A few good wallet choices:
https://blockstream.com/green/ - Top Security Features, Open Source and Non-Custodial
https://bluewallet.io - excellent, easy to use wallet, Open Source and Non-Custodial
https://www.sparrowwallet.com - top desktop wallet
https://electrum.org - Solid choice, Open Source and Non-Custodial, one of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin Wallets. I prefer the desktop version but it works on mobile too.
Lightning wallets to consider (cheaper and faster transactions, great for small amounts):
https://phoenix.acinq.co/ - Phoenix - very good wallet, uses Tor for extra privacy, easy for anyone new
https://blixtwallet.github.io/ - Blixt - great UI, fast and clean
https://breez.technology - Breez - excellent POS for small business owners as well as integrated Bitrefill or LN Pizza
https://zeusln.com/ Zeus - impressive wallet with many features, can even generate Nostr keys
Hardware Wallets (to store larger amounts):
Trezor - Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're. Use the Bitcoin only firmware as it's safer than a multi coin software.
ColdCard - air gapped, Bitcoin only, has advanced features but a new user will do fine with one of the great tutorials available.
BitBox02 - another great little device, opt for the more secure Bitcoin ONLY version (less coins = less code = less chance for a hidden bug or a backdoor)
Jade - air gapped, fully open source, Bitcoin only, great features. You can even build it on your own, if you feel adventurous.
Seedsigner - another DIY, fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, not for you if you're just starting up but something to consider later.
Krux wallet - one more DIY hardware device. Similar to Seedsigner, it's fully open source, air gapped, Bitcoin only hardware wallet, that is not for you right now if you're just starting up, but something to consider at a later stage and/or to up the security of your bitcoin.
There's also Ledger, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not fully open source, keep and already leaked customers' details, recently said they're capable of sending customers' keys out just with a firmware update, etc. Stay away, save yourself a headache in the future.
Whatever wallet you'll decide to buy, purchase DIRECTLY from the manufacturer, no eBay, no Amazon.
Make sure the device is NOT preset, and you will generate your own seed words. Write them down on any piece of paper as well as the receiving address. Now wipe the wallet and generate a new wallet. If the seed words are different from the first set, you're safe to use it.
Find an option to set a passphrase and use it. This will boost the security to another level. Never store the seed words and passphrase together. Use a different medium if possible. If somebody finds both, they'll be able to steal your coin.
This little device will hold the keys to your money, that's the reason why you have to be a bit more careful. Also, no worries, if it breaks, you can replace it - as long as you keep your seed words and passphrase(s) safe.
Nice overview, thanks!
What do you think about custodial Lightning wallets for absolute beginners?
They’re smooth to set up, but would people get too comfortable using them even with larger amounts and thus should be avoided from the get-go?
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Also, https://helm-wallet.com/ the Lightning wallet even your grandma can use.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @AG 14 Sep
an online version of muun?
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Sort of.
Unlike Muun, it's a PWA (so no app store censorship) that uses Boltz to perform submarine swaps between Lightning and Liquid (for lower fees). You fully own your funds on Liquid and you send and receive Lightning payments via Boltz.
Give it a try, you can use testnet: https://helm-wallet.pages.dev/
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Excellent information. We can complement it with the following link. Here you can find both software and hardware wallets, with more extensive specifications, and in the case of HWW, they take you to the purchase site.
It is also very good to consult the work done by Anita Posh on the use of Lightning wallets.
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CoinOS is great for beginners
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Great work.
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Great share
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Good list, I think newbies will appreciate it. It would be good to make a post with the pros and cons of each one.
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