How to secure crypto wallet

Key Takeaways Users can lose bitcoin and other cryptocurrency tokens as a result of theft, computer failure, loss of access keys, and more. Cold storage or offline wallets is one of the safest methods for holding bitcoin, as these wallets are not accessible via the Internet, but hot wallets are still convenient for some users. Those interested in the safest storage should consider using a hardware wallet for all of their long-term Bitcoin and cryptocurrency storage.

Just the way we keep cash or cards in a physical wallet, bitcoins are also stored in a wallet—a digital wallet. The digital wallet can be hardware-based or web-based. The wallet can also reside on a mobile device, on a computer desktop, or kept safe by printing the private keys and addresses used for access on paper. But how safe are any of these digital wallets? The answer to this depends on how the user manages the wallet. Every wallet contains a set of private keys without which the bitcoin owner cannot access the currency.

The biggest danger in bitcoin security is the individual user perhaps losing the private key or having the private key stolen. Without the private key, the user will never see her bitcoins again. Besides losing the private key, a user can also lose her bitcoin by computer malfunctions crashing a hard drive , by hacking, or by physically losing a computer where the digital wallet resides.

Below, we'll take a look at some of the best ways to store bitcoin safely. Hot wallets are wallets that run on internet-connected devices like computers, phones, or tablets. This can create vulnerability because these wallets generate the private keys to your coins on these internet-connected devices. While a hot wallet can be very convenient in the way you are able to access and make transactions with your assets quickly, they also lack security.

This may sound far-fetched, but people who are not using enough security when using these hot wallets can have their funds stolen. This is not an infrequent occurrence and it can happen in a number of ways. As an example, boasting on a public forum like Reddit about how much Bitcoin you hold while you are using little to no security and storing it in a hot wallet would not be wise. These wallets are meant to be used for small amounts of cryptocurrency. You could liken a hot wallet to a checking account.

Conventional financial wisdom would say to hold only spending money in a checking account while the bulk of your money is in savings accounts or other investment accounts. The same could be said for hot wallets. Hot wallets encompass mobile, desktop, web, and most exchange custody wallets. It is important to note here that holding cryptocurrency in an exchange wallet is not the same as holding it in your personal wallet.

Exchange wallets are custodial accounts provided by the exchange. The user of this wallet type is not the holder of the private key to the cryptocurrency that is held in this wallet. If an event were to occur where the exchange is hacked or your account becomes compromised, your funds would be lost.

As mentioned previously, it is not wise to keep large amounts of cryptocurrency in any hot wallet, especially an exchange account. Instead, it is suggested that you withdraw the majority of funds to your own personal "cold" wallet explained below.

Exchange accounts include Coinbase , Gemini , Binance , and many others. While these wallets are connected to the internet, creating a potential vector of attack, they are still very useful for the ability to quickly make transactions or trade cryptocurrency. Cold Wallet The next type of wallet, and the safest option for storage, is cold wallets. The simplest description of a cold wallet is a wallet that is not connected to the internet and therefore stands a far lesser risk of being compromised.

To physically secure their keys, some investors use a hardware wallet, while others write their private keys on paper and lock it in a vault. Some also prefer non-custodial wallets that offer multisig, or multi-signature, protection.

Most bitcoin wallets require one private key to gain access and move cryptocurrency, but with multisig, multiple keys are required. Each key is held on different device, typically a mix of your phone and offline hardware wallets, that are stored in different locations. What's a custodial wallet? With a custodial wallet service, a third party, such as exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken or Gemini, is in control of your private keys.

This means that if you buy cryptocurrency through an exchange, you are given a sort of "IOU" for the cryptocurrency, while the exchange owns the private keys and holds the cryptocurrency in their wallet. For example, if you buy bitcoin on Coinbase, then "Coinbase owes you bitcoin until you decide to withdraw it," Neuman says. Although some in the bitcoin community like to say "not your keys, not your bitcoin," many prefer a custodial wallet since you don't need to worry about storing or forgetting your private keys and permanently losing funds.

If you decide to use an exchange, "spend the time to do the research, understand which exchanges have stood the test of time and have some sort of a regulatory framework around it," says Philip Martin, chief security officer at Coinbase.

You should also understand the potential risks. With a custodial wallet, a hacker wouldn't need your private keys to move funds from your account, since the exchange owns the keys, not you. That eliminates one wall of protection to your funds, Neuman says. However, many exchanges invest heavily in security, and there are other ways to protect your account from being hacked individually, such as two-factor authentication.

How to protect your wallet Regardless of where you decide to store your cryptocurrency and private keys, be aware of bad actors in the space. Though there are many different scams, a common one is sim swapping. Here's how a sim swap scam typically happens. When you sign up with an exchange, you set a username and password and can add two-factor authentication, or two FA, to protect your account. If a hacker is able to get your login information, they'd also need to pass the two FA to gain access to your account.

To do this, they'll call your phone company and convince them to transfer your phone number to theirs. If you can't avoid it, call your carrier and ask to add a password or other barrier to your account, Martin says. If the exchange offers it, Martin also recommends using a YubiKey , which he calls "the gold standard for two-factor authentication.

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