The most comprehensive guide to mainstream currency wallets

Recently, some people have been asking what a digital currency wallet is, where to download it, how to transfer money, etc. Since so many people are asking, I might as well write a summary.

Let’s start with a picture . The following six are all digital currency wallets, which should cover most of the mainstream digital currencies on the market.

In the above picture, the first two are PC version full-node wallets, corresponding to Bitcoin and Sia respectively. The middle two are mobile version light wallets, supporting from Bitcoin, Ethereum to a series of digital currencies based on Ethereum. The second to last one is a web version wallet that supports Ethereum. The last one looks like a USB flash drive and is a hardware wallet.

Here is a brief introduction on how to use each wallet:

Bitcoin core

Website: bitcoin.org

This is an old-fashioned Bitcoin full-node wallet that runs on PC and has Window and Mac versions. Its advantage is that it is fully functional. In command line mode, you can query block information, transaction information, address, public key and private key, and you can also add a password to the wallet. However, after the software is installed, it will automatically synchronize with the network - usually takes N days to download all blocks - 150Gb, so there are certain requirements for hard disk space. For specific information, you can see this article "Let's talk about wallets, private keys, public keys, and addresses".

Sia UI

Website: sia.tech

This software is only available in PC version and is also compatible with Windows and Mac.

1. The interface after installation is as follows

2. Click " Wallet " on the right to create a wallet " Create a new wallet "

3. After creation, two lines of passwords will be generated

The first line is the seed - a string of n words, and the password .

Write down both of the above items and click “ I have written these down in a safe place ”.

4. This step will ask you to enter the password you just wrote down. After completing the input, the wallet will be created.

5. The transaction address can be obtained from the wallet.

BlockChain Wallet

Website: blockchain.info

A dedicated Bitcoin mobile light wallet that supports the storage of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Since it is a light wallet, the entire app and data does not exceed 50M.

1. After downloading, you need to " create a wallet " for the first login.

2. Enter your email address and password (at least 10 characters/random/uppercase/numbers/characters).

3. After registration, the system will send an email to your mailbox. Click to confirm. There is also a wallet ID in the email - write it down.

4. Then you can enter the app and see the following interface

5. In the wallet, click " Backup Funds ", the system will generate a mnemonic phrase consisting of 12 words. Write it down and save it in a reliable place. This mnemonic phrase can be used to restore the wallet if you forget your login password. This mnemonic phrase is used to generate the private key.

6. If you click " Logout " in the program, the following interface will appear. Enter the password you used when registering and click " Continue " to log in again. If you select " Forget Wallet ", the information will be completely erased.

7. Now open the app and the following interface appears

8. If you remember your wallet ID and password, select " Login ", log in to the blockchain.info web version, generate a QR code, and scan it with your phone to log in

9. If you don’t remember your wallet ID and password, you can also retrieve your wallet by clicking “ Recover Funds ” and entering a 12-word mnemonic phrase.

What? You ask me, what if my wallet ID, login password, and mnemonic phrase are all gone?

My answer is: "Haha"

imToken

The app is also a mobile light wallet that supports Ethereum and Ethereum-based digital currencies.

1. After the installation is complete, you need to " create a wallet ".

Enter the wallet name and password (at least 10 characters/random/uppercase/numbers/characters)

2. After creation, the interface is as follows

3. On the " Assets " page, press " + " to add Ethereum-based digital currencies

4. On the " Me " page, you can manage your wallet, such as deleting, importing, and backing up.

5. It is strongly recommended to " back up the mnemonic phrase ", which is a string of 12 words, just like the BlockChain wallet.

6. To restore your wallet, click “ Import Wallet ” on the “ Me ” page, and then enter your mnemonic and password (the same password you used when you created your wallet).

MyEtherWallet

Website: https://www.myetherwallet.com/

1. This wallet is a web version. After entering the URL, if you have not created a wallet, the page will ask you to enter a new password - please use a random number to generate a private key.

The following addresses and private keys are all typed by me at random.

2. After entering the password, the following page will appear, asking you to save the keystore . Please click Save.

3. The next step is to save your private key . Please write down or print out the password and keep it properly.

4. Once completed, enter the private key or the keystore file saved previously in this step to unlock the wallet.

5. After unlocking, you can see the wallet information, balance, address and private key.

6. You can also click " Print Paper Wallet ", as shown in the picture below. It contains important information about your account. Please print it out and save it in a safe place. Do not give it to others and do not lose it.

7. Later, when you log in to this website again, you can click " View Wallet Information " and use keystore or private key, address, etc. to unlock the wallet.

Legder Nano S

This is a hardware wallet, and it is the only one among the six wallets that I have not used. However, the basic principle is to store private keys. The only difference is that the app is stored in a mobile phone or computer, while it is stored in a USB flash drive. After saving, the USB flash drive is offline, away from the Internet, and away from leakage and attack, thus ensuring the security of the private key.

Okay, that’s all I have to say about the wallet. If Apple users want to ask where to download the two mobile app wallets, I can only tell you to use Ma Yunsou to find an account for the US version of the app store.

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This article was first published on WeChat public account: "Roumotu"