{"id":2876,"date":"2024-10-22T10:50:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T10:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/?p=2876"},"modified":"2024-10-22T10:50:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T10:50:59","slug":"what-are-the-different-types-of-bitcoin-wallets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/what-are-the-different-types-of-bitcoin-wallets\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfCu\u00e1les son los diferentes tipos de billeteras Bitcoin?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no such thing as THE&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tradecenterfx.com\/beginners-guide-to-bitcoin-wallets\/what-are-the-different-types-of-bitcoin-wallets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monedero Bitcoin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Existen&nbsp;<em>multiple&nbsp;<\/em>Bitcoin wallets available that you can use. And they come in different types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make it easier for you to understand, I classify each \u201ctype\u201d of crypto wallet into three groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Medium<\/strong>: What type of medium the wallet is stored on?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connectivity<\/strong>: Is the wallet connected to the internet?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Custodianship<\/strong>: Who has access to, and therefore, control of the wallet\u2019s private keys?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crypto Wallets Based on Medium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of&nbsp;<em>medium<\/em>, wallets can be broken into four main categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Software wallets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hardware wallets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paper wallets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brain wallets<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Software wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>software wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;is a computer program or mobile app that holds private keys online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They connect to the Bitcoin network through trusted full nodes, centralized services (such as centralized exchanges), or are full nodes themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13141741\/crypto-software-wallet-360x212.png\" alt=\"Software wallet\" class=\"wp-image-228729\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three types of&nbsp;<em>software<\/em>&nbsp;wallets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Desktop wallets<\/strong>\u00a0that are used on a desktop or laptop computer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mobile wallets<\/strong>\u00a0that work as a mobile \u201capp\u201d and are used on your smartphones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Web-based wallets<\/strong>\u00a0that work as a browser extension and are used in your web browser.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hardware wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>hardware wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;is a small, portable&nbsp;<em>physical<\/em>&nbsp;device (similar to a USB flash drive) that keeps your private keys isolated from the internet at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To transact, a computer and the device manufacturer\u2019s software application are required to authorize (or \u201csign\u201d) the transaction since the private keys are kept offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hardware wallets provide an extra layer of security than software wallets but most people don\u2019t use them since they\u2019re complicated and the devices themselves are expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I recommend hardware wallets from&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ledger.com\/?r=fbb2c00e3e40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Ledger<\/strong>,<\/a>&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/trezor.io\/?offer_id=12&amp;aff_id=31903\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trezor<\/a><\/strong>, o&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.secuxtech.com\/?aff=77\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SecuX<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s an example of what a hardware wallet looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13141156\/ledger-hardware-wallet.webp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13141156\/ledger-hardware-wallet-269x360.webp\" alt=\"Crypto hwardware wallet\" class=\"wp-image-228728\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Paper wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>paper wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;is literally a piece of paper with your address and private key printed or written on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paper wallets are created by downloading software, then running the software offline (disconnected from the internet) to generate a public\/private key pair which you print out on a piece of paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s an example of what a Bitcoin paper wallet looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13132607\/bitcoin-paper-wallet.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13132607\/bitcoin-paper-wallet-360x116.png\" alt=\"Bitcoin paper wallet\" class=\"wp-image-228727\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brain wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>brain wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;refers to a private key that is stored in the user\u2019s memory in the form of a&nbsp;<strong>seed phrase,<\/strong>&nbsp;which is a sequence of 12-24 words (often called a \u201cmnemonic phrase\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is similar to a paper wallet, except nothing is written down on paper. It\u2019s all stored in memory\u2026.<strong>your memory<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/08\/13143015\/useless-brain-wallet-360x360.png\" alt=\"Useless Brain Wallet\" class=\"wp-image-228731\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve ever forgotten a password, ca brain wallets is definitely NOT for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a beautiful painting of the different wallet types by medium:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23180849\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-medium.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23180849\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-medium.png\" alt=\"Bitcoin Wallet Types by Medium\" class=\"wp-image-219736\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crypto&nbsp;Wallets Based on Internet Connectivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of&nbsp;<em>internet connectivity<\/em>, wallets can be broken into two categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hot wallets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cold wallets (or \u201ccold storage\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hot wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0The \u201c<strong>hot<\/strong>\u201d in hot wallet refers to its connection to the interwebz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A wallet is considered \u201c<strong>hot<\/strong>\u201d when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The wallet can be directly accessed through the internet or\u2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The wallet is on a device that is always connected to the internet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you can access your crypto directly through a web browser or through a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone that has an internet connection, then in the words of the legendary Paris Hilton, \u201cThat\u2019s hot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Pros<\/th><th>Contras<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>You can access it from anywhere with an internet connection<\/td><td>Your keys are kept on the third-party\u2019s servers.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>It\u2019s easier to recover access if you lose the private key than cold wallets<\/td><td>Vulnerable to a wider variety of attacks than cold wallets making it less secure.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cold wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0The \u201c<strong>cold<\/strong>\u201d in a cold wallet or cold storage refers to the lack of connection to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because cold wallets are never connected to the internet, online theft of your bitcoins is impossible. A hacker would have to&nbsp;<em>physically<\/em>&nbsp;steal the device to gain access to your bitcoins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Pros<\/th><th>Contras<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>More secure than hot wallets due to offline storage of keys.<\/td><td>If you lose your keys and don\u2019t and didn\u2019t back them up, recovery is impossible.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Most popular hardware wallets are supported by hot wallets<\/td><td>Transactions usually take longer.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a diagram showing how the different types of crypto wallets are classified as either a&nbsp;<strong>hot wallet or cold storage<\/strong>:<br><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23183627\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-connectivity.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23183627\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-connectivity.png 800w, https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23183627\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-connectivity-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23183627\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-connectivity-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23183627\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-connectivity-780x585.png 780w\" alt=\"Bitcoin Wallet Types by Connectivity\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crypto Wallets Based on Custody<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to cash, there are two ways to keep it safe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do it yourself and assume full responsibility. (Hide it under your mattress or keep it in a safe.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trust someone else to do it for you. (Like a bank.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same thing applies to cryptocurrencies under the concept of \u201c<strong>custody<\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With cryptocurrencies, \u201c<strong>custody<\/strong>\u201d refers to the ability of a trusted entity or third party to hold and protect its customers\u2019&nbsp;<strong>private keys<\/strong>&nbsp;and cryptocurrency holdings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of custody, Bitcoin wallets can be broken into two categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Custodial wallets:\u00a0<\/strong>the wallet provider has access to your bitcoin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Non-Custodial wallets:\u00a0<\/strong>the wallet provider does NOT have access to your bitcoin.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Custodial Wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>custodial wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;is controlled by a trusted entity, with the user typically having to access its contents via a web interface. These sites store private keys for you so you don\u2019t have to worry about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Custodial wallets are also known as \u201c<strong>hosted wallets<\/strong>\u201c. Wallets are considered \u201chosted\u201d because a third party holds your crypto for you, similar to how a bank holds your money in a savings or checking (or current) account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wallets provided by&nbsp;<strong>centralized crypto exchanges (CEXs)<\/strong>&nbsp;are a common example of custodial wallets. They hold your bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies in an account, and they manage and control the keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means that they have full control over your funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You only have permission to send and receive bitcoin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a popular saying in the crypto world:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;\u201cif you don\u2019t control your keys, you don\u2019t control your coins.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you keep cryptocurrency on an exchange, then&nbsp;<strong>it is the custodian of your private keys<\/strong>. You\u2019re trusting it with your keys in the same way you\u2019d trust a bank\u2019s vault to hold your cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When using a custodial wallet, there\u2019s always a risk that the trusted third-party entity involved could be hacked or you could lose all your crypto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people like the convenience of using a custodial wallet since they don\u2019t have to store their private keys themselves and have to worry about losing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accessing a custodial wallet usually just requires a password, and even if you lose or forget your password, you can always contact the third-party provider to reset your password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Non-Custodial Wallets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<strong>non-custodial wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;gives the user full control over their funds and the associated private keys or seed phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This sounds great but that also means that YOU are solely responsible for the security of your own private keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While non-custodial wallets provide the software necessary to manage your crypto, the responsibility of keeping your private keys safe falls entirely on YOU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no third party or a \u201ccustodian\u201d to keep your crypto safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you lose or forget your private key or seed phrase, there\u2019s no way to access your crypto. They are not stored on any online server by a trusted third party and are therefore much less susceptible to theft or hacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you lose them, you will lose access to your funds forever. There will be no entity or third party that you can contact to help you recover your private keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if someone else discovers your private key, they\u2019ll get full access to your crypto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why when you entrust your bitcoins to nobody and take responsibility for your own funds by saving your private keys yourself, this is known as \u201c<strong>self-custody<\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/23192304\/bitcoin-wallets-types-by-custody.png\" alt=\"Bitcoin Wallet Types by Custody\" class=\"wp-image-219745\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<strong>Self-sovereignty<\/strong>\u201d is an important concept in crypto.&nbsp; It means that one should have access to their cryptocurrency without needing to depend on a bank or other trusted third party (TTP) to keep it safe or reveal\/prove their identity. Using a non-custodial wallet helps you achieve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Bitcoin wallet is necessary for storing private and public keys, which are used to send and receive transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Different types of wallets offer varying levels of&nbsp;<strong>security<\/strong>&nbsp;y&nbsp;<strong>ease of use<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bpcdn.co\/images\/2022\/02\/28114011\/bitcoin-wallet-security-vs-ease-of-use.png\" alt=\"Bitcoin Wallet Secuirity vs. Ease-of-Use\" class=\"wp-image-219916\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Si&nbsp;<strong>security and long-term storag<\/strong>e is your primary goal, then a&nbsp;<strong>cold wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;is a better option than a hot wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An example of a cold wallet is a hardware wallet from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.ledger.com\/?r=fbb2c00e3e40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Ledger<\/strong>,<\/a>&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/trezor.io\/?offer_id=12&amp;aff_id=31903\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trezor<\/a><\/strong>, o&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.secuxtech.com\/?aff=77\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SecuX<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to&nbsp;<strong>make frequent and fast transactions<\/strong>, without being solely responsible for the security of your wallet and seed phrase, a&nbsp;<strong>custodial hot wallet<\/strong>&nbsp;may be the better option.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no such thing as THE&nbsp;Bitcoin wallet. There are&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;Bitcoin wallets available that you can use. And they come in different types. To make it easier for you to understand, I classify each \u201ctype\u201d of crypto wallet into three groups: Crypto Wallets Based on Medium In terms of&nbsp;medium, wallets can be broken into four main [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beginners-guide-to-bitcoin-wallets","category-learn-crypto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2876"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2877,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2876\/revisions\/2877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apex-aiexperts.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}