Buying or earning digital currency is only the first step of every crypto investor. It is much more important to preserve it, as well as to be able to carry out operations with minimal effort and cost. This is what cryptocurrency wallet is for — a special program or device that gives access to the user's cryptocurrency balance.
Let's look at which cryptocurrency wallets turned out to be the most popular in 2022.
What is a cryptocurrency wallet?
A crypto wallet is a tool for user interaction with the blockchain network. Cryptocurrency wallets do not store tokens, but give access to them. Since tokens are actually placed on blockchains, you can control your balance through various wallets. The main thing is that they must support working with tokens of the required standard and blockchain networks.
Different crypto wallets may have different optionality, but the basic functions are supported by all:
- user registration or account opening;
- acceptance, transfer of cryptocurrency;
- access to transaction history.
There are several large groups of cryptocurrency wallets, depending on where exactly the cryptocurrency is stored and the access keys to it:
- cold;
- hot;
- desktop;
- hardware;
- paper;
- mobile;
- web.
Rating of the best crypto wallets of 2022
The most popular crypto wallets that combine ease of use with high security:
- Coinbase. It is suitable for holding and dealing with a wide range of cryptocurrencies, from leading billion-dollar assets to various forks. It also supports the ERC-20 standard and all kinds of tokens that are created on EVM-compatible blockchains.
- MetaMask. It deservedly enjoys high popularity and is one of the leaders among cryptocurrency wallets. The developer offers desktop and mobile solutions with support for various blockchains and unlimited work with the EVM virtual machine.
- Trust Wallet. It is designed for storage and operation with cryptocurrencies, it has an intuitive interface and simplicity. It is perfect for beginners in the world of cryptocurrencies. This is one of the most user-friendly web wallets with multi-stage user key protection and the possibility of two-step user authorization, which guarantees the safety of funds.
- JAXX. It supports a large number of cryptocurrencies, while giving users the opportunity to independently connect new tokens if their standard is supported by a crypto wallet.
- Ledger Nano S. It is the only hardware wallet that owes its place in the rating to functionality combined with a high level of security. The wallet supports over 1300 cryptocurrencies and tokens, and this list is constantly updated by the developer.
When choosing a cryptocurrency wallet, first decide for what purpose it is needed. If you just store cryptocurrency, then it is better to focus on paper and hardware solutions. Mobile and online wallets are suitable for regular transactions. Desktop crypto wallets are universal and suitable for both storage and operations with cryptocurrencies. If you plan to engage in exchange trading and regular exchange of cryptocurrencies, then you should opt for web versions or even centralized exchanges, such as Binance.