Crypto wallets allow users to securely manage their cryptocurrencies, send and receive transactions on the blockchain, and monitor their balance. While it does not store actual cryptocurrency, crypto wallets hold the public and private keys necessary to conduct transactions on a network. The public key acts like an account number that can be shared to receive funds, while the private key serves as a password that authorizes access to the user's assets.
A wide selection of crypto wallets in the market support hundreds or even thousands of cryptocurrencies. These wallets come in two main types: hot wallets, which are connected to the Internet, and cold wallets that remain offline. Many wallets can also hold various types of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and connect directly to exchanges for the buying and selling of crypto.
Crypto wallets are essential for several critical functions, such as:
Allowing users to monitor their crypto assets’ balance
Send and receive cryptocurrency payments
Connect and interact with decentralized applications (dApps) on the blockchain
Helping users manage the private encryption keys needed to access and transact with their cryptocurrency
Enable transactions using public key addresses on the blockchain, which can be associated with usernames for easier identification.