Glossary
Wallet
Software or a device that stores keys and signs transactions. It does not hold coins — the coins are entries on the network — which is why restoring a wallet elsewhere from the same seed phrase shows the same balance.
See also
Hot walletA wallet whose keys sit on an internet-connected device — a phone or browser extension. Convenient for spending, and exposed to whatever else that device is exposed to.
Cold walletA wallet whose keys have never touched an internet-connected device. Signing happens offline; only the finished signature travels.
Hardware walletA dedicated device that keeps private keys inside it and signs transactions internally, so the keys never reach the computer or phone it is plugged into.
Last checked 19 Oct 2026.