The wallets connect to the Bitcoin (or blockchain) network; that global ledger with all Bitcoin transactions that we talked about in our previous video. Bitcoin wallets monitor Bitcoin addresses on the web and update their balance with every purchase made. These Bitcoin wallets are like the online account in which you can save your digital currency. These wallets are a very safe way to store Bitcoin. There is a different type of wallet which you can use according to your preference.
What is the private key?
Well, a private key is simply a very long string of numbers and letters that acts as the password for your Bitcoin wallet. It is from this number that your wallet gains its power to send your Bitcoins to other people. You can also consider this number as the secret coordinates to locate your Bitcoins. It is like your password, which keeps your wallet safe.
The final missing ingredient is your password. With email, you choose your password. While with Bitcoin, the portfolio is selected at random for you. This password is called your private key. And just like your email password – it should never be shared with anyone. If you lose your private key, you can easily get it like your email account password.
The evolution of HD portfolios
As Bitcoin wallets evolved, HD or hierarchical deterministic wallets were created … Which without going into technicalities are Bitcoin wallets.
Also, an HD wallet can create many Bitcoin addresses from the same seed… All transactions sent to addresses generated by the same seed will be part of the same portfolio. Use Bitcoin freedom software to make money from the Bitcoin. There are many software and app which make the Bitcoin transaction easy. You can get a huge list of such type of software’s from the Google, which are easy to use and very reasonable in rates.
Web wallets
Bitcoin markets, exchange houses, betting sites, and other services often require you to deposit funds into their online wallets. You are asking someone else you don’t know to save your Bitcoins.
Furthermore, these wallets are also more vulnerable to hackers as they have many weak spots along the way. For example, both the website in question, the device you are using to connect to the site or your Internet connection can be hacked to steal your Bitcoins.
This forces you to trust both the honesty of the site operator and their security practices. In case of internal fraud or external hacking, your Bitcoins are likely to be irretrievably lost.
On the other hand, web portfolios are efficient since they allow you to buy Bitcoins and sell them at any time.
The most competent web wallet services will always provide you with multiple-factor authentication options. For example, validation with a text message (apart from your username and password) at every login you make to your account, to help protect you from hackers.
Desktop wallets
These types of hot wallets store their private key on your computer. Therefore, as long as your computer is entirely free of viruses or security vulnerabilities, your Bitcoins will be safe.
However, we all know that this is not the case for most of us. Today it is practically impossible to be 100% protected.
Mobile wallets
Mobile wallets offer inadequate security, and terrible privacy is given the possible association of your Bitcoin wallet, your phone number and your geographical location.
Since phones are lost, broken, or stolen relatively frequently, I highly recommend that you always enable multi-factor authentication, protect your wallet with a password, and also keep a backup copy of your private key.
Mobile wallets are very comfortable and designed to provide the highest possible security in an already insecure environment. This is why you should not store any significant amount of Bitcoins in a mobile wallet. Unless you use it in conjunction with a hardware portfolio.
It is even a wallet installed on your mobile phone (assuming you have an internet connection enabled on the phone).
Although hot wallets are the most popular, they are also the least secure since they allow access to its internal functioning through the Internet.