And of course, when it comes to money, having a closed source program can raise some concerns. This means that the developers can potentially insert malicious code into the software without you knowing about it. Exodus launched in July 2016 and since then has gained some serious momentum.Īgain, I’ll start with the downside – it’s not open source. If you’re just getting started with Bitcoin and you’re still trying to wrap your head around everything that’s going on, Exodus has got you covered. If you understand Bitcoin well enough to use it, go for it. This feature is very handy when you can’t get your transaction to confirm.Īdditional features include address tagging, fee adjustments, encrypting your wallet and signing/verifying messages (this is an advanced feature).īottom line, this is an excellent desktop wallet. In times when the Bitcoin network is “crowded” and transaction fees can skyrocket, Electrum is one of the few wallets that allows you to replace the fee you’ve set to an already broadcasted transaction. This reduces the chance of malicious code inside the software to practically zero. However, once you get over the interface issues, Electrum is one of the most robust, effective and secure desktop wallets out there.Īlso, it’s open source, meaning many people have taken part in reviewing and composing the code. Also, if you’re completely new to Bitcoin, I have the feeling you’ll get lost pretty quickly due to the unfriendly interface.

The interface looks like a 90’s version of Windows. I’ll start with the downside – Electrum is ugly. It took me a while to start using Electrum, but once I did, I never looked back. wallets that aren’t connected to the Internet) like a paper wallet or hardware wallet. However, for small amounts of Bitcoin or altcoins, they are a good solution.įor large amounts of Bitcoin ALWAYS use cold storage wallets (i.e. If you’re new to the world of Bitcoin and wallets, I strongly advise that you watch this video so this post will make more sense:ĭesktop wallets are considered “hot wallets”, since they are connected to the Internet. If you want a more detailed review of the different desktop wallets keep on reading, here’s what I’ll cover:īy design, desktop wallets are more secure than mobile wallets (since they’re harder to steal) and less secure than hardware wallets. That’s Bitcoin desktop wallets in a nutshell.

Best free bitcoin wallet