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What is a Cryptocurrency Wallet
One of the essential elements in the cryptographic Wallet world and blockchain technology is wallets or purses. The use of these tools is vital when managing our cryptocurrencies. That is why choosing a suitable one that meets our needs is as important as having one. For this reason, we will share the essential information you should know to understand what wallets are and how they work.
How Do Cryptocurrency Wallet Work?
As we already mentioned, cryptocurrency wallet are one of the essential elements when operating with them. It is because they are the ones that allow us to send or receive payments in crypto assets.
Unlike the traditional financial system, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are fully digital currencies that do not exist in the physical world and work based on cryptography. Therefore, the design of the Cryptocurrency Wallet is of vital importance to be able to operate and manage our funds.
Cryptocurrencies, as such, do not exist as currencies but as transaction records within a blockchain operated by interconnected nodes worldwide. So, the public keys and, above all, the private keys within a wallet are the ones that give us ownership and rights over the cryptocurrencies transferred to a particular address.
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Public Key
Funds can give to anyone in the public key without any risk. Apart from that, it is like a bank account So sending money to anyone is not easy.
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Private Key
A private key is not easy because it has a password pin. Moreover, no Explicit Spending Ability Only the address has the right to spend cryptocurrencies.
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How Wallet Security Works
Wallets or wallet use blockchain’s advanced encryption methods to provide complete security and assurance to users. Hence using these wallet allows you to save a lot of cryptocurrencies and is risk-free.
When setting up a wallet, the first thing is to create a private key using a secure algorithm. For example, through the ECDSA algorithm using the elliptic curve secp256k1. Or the EdDSA algorithm can also be used. In either case, the goal is to provide a high level of security. It is because both methods create almost infinite combinations with a high degree of difficulty. It makes them virtually impossible to guess or attack by force.
After the generation of the private key, the public key is created, which is mathematically related to the first. And from the public key, the addresses where we can receive cryptocurrencies are generated. But, first, it is essential to point out that although the public key is generated and related to the private key, the reverse process cannot do so. It is because we cannot deduce the private key from the public key since the algorithm used for creation is one-way.
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Likewise, deterministic wallet (HD wallets) generate a seed when configuring for the first time. From which all keys and addresses will generate. Later it will help us to restore and recover the wallet and our funds in case of damage or loss of the equipment. These seeds are a code represented by mnemonic words, usually in English.
As a curious fact, it is important to point out that both public and private keys generated in a wallet are unrelated to the cryptocurrency protocol. If not, shelter within the hardware that operates them and never leave the device. However, the level of security a wallet provides will depend on the type used, whether it is a hardware wallet, paper wallet, light wallet, software for desktop, tablet or smartphone, or online.
What Are Cryptocurrency Wallets For?
As bitcoin and other cryptocurrency systems are entirely decentralized, no entity or body controls them. That is why wallets play a vital role in this ecosystem. They are a piece of basic infrastructure that allows us to trade cryptocurrencies. We can see and consult our balances in them, and the operations carried out and received.
In addition to providing us with security and confidence to carry out our operations, wallets also allow us to sign transactions without needing private keys to leave the device. For example, we transmit a value as a transaction when we ship to a person. Therefore, we are transferring a certain amount of money to that person. Thus, the network must have a digital signature to confirm such a transfer and for the recipient to use the funds. This way, it will verify that the person carrying the operation owns the funds and is not a third party.
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How To Choose A Wallet Or Purse?
Before operating with a wallet for our cryptocurrencies, it is necessary to know the types that are available in the market. Then, study each offer’s advantages and disadvantages to determine which one best suits our needs.
With the creation of Bitcoin and later the development of many other cryptocurrencies, the need arose for a wallet that would allow us to operate digital money. And to choose the one that best suits us, it is necessary to study the available projects. The first of these developments led to the creation of full wallets or clients. These are the most complex wallet and one of the safest in the world of cryptocurrencies.
Cold wallet, hardware or paper type, undoubtedly provide a higher level of security when protecting our funds. Since they operate offline, there is no risk of them being hacked or hacked. Becoming ideal and preferred by many to deposit large sums of money.
The best-known hardware wallet are the Trezor and the Ledger; choose the one that best suits your security and price needs. For their part, hot wallet, such as desktops, tablets, or smartphones, are better for day-to-day operations. Due to their condition of always being connected to the blockchain and, therefore, to the Internet, they are more susceptible to computer attacks.
Which Wallet Are Better To Avoid
Finally, the least recommended due to the levels of security they offer are online wallet or hot wallet. They are platforms that operate directly from a website, and in most cases, the custody of the private keys is in the hands of third parties. However, many allow you to configure extra security layers to provide greater user confidence.
There are also more straightforward, such as SPV or light wallet. These have as their primary mission to make the management of the wallet easier and require fewer resources in their execution and work.
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