Bitcoin Cash (BCH) brings sound money to the world. Merchants and users are empowered with low fees and reliable confirmations. The future shines brightly with unrestricted growth, global adoption, permissionless innovation, and decentralized development. All Bitcoin holders as of block 478558 are now owners of Bitcoin Cash. Download the desired wallet (or buy a hardware wallet) and choose its appropriate. Choose your wallet. Free bitcoin wallets are available for all major operating systems and devices to serve a variety of your needs. For example, you can install an app on your mobile device for everyday use or you can have a wallet only for online payments on your computer. In any case, choosing a wallet is easy and can be done in minutes.

• My Bitcoin Cash Wallet
• How To Get A Bitcoin Cash Wallet
• How To Find A Bitcoin Wallet
• How To Setup A Bitcoin Cash Wallet Crypto

For a new bitcoin investor, understanding how wallets work is essential. The key storage unit for bitcoin and altcoins, wallets are where digital currencies are spent, received, and banked. Besides the blockchain and the coin hash, the wallet is one of the basic structures in the world of New Finance.

How do you set up a wallet?

Understanding Wallets

In basic terms, a wallet is a database kept either online or offline that stores the private key for coins in your possession. When you make a transaction, you sign for the transaction with your private key, which confers your ownership of the coins and your right to initiate the transaction. The blockchain encodes the transmitted bitcoin with the recipient’s private key, formally transferring ownership. This is roughly equivalent to a physical wallet, where taking money out of your wallet and permitting someone else to place that money in his or her wallet conveys a money transfer.

Wallets can exist as physical devices, on paper (which is just a printout of both your public and private keys; the actual coins exist on the blockchain), as software on a private computer, or a managed web account. Should a wallet ever become inaccessible, the private key would be inaccessible, making the bitcoin “lost” or not spendable. Proper wallet management requires protection of passwords and any physical assets, management of backups, and informing appropriate individuals about how to access the wallet in the case of your incapacitation or death.

Many exchanges, including Coinbase, automatically create wallets for new accounts as a courtesy. All a new subscriber has to do to use such wallets is to load them with bitcoin or altcoins. However, as managed wallet providers tend to charge transaction fees for any outside transaction, it may be cheaper to consider a non-managed option.

There are plenty of free wallet options available. Using a web-based wallet option means, however, sharing your private key with a third party. For the privacy-minded, this may be a no-go, but for the new user, this is the easiest option available.

Setting Up a New Wallet

For this example, we are looking setting up a new wallet at blockchain.info:

Step #1. At the blockchain.info homepage, scroll to “New to Digital Currencies?” Click on “Get a Free Wallet.”

Step #2. Enter your email and password. Confirm the password and toggle the Terms of Service box. Hit “Continue.” Make sure that you pick a password you are unlikely to forget and read the terms of service thoroughly.

Step #3. Click “Get Started.”

Step #4. Your wallet is now online. You can now create an address with which to receive coins by hitting “Request.” You will need an exchange account to fund your wallet. Once funded, you can send coins by hitting “Send.”

Final Notes

Note that different wallets accommodate different coins. For instance, the blockchain.info wallet can show you your wallet total in USD or in BTC, ETH, or BCH. This means you need to take into account which coins a wallet will accept before you decide on which wallet to use.
It is relatively easy to use a wallet. However, it is important that you understand the risks involved and perform the due diligence needed to maximize and safeguard your investments.

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Desktop wallets are a great option for anyone sending frequent Bitcoin payments from their computer.

In this post we will cover some of the best bitcoin desktop wallets and help you decide which is right for you.

Heads Up!

Large amounts of bitcoins should not be stored on your computer! If you want the most secure Bitcoin wallet then you will need to use a hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano X or TREZOR T.

You should always do research before downloading or installing any Bitcoin wallet.

Wasabi wallet is a desktop (as well as mobile) wallet designed around maintaining privacy through advanced features such as coinjoin and tor routing.

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Linux, Windows

• Full Segwit suport
• Coinjoin functionality
• All traffic routed throug Tor
• Connect to full node
• Works with Ledger, Trezor and Coldcard hardware wallets

• Advanced features make this not a beginner wallet

Blockstream Green is one of the most unqique and secure desktop wallets on the market. It uses a 2-of-2 style backup so if you ever lose your backup, you can use any two factor authentication to recover it. It's also super simple to set up and requires no registration other than an email address. You can even store your Liquid assets on Blockstream green now.

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android, F-droid

• Easy to set up
• Excellent fee estimation
• Two-Factor multi-sig
• Multilingual
• Great support

• Some features are advanced for beginners
• Using two-factor recovery can be confusing
• Only Android version works with hardware wallets right now

Ledger Live is a little bit different than all the other desktop wallets on this list. That's because you actually need a Ledger hardware wallet for it to work. This makes it by far the most secure desktop wallet on this list, but it also means that using it isn't exactly 'free'.

Supported Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux

• Most secure
• Great UI
• Easy to use
• All crypto in one dashboard
• Compatible with Ledger Hardware Wallets

• Must buy a Ledger hardware wallet to use
• Confirming transactions can be confusing for new users

is another old and tested Bitcoin wallet for all desktop platforms. It is definitely more for an advanced users, so beginners might find using the wallet a little confusing. However, the advanced features and security options make it a great choice for the more experienced Bitcoiner.

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Ubuntu, Windows, Rasberry Pie

• Old and trusted
• Advanced fee settings
• No signup required
• Works with Ledger and Trezor

• Ugly user interface
• Advanced features can be difficult for beginners.

Electrum is one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin wallets on the market. It also sports advanced features for privacy and fee settings.

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Linux, Windows, Android, Python

WARNING

There are a lot of fake versions of Electrum out there. Make sure you verify you are installing the real Electrum by verifying electrums GPG signatures. See guides for how to do that on Windows and MacOS.

• Connect to full node
• Compatible with most hardware wallets
• One of the oldest Bitcoin wallets
• Works with Ledger, Trezor, Keepkey, Bitbox, Coldcard

• More advanced wallet not ideal for beginners
• iOS version widely considered inferior to Android version
• Traditional stock dashboard may distract from crypto-only holders

Bitcoin Core is a Bitcoin full node wallet, meaning it downloads the entire Bitcoin blockchain. It is the most private Bitcoin wallet although it takes patience and quite some time to setup. You also need a reliable internet connection, as well plenty of badwidth and hard drive space.

Supported Platforms: MacOS, Linux, Windows

• Full node required
• Great for Bitcoiners with no other coins
• Compatible with most hardware wallets
• Developed by some of the best devs in the crypto
• Works with Ledger, Trezor, Keepkey, Bitbox, Coldcard

• Bitcoin Only - no altocins supported
• Basic wallet with limited features

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Chapter 1

How to Add Funds to Your Desktop Wallet

Now that you have chosen a wallet, let's transfer some funds into it.

In this brief walkthrough, we will show you how to add funds to your desktop wallet

For you to add funds to your desktop wallet, you will need to buy some cryptocurrency from an exchange and transfer it to your desktop wallet. Most Desktop wallets do not have exchanges native to it.

You’ll need to choose an exchange that services your country and/or state. The best place to do that is to go to our exchange finder or you can see the most popular exchanges below:

• eToro

  • Start trading fast; high limits
  • Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
  • Your capital is at risk.
• Coinbase

  • High liquidity and buying limits
  • Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
  • 'Instant Buy' option available with debit card

After you have bought your crypto, you’ll need to send it to your wallet. To do that, do the following:

1. Open your wallet and find an option to “receive”

2. Copy the address given

3. On your exchange where you bought your coins, select the “send” option.

4. There should be a field to input your wallet address copied in step 2. Paste it there.

5. Confirm you want to send your coins.

After that, you should receive a confirmation with a transaction ID of some kind. Here is what that might look like.

Chapter 2

Hardware Wallets: A Great Addition to Desktop Wallets

With funds in your desktop wallet, its time to take your security to the next level.

The best way to do that is with a hardware wallet like a ledger or trezor

Desktop wallets have the advantage of being free and easy to use. However, using a desktop wallet also poses many dangers to your coins.

Making sure your coins are not stolen through malware or ransomware is difficult to avoid on a desktop wallet.

This is where hardware wallets come in. Hardware wallets are never connected to the internet. They store the private keys and sign transactions you send to them. You verify the transaction on the screen of the hardware wallet, and hand off the signed transaction back to interface on your desktop or mobile phone.

Hardware wallets are a great way, then, to keep your coins safe if you want to use a desktop wallet. Instead of housing the coins on the desktop computer, you store them on the hardware wallet and the desktop just acts as your UI to control the hardware wallet.

You can learn more about each of the hardware wallets we recommend below:

COMPARISON

Ledger Nano X

• SCREEN:
• RELEASED: 2019
• PRICE: $119

Ledger Nano S

• SCREEN:
• RELEASED: 2016
• PRICE: $59

My Bitcoin Cash Wallet

TREZOR T

• SCREEN:
• RELEASED: 2018
• PRICE: $159

TREZOR One

• SCREEN:
• RELEASED: 2013
• PRICE: $59

Chapter 3

Security Tips for Desktop Wallets

Now that we've got our desktop wallet set up with a hardware wallet, let's explore a few additional points on security.

PINs, VPNs, and Steel wallets are great additions to our security stack.

Always set up a PIN to protect your funds

Make sure your desktop wallet is protected by a 4 to 6 digit PIN number. Much your like bank account, most wallets have a PIN password that is the absolutel minimum when it comes to protecting funds you keep on your wallet. This prevents someone who has your phone from accessing the coins and sending them to another wallet that they own.

A PIN is not very strong security, but its good enough to prevent most people who have temporary access to your unlocked phone from taking your money.

Store your recovery phrase on something that is water and fire proof

All the desktop wallets on this list support BIP39 seed words, otherwise known as ‘recovery phrases’. If your phone is lost, destroyed, or stolen, you can use this phrase to recover your funds to a new device.

However, most people write down these words on a piece of paper. When their home catches fire or is flooded, they lose the device and the backup to the elements. You should therefore consider a steel backup device like the PrivacyPros Billfodl or Cryptosteel.

DO NOT store a lot of coins on your desktop wallet

We’ve mentioned this before, but its worth repeating: you should treat your desktop wallet the same way you treat your real world wallet or billfold. You wouldnt carry every dollar you own in your pocket. You should also not hold all your coins on your desktop wallet. You need to store them on a hardware wallet.

Use a VPN when transacting on an desktop wallet

When making Bitcoin transactions on your desktop wallet, it is a good practice to use a VPN. This prevents your ISP or hackers listening in on your connection from tying your IP address (and therefore your personal identity) to your Bitcoin transactions. It’s a good privacy practice that is cheap and easy to implement.

• VPN
• NordVPN

  • Special support for Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa
  • SEPA & credit card supported
  • Trusted exchange
• Surfshark

  • Users claim fast speed from wide range of servers all around the world
  • Compatible with nearly any OS
• ExpressVPN

  • Allows for Netflix
  • Users claim fast speed
  • Has apps for nearly any platform

Chapter 4

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of our most asked questions by readers.

If you're wondering about a topic on this page, odds are we have the answer here.

How To Get A Bitcoin Cash Wallet

When should I use a desktop Bitcoin wallet?

If you’re on your computer a lot and don’t need super secure storage, a desktop wallet is a good choice.

Do desktop wallets work with hardware wallets?

Yes, many desktop wallets allow the user to utilize a hardware wallet as the signer of transactions. This means that the private key is not help on the computer the desktop wallet is isntalled on.

Instead, the private key is held on a hardware wallet, and the ddesktop wallet is used as an interface for the hardware wallet. The desktop wallets sends transaction data to the hardware wallet to sign off on. If you’ve ever used Ledger Live, this is essentially how it works as well.

Can I store large amounts of bitcoins in a desktop wallet?

You can, but this isn’t recommended.

If you want to use a desktop wallet but need to store large amounts of Bitcoin, its best to utilize a hardware wallet to sign transactions for the desktop wallet (as mentioned above).

KeepKey, TREZOR, and Ledger Nano X all work with Electrum. TREZOR One and Model T and the Ledger Nano S and X all work with Copay.

Setup is very easy and you can have your hardware wallet securely signing transactions via your desktop wallet in just a few minutes.

How To Find A Bitcoin Wallet

What’s the difference between a desktop wallet and a web wallet?

Web wallets are more like accounts. A web wallet makes you set a passwords which it uses to encrypt your wallet on the web wallet server.

Desktop wallets are actual apps that are installed on your computer.

How To Setup A Bitcoin Cash Wallet Crypto

Are desktop wallets free?

Yes, all desktop wallets are free. Hardware wallets are the only type of wallet that costs money.

If someone has access to my computer can they access my bitcoins?

It depends. Many desktop wallets encrypt your private keys and request a password to decrypt it every time you open the wallet. This means that you need to enter a password in order to send bitcoins from most desktop wallets.

How do I backup my desktop wallet?

Most wallets generate a seed on setup. You write this seed down on a piece of paper and it can be used to restore your wallet if you lose your computer of have it stolen.

Can I use more than one desktop wallet at a time?

Yes, of course. We suggest trying many different desktop wallets and then deciding which one has the features you need.

What is the difference between Blockstream Green and Aqua?

While both of these Bitcoin and Liquid wallets are made by Blockstream, only Blockstream Green is available for desktop. Aqua is only available as a mobile wallet. The other difference is that Blockstream green uses a 2-of-2 multisig to protect your coins from hackers. Aqua is a single signature wallet, meaning anyone with access to your phone (either physcially or remotely) could steal your coins. In exchange for the increased risk, the wallet is easier to use.

Aqua is new, and if you have an iOS device, it can be a great addition to Blockstream Green Desktop. Take a closer look at it its features and look in the video below:

Does Blockstream Jade work with Blockstream Green Desktop?

Yes, you can now use the Blockstream Green app on your desktop to set up your wallet on your Blockstream Jade hardware wallet!