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The crypto market is volatile, and with that comes some risk. Multiple regulations have been in the market to protect digital currencies and protect them from hackers. In such cases, the traders who understand how to hold their crypto safely are at an advantage. There are various ways to store your crypto assets and improve their security. Although all the methods to keep crypto are not entirely risk-proof, it is easy for traders to manage their assets and safety with a suitable method.
When a digital currency is owned, it implies the ownership of private keys. With the key, a person can use their funds for transactions or other purposes. As crypto is a digital currency exchanged through encrypted transactions securing the keys became a priority.
To secure the private keys, they need to be stored in some places where it remains in access to their owner. Nowadays, seed phrases are also stored along with private keys to recover the encrypted data in case of any damage or loss to the keys.
Transactions in blockchain are permanent and can not be reversed back; hence, adequate security matters a lot in this. Being a decentralized and unregulated platform, storing crypto properly is very important for the security of payments and tokens.
There are multiple wallets that are considered safe to store crypto. Let’s continue with the article to learn more about various types of crypto storage.
Hot wallets are connected to the internet network and are used chiefly for user transactions. They are the softwares that saves all your keys, whether public or private. It is an efficient way to store crypto as the transaction medium is similar. There are some restrictions regarding a hot wallet as it is connected to the internet, it can be vulnerable, and hackers can reach out to your funds.
Users who prefer to store their crypto and at the same time want to use it for transaction purposes find hot wallets more relevant. There are various hot wallets that can be preferred by you depending on your needs after analyzing their benefits and drawbacks.
If a user needs to keep their private keys safe in their computer hard drive then desktop wallets are preferable for them.
| Pros | Cons |
| Small transactions can be conducted securely using a computer device. | A constant online connection is required to operate the wallet |
| These wallets are secure and free to use. | Risk of malware and other viruses. |
| Private keys are not held by any third party. | Easy to access for hackers. |
| These wallets can also be used offline in some cases. |
These wallets are provided by a third party, it acts as a crypto exchange. A user can access their holdings by login into a web browser.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use with any device, preferred by new users for trade. | Third-party exchanges are not secure for maintaining private keys. |
| Various transactions are supported; for instance, buy, sell, exchange, etc.,. | Vulnerability to hackers is potentially high. |
| The security of the account is managed by the exchanges. | Web wallets possess threats to viruses and keyloggers. |
In the case of hot wallets, mobile wallets are considered more secure for storing crypto as well as for any transaction.
| Pros | Cons |
| Crypto payments can be received easily and stored in the same wallet. | Holdings in this wallet are secure until the device is safe. |
| It is considered a convenient and easy-to-use wallet. | Accounts can be manipulated by anyone who has access to the device. |
| Accessing the stored currencies is efficient with a mobile wallet. |
In a custodial wallet, the control of private keys is with a third party. They manage your private keys for you and provide security to them. If a certain amount is held up, then insurance is offered to the owner. In such wallets, the key security is not your consideration, and the third party will take care of all the transactions; the owner has to permit their acceptance.
There have been multiple hacking attempts at this wallet, but exchanges make their services harden and move their client user keys to enterprise-level cold storage; this makes the crypto inaccessible to hackers.
‘Be your own bank’ fits well with non-custodial wallets. In these wallets, users have complete control over their funds and transactions. The user only maintains all the private keys associated with the currencies. The safety of crypto storage is there in these wallets as the access remains entirely to its user.
None of the other parties are involved in the access. The only chance of losing crypto in such wallets is losing a private key or any disruption on the user’s end.
These USB-type drives are available in the market in multiple forms. All the private keys and seed phrases can be kept in these devices, which means storing the crypto in hardware. During transactions, they can be used by accessing the relevant information of private keys.
Some of these wallets are compatible with DeFi. These devices came up with Bluetooth or other wireless options, which makes them easy to connect with other instruments during exchanges. Another added feature is that these wallets come with softwares that work parallel with your wallet devices and automatically stores the newly generated private keys.
Cryptos can be stored effectively in any wallet; in the same terms, USB drives are as effective as a commercial wallet if they are adequately encrypted and safeguarded. Disconnect them when not in use for the safety of stored cryptocurrencies, and keep them in a known and secure location. Make a backup of this and use them to gain your keys when required.
Cold wallets are part of cold storage, and in these types of wallets, the private keys are kept separately in devices not connected to the internet. This way of storing crypto plays a significant role in its security.
In addition to that, cold wallets are not connected to any other device that can be used as a medium of exchange. To access the stored keys, the device must be plugged in physically with the transaction service.
Cold Wallets are an offline option that is considered safe in terms of security and accessibility. There are two types of cold wallets; the first one is a paper wallet which is a nontech solution, while the other one is a hardware wallet which is an advanced tech option.
Let’s discuss the pros and cons of these types and find out what best meets the needs.
| Pros | Cons |
| It is completely offline, without any device interaction. | Paper can be lost and destroyed easily. |
| Private keys can be simply written down and kept safe. | It consumes a lot of time when crypto needs to transfer. |
| The inclusion of QR makes it easy to access. | There are multiple technical barriers to paper wallets. |
| Pros | Cons |
| Most secure way to store crypto in offline wallets. | They are costly and need to be purchased for use. |
| Using private offline keys, transactions can be signed. | It can feel challenging to new users. |
| Easy availability in the market. |
The oldest way to store crypto is to write the keys down on paper and keep them in a safe. But with this storage method, there are some risks. Paper can deteriorate, or ink can bleed and spread. Being a safe storage method, paper storage is old in this current tech-driven world. For that, the solutions mentioned above are varied kinds of wallets. Apart from that, there are various security precautions to follow to keep your stored crypto safe.
The concept of multi-signature involves transaction approval from several people. This protects the mistreatment of funds from a single end. The wallets which are connected with multi-signatures are called shared wallets and should be used with caution.
A wallet that runs on non-updated Bitcoin software is susceptible to getting hacked, even being stored in safe wallets. In the latest version of all the secure wallets, the softwares are fixed and increases the safety of Bitcoin. If you store your crypto in mobile and desktop wallets, keep track of the latest software updates.
In case of device failure, wallet backup helps recover all the keys. Digital wallets can be backed up in wallet.dat files, and these files can keep crypto keys, which are then transferred to other removable devices like USBs or CDs. To ensure safety keep the backups password protected and encrypted.
• What is the safest way to store crypto?
Hardware wallets are considered safer to store crypto as they are not connected to the internet network, and private keys remain safe with password protection and required encryption.
• What is a seed phrase?
Seed phrases are randomly generated long, random words. It acts as a master password that helps you to recover your private keys in case you lose access to your storage device.
• Which is more reliable: cold wallets or hot wallets?
Hot wallets are the ones through which transactions can be done; it is one of the options for storing crypto. But from a security point of view, cold wallets are more reliable for storing cryptocurrencies when there is no need for transactions.
• What are the ways to store crypto offline?
To store crypto offline, one can use hardware wallets which are basically cold storage, or they can be stored by the traditional method of writing down private keys on paper and keeping them in safe.
• What are the options for storing cryptocurrencies?
There are three ways to store cryptocurrencies: Software wallets, Hardware Wallets, and Paper Wallets.
We have seen all the possible ways to store cryptocurrencies in this article. Different types of storage provide additional reliable features for the safety of your stored digital currencies. You can choose the best method for storing your crypto based on how frequently you access your funds.
Several risk factors may be included during crypto storage, but one can identify their requirements and choose the most efficient way to store their cryptocurrencies. This article will help you identify all possible ways to store your crypto without hampering its security.
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