malware masquerading as Bitcoin wallets, do your research carefully before choosing one.

Wallets on the Web

Using your web wallet, you can send and store your cryptocurrency online. Web wallets offer the benefit of being able to be accessed from anywhere using any device, as easily as checking your email.

The main concern is security. Additionally, there is a significant counterparty risk to consider along with the risks associated with malware and phishing. Many Bitcoin users have discovered that their bitcoins have disappeared after logging into a third-party service.

Hardware Wallets

As private keys are stored on a physical device that cannot access the Internet, hardware wallets are the most secure type of Bitcoin wallet. They look like USB drives. Plugging in the hardware wallet allows the user to sign Bitcoin transactions on the computer without compromising their private keys.

In recent years, successful thefts of hardware wallets have been rare due to their immunity to virus attacks. Hardware wallets typically cost between $100 and $200. There are two well-known manufacturers of hardware wallets: Ledger and Trezor.

Secure your wallet by considering these special considerations

As cryptocurrencies are highly valued by hackers, wallet safety is crucial. Wallets should be encrypted with a strong password, exchanges should use two-factor authentication, and large amounts should be stored offline.

A twelve-word mnemonic seed is used to generate modern wallets, which can be used to recover the wallet if the device is lost or damaged. Anybody who finds these words can steal your cryptocurrency, so you should store them carefully.

Make sure that you use a trusted source for your cryptocurrency security.