Wallet

A crypto wallet is software or hardware that stores the keys needed to access and manage funds on a blockchain. It does not literally hold coins; the balances live on the ledger, and the wallet manages the private keys that authorise spending. Wallets can generate addresses, show balances, and sign transactions, ranging from phone apps to dedicated devices that differ in convenience and security.

A common misconception is that losing the wallet app loses the coins; with the seed phrase, access can be restored elsewhere. See hardware vs software wallets for a comparison of types.