Before you get started using anything, you would need a wallet to store some funds. Here are some options.
Those marked with * are a little more popular, so it’s easier to find tutorials and guides for those.
Software wallets
When installing a wallet, you will be given a bunch of words (12 or 24 words, to be exact). This is called a seed phrase.
This is like your online bank account’s username and password - if someone else got your phrase, they can access everything in your wallet. Store it on paper and make backups!
Too many people have lost their crypto just storing it in email or easily accessible places.
Keep an eye out too for phishing scams. It’s a popular trick to create fake copies of these wallet websites for the intent of stealing people’s crypto. Make sure to always double-check whatever you’re downloading.
Smart contract wallets
If you end up using Argent, I just wanted to point out that that is a ! These are wallets created with a different bit of code that allow for features like social recovery and other things. They aren’t super common, but if you want to read more about them, this is . Hardware wallets
If you intend to put more funds in crypto, consider getting a hardware wallet. These require using a physical device to approve transactions, offering an extra layer of security. The most popular options are and . Exchanges
Ok, but are my funds on exchanges safe?
There’s a popular saying that goes: “not your keys, not your crypto.” When you sign up for an exchange account, you never got a phrase to go with it, right?
Most big exchanges are trustworthy. But in worst case scenarios, some of the biggest losses have come from centralized exchanges failing and losing their customers’ funds (see: ). So, if you aren’t using those funds to trade or access anything specific in the exchange, it’s best practice to just keep your own crypto in a place where you own the keys (seed phrase).