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How an NFT art website can make you money

Crypto KP Crypto insights, Free crypto research February 7, 2022February 12, 2022

There are some folks in my twitter feed that are making a killing from NFTs. They’re literally making millions of bucks. If you think I’m joking, their NFT buy and sell transactions are out there on the blockchain for anyone to verify. In this post, we’re going to look at the NFT art website where all of this money is being made, list out some alternative sites and why you might use them instead, and explain where to start to get a piece of the action (hint: it’s not an NFT art website!).

If you don’t know what NFTs are, here’s a quick read to get you up to speed.

Content

The Number 1 NFT art website in crypto
The downside to Opensea
Top alternative sites to Opensea
NFT art websites on other blockchains
Where to start looking for valuable NFT art
Tips to create your own collection
How to protect your NFT art

The number 1 NFT art website in crypto

So now you know what NFT’s are, let’s look at where all of the money is being made: website called Opensea.

Opensea recently raised $300 million in Series C funding, valuing the start up at $13.3 billion. For a company that start out in December 2017, that’s not bad growth.

But how did they deserve that kind of valuation? Well Opensea reportedly did $2.4 billion in sales volume in December 2021 alone.

And the website’s array of angel investors read like a list of top silicon valley start up investor-celebrities. Mark Cuban, Ashton Kutcher, Naval Ravikant and Tim Ferriss to name few.

So what does all this mean to you?

IT means Opensea is the Number 1 NFT art website in the crypto world, where you’ll find the most valuable NFT art, and where you’ll need to go to make serious money either creating or trading NFTs.

The downsides to using Opensea

Transaction fees

Opensea marketplace features mostly NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This currently means you’re going to pay exorbitant costs to transact or even transfer your NFTs using Opensea. These costs are not paid to Opensea itself (although they do take their cut of 2.5% of every transaction). The real costs are the fees you pay to use the Ethereum blockchain. High network gas fees on the Ethereum blockchain mean that for a large part of the Opensea NFT market, it’s not worth trading unless the price of the NFTs you buy and sell is above a certain floor. The gas fees you’ll end up paying to buy and sell will kill your profit potential.

The upshot is that Opensea is only for you if you have some capital to start out

You do have the option on Opensea of trading NFTs on the the Polygon blockchain. The fees are cheaper, but you don’t have access to the big collections that you will on Ethereum. So it’s a double edged sword if you’re looking to trade your way to wealth.

Network congestion

The Ethereum network can also be congested, so that NFT trades can sometime take hours to go through. Some trades even get ‘stuck’, usually because in the time it took to place a trade the network fees have gone up and your transaction can no longer complete. In the most insane cases, it can cost more in fees in unwind a ‘stuck’ ETH transaction.

So with these downsides of high fees and slow transactions, what are the alternative NFT art websites where you can still find cool NFTs but the fees are much cheaper to trade them and your trades are instantaneous? Let’s dive in.

The top alternatives to Opensea (on Ethereum network)

Firstly, we recommend checking out some direct competitors to Opensea that also use the Ethereum network. You’ll find different art and collections here, but you’ll also come across similar high transactions fees and sometimes network congestion in most cases.

Rarible – Rarible lets you trade NFTs on Tezos and Flow (with lower fees) as well as on Ethereum.
Nifty Gateway – Nifty Gateway is launching a feature that they advertise will allow you to trade NFTs on the Etherreum network but save you up to 75% on gas fees compared to other websites like Opensea.
SuperRare – this is a curated NFT art website where only invited artists can mint their collections or creations.

We’re going to make special mention of looksrare NFT marketplace here. It’s the first one we’ve seen that offers incentives (rewards) for transacting NFTs on their platform. Rewards are in the token $LOOKs, which you can also Stake to support their tokenomics, and earn interest in return. Looksrare has a rapidly growing following on Crypto Twitter and the model is very appealing. Looksrare is also new, so it’s yet to be determined whether it’s sustainable.

NFT art websites on other (cheaper) blockchains

Since NFT exploded in popularity during 2021, users started looking for ways to get around the expensive transactions fees of Ethereum. Other solutions, like those listed below, began to emerge.

The first solution is Immutable X. Immutable X is the first Layer 2 NFT marketplace on the Ethereum blockchain. For this reason, it deserves its own mention. But what does that mean if your are looking for NFT art? It’s an NFT art website with the security fn the Ethereum blockchain, but with zero gas fees. Huzzah!

If high gas fees or congestion on Ethereum are a big hurdle and you can’t find what you’re looking for on Immutable X, then here are 4 alternative NFT art websites on different blockchains:

Snowflake – Avalanche network
Solanart – Solana network
Artion – Fantom network
CNFT – Cardano network

All of these websites market themselves as cheap to use and fast to transact. They won’t have the same trading volume (and therefore eyeballs) as Opensea does, but they may be a great place to get started in trading or if you want to create art and make a name for yourself. These are not the only NFT art websites that use alternative blockchain networks, but they are among the most popular.

Where to start looking for valuable NFTs (hint: it’s not an NFT art website)

If you’re looking to get into NFTs to make money and to enjoy the art, then the best place to start is not NFT art websites! If you want to find art with potential, you need to look at things like community, followers, project roadmaps and project team connections. Here’s a high level run down of how to kick things off looking for NFT art with potential:

The first way to make serious money from NFT art is to participate in the ‘minting’ of what turns out to be valuable collections. If you want to know what minting is, check out this article.

The trick is, to find these valuable collections before they are listed for open sale on marketplaces like Opeansea. You need to find great projects at the minting or presale stages. So how do you go about this? Here’s 4 steps to take:

Find upcoming projects that have not yet released their collections.
Understand the rarity ranking of the art work within different collections. Rarity.tool ranks art based on the characteristics that are valued by the community with respect to a specific collection. Here’s a good explainer.
Apply basic supply and demand economics, using the rarity.tool. How many of the collection will ever be available? How many Twitter followers are there? How many Discord members are there? This will give an early indication of how much demand versus supply you’ll see when the collection goes up for presale.
Take a look at their website roadmap. Understand what additional value NFT holders will get, on top of owning the NFT. Will there be Airdrops? Does the NFT give you access to cool play to earn games.Think about how realistic and achievable the road map really is. Great blockchain gaming takes years to develop…

Tips to create your own collection

Another lucrative way to make money with NFTs is arguably to create the art yourself. But you can’t just whack up some digtal art in a collection on an NFT art website like Opensea and hope for great things. You need a combination of some of these features to succeed:

A stand out concept and great art.
Early buzz or effective marketing.
Social media followers. Twitter is the place to be.
Sometimes you need to be part of a project that’s about more than just the artwork.

Creating your own NFT art is going to be even more lucrative if you embed ongoing royalty payments in the smart contract for your NFT art, when you mint it (register it on the blockchain). NFT smart contracts allow artists to take a percentage of every sale of the art into eternity as an ongoing royalty income. Not all NFT smart contracts are set up this way, but you’re going to create NFTs and sell them on an NFT art website, make sure you have this feature available to you, as the creator.

You can create your own art and then list it for sale on marketplaces like Opensea or the alternative blockchain marketplaces we’ve listed here. You don’t need to have any coding skills – the NFT art websites that we have linked here all make it super easy with a step by step guide of what to do to turn your art file into an NFT and list it on their sites.

How to protect your NFT art

Crypto is a self-custody asset – there are no banks or safety deposit boxes to keep your digital assets safe for you. NFTs are an extension of that ecosystem. If you want to protect your assets, you need to take measures into your own hands. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our website is all about how to keep your crypto assets secure from theft and loss. So here’s the upshot – the minimum level security set up you need to protect your coins as you build your crypto nest egg:

Device security

Device security is your first like of defence. Set up security for your phone or computer as this is where you’ll interact with NFT files.

Firstly, you should set up up a password protector or manager for your various crypto accounts and online passwords (how many times have your passwords been exposed in a data leak?). Something like LastPass is free and effective. Then set up two factor authenticator in your device settings and download a 2FA app like Google Authenticator.

Hardware security

Next, buy and set up your cryptocurrency hardware wallet.

To really protect your NFTs you need to keep them offline where they are not exposed to cyber hack and theft. Online wallets are not the safest place for your nest egg assets. We recommend getting hold of the Ledger Nano X or the Trezor Model T hardware wallets. You can use these to store the private keys to your NFTs so that your art assets are never exposed to the internet. It’s simply the only way to really protect your digital wealth.

You can check out the Ledger website and purchase the Ledger Nano X here.

If you’re interest in the Trezor, we buy from the authorised reseller Privacy Pros.

For a simple explanation of all things crypto security, check out our FAQs page.

Safety back up

While your hardware wallet will safely store your private keys and therefore your coins, what happens if you lose your Ledger or Trezor? You will need your recovery phrase that was generated when you set up the hardware wallet. You can only recover the contents of your hardware wallet with this phrase. This of it as a master key for back up situations.

Some folks write their recovery phrase down but paper is a very risky strategy. We use seed storage wallets, otherwise known as metal storage wallets, to store our crypto recover phrase.

We suggest using the BillFodl metal storage wallet to store the recovery phrase to your Ledger or Trezor hardware wallet. We use it and it’s easy and pretty cool. You can buy the BillFodl direct from i’s maker Privacy Pros.

The new Cryptosteel Capsule – it’s sleek, it’s sexy but is it safe?

The Cryptosteel Capsule is the latest storage device to protect your Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency wallet seed phrase. It is sleek, sexy and pretty easy to use. But how safe is it? Let’s take a look at the new capsule style storage device and compare it to the the Billfodl metal storage wallet.

What is the Cryptosteel Capsule?

The Cryptosteel Capsule is a powerful backup solution for preserving critical and sensitive information offline without relying on third parties. You use it to protect and store a passphrase, software generated key, PIN code or other valuable secret.

It’s a sturdy stainless steel capsule-shaped device, intended to endure harsh environments and function under virtually any conditions.

The capsule features engraving, a do-it-yourself assembly process, and a stainless, shockproof, acid-resistant and fireproof material. It is compatible with the majority of secret sharing and key generation algorithms, ensuring that the enclosed data stays safe. Even in cases of aggressive acts such as theft, bribery, vandalism or violence it’s designed to protect the master secret contained inside.

Like other wallets of its kind, it’s stainless steel metal construction is far more durable than paper, wood, and corrosive metals. It is also hard to detect using next-gen methods of surveillance because of the stainless steel metal used.

With Cryptosteel, your most valuable secrets are kept safe both from hackers and from environmental events.

Why do you need one?

Cryptosteel is a physical backup solution for your digital assets and data. Physical storage devices like the cryptosteel are best to keep your sensitive data in an offline environment, safe from cyber criminals and hackers. The durability of a stainless steel construction means that the device will last for years and is impervious to damage and destruction.

The most common use of the Cryptosteel Capsule is to safely store the seed phrase (back up phrase) to your cryptocurrency wallets. Hence the name ‘cryptosteel’. Paper wallets are used for this purpose today, but can be easily destroyed, lost or stolen. Even if you use a hardware wallet, you should still have a Cryptosteel as a backup in case of loss or damage to your hardware wallet or compromise of your private keys.

A metal storage solution for your seed phrase means that you can recover your cryptocurrency as a last resort should anything go wrong with your digital wallets.

The Cryptosteel Capsule is an excellent choice to store your cryptocurrency seed phrase because:

it is made of a sturdy, shockproof and acid-resistant material
the assembly is do-it-yourself, so you can be sure that the encryption process is done properly, by you!
it features a variety of compatibility with secret sharing and key generation algorithms, including the BIP39 standard for mnemonic seed phrases commonly used to recover lost cryptocurrency.
it is fireproof and waterproof.
its stainless steel construction means it can’t be detected by high tech scanners.
it can function under virtually any conditions.

For more than just your crypto seed phrase

Cryptosteel Capsule can also be used to protect other types of secrets or keys such as:

BIP39 (unabbreviated 12-word recovery seeds),
Shamir Backup SLIP0039 (4-letter abbreviations of 20-word recovery seeds)
BIP32 root keys
WIF private keys
Monero mnemonic seeds (25-word recovery seeds)
Random ASCII passwords
PINs
Insurance account numbers
Master passwords to your password manager (e.g. LastPass, KeePass, 1Password)
Bank account info and passwords
GPS coordinates
Poems and haiku
Rainbow Codes
Elliptic curve coordinates.

How is the Cryptosteel Capsule different from other metal storage wallets?

The Cryptosteel is also unique in that it allows you to use a variety of secret sharing and key generation algorithms. This provides extra security for your data. The Billfodl and other similar metal wallets only support the BIP39 standard for mnemonic seed phrases. While you might buy the Cryptosteel Capsule for your cryptocurrency, you can use it to store a range of other secrets.

The design of the Cryptosteel Capsule is also different. It’s a cylindrical shaped device containing a stainless steel rod on which you arrange the engraved tiles into words, numbers or phrases that form your secret. The tiles are kept in place with a fastener and there are spacers that you can use to break up words. The tiles contained within the cylinder are obscured from view by the stainless steel capsule and cap. The device measures around 10cm in length and 1.6cm in diameter. It is slender and therefore easy to conceal somewhere or to hide.

Most other metal storage wallets are shaped like a cassette or credit card holder. They’re flat with a stainless steel sleeve and a chassis with your tiles hidden in between.

Is the Cryptosteel Capsule safe?

The answer is yes, the Cryptosteel Capsule is safe. It’s safe from damage, destruction, prying eyes and of course from cyber attack. But not as inherently safe as the Billfodl metal storage wallet in our view. This is because the device itself doesn’t lock. A cap screws on to the capsule and can be fitted with tamperproof seals. While you will (eventually) know if someone finds your Cryptosteel Capsule (because the seal is broken), that person will also have almost immediate access to the inside of the device, and your secret phrase. They could access your seed phrase and write it down easily, with no deterrent except a seal sticker to overcome.

The BillFodl on the other hand has separate locking protection on the outside of the chassis, where you can fit your own padlock. While padlocks can be broken, this does add an extra layer of protection on top of the Cryptosteel. If someone finds your device, they can not get into it as quickly or easily. And this may just be enough to deter their curiosity, so that they move on to something else. If you want the BillFodl to remain undetectable to scanners, you simply need to buy a stainless steel padlock to use with it.

Like any metal storage wallet, the Cryptosteel Capsule itself can still be stolen. So you need to keep it in a safe place. The good thing about the capsule design is that there are no hinges, pins or moving parts. You can bury it, or hide it inside a wall and still retrieve your tiles from inside of the capsule without worrying about dirt jamming up the device.

Conclusion

The Cryptosteel is a nice addition to your crypto security arsenal. It’s also more flexible than other wallets in that it can be used to protect lots of different types of secrets or keys. It’s the slickest, sexiest looking metal storage wallet on the market! But if you’re strictly buying a metal storage wallet to protect your crypto seed phrase, then we prefer the BillFodl for that extra level of security that acts as a deterrent from prying eyes.

You can buy the Cryptosteel capsule directly from the Ledger website here. The device will cost you a little more than the Billfodl will.

The Billfodl is available for purchase direct from the manufacturers Privacy Pros.

Click here to read more of our seed storage wallet reviews and recommendations.

How to set up your Metamask Trezor connection – 3 troubleshooting hacks

Crypto KP Free crypto research December 21, 2021December 21, 2021cold storage wallet, MetaMask, MetaMask Trezor

If it’s your first time using a Trezor hardware wallet then this post will hopefully save you a bunch of time, angst and searching the internet for non-existing troubleshooting guides. In this post we are going to step through – with photos – how to set up your Trezor device and most importantly, your Metamask Trezor connection.

We wrap up with 3 top troubleshooting tips that you just won’t find in the set up guides or MetaMask Trezor support forums. We spent two days resolving these exact issues and couldn’t find the answers anywhere online.

We’re sharing our experience and our fixes, so that you get back two days of your life that we lost making this work! 🙂

Contents of this post

Why use Trezor with MetaMask
Setting up your Trezor
How to connect your MetaMask and Trezor wallets
3 MetaMask Trezor connection errors and how to fix them

Why use Trezor with MetaMask?

Before getting in to our tips that you WON”T find in any user guide or online, let’s look at why the MetaMask Trezor combination is A MUST HAVE to build wealth with cryptocurrency.

One of the top reasons we recommend the Trezor hardware wallet is because it integrates with MetaMask wallet. Trezor’s premium model, the Trezor Model T, is one of the top 2 cold storage wallet brands in the crypto market. You can read more about the pros and cons of the Trezor Model T here.

MetaMask is the most ubiquitous hot wallet in the crypto ecosystem. You’ll need MetaMask to connect to loads of different crypto platforms and to DeFi protocols. MetaMask is basically THE wallet to move your assets around the crypto ecosystem, which is what you’re going to need to do if you want to grow your crypto assets and invest in DeFi.

If you want to know more about what a cold storage wallet is and how it’s different from a hot wallet, check out our FAQs here.

The problem with MetaMask is its security. It’s a hot wallet, so its vulnerable to cyber hacks. And… because it’s the most popular hot wallet, it’s also a nice big, fat target for hackers. Reports of MetaMask wallets being hacked are rife on crypto Twitter.

So what do you do keep your crypto secure while using MetaMask? You connect your MetaMask wallet to Trezor and run all of your transactions through the Trezor MetaMask account!

MetaMask convenience with Trezor security

Once you have a Trezor device and connect it with MetaMask, you can safely use a multitude of DeFi protocols. You simply connect to these protocols using your Trezor account in MetaMask.

Using Trezor with MetaMask means you don’t have to worry about hackers exploiting your MetaMask wallet and stealing your coins. This is because you need to manually validate every transaction you complete using your MetaMask Trezor account using your Trezor device. You validate transactions offline, so that the private keys to your crypto are never exposed to the internet and to cyber criminals.

If you want to buy a Trezor Model T to secure your crypto, we recommend Privacy Pros (authorised reseller).

To maintain the highest level of hardware security with MetaMask wallet you must never give anyone your Trezor PIN or Trezor seed phrase. NEVER. EVER.

You can keep your seed phrase secure with a BillFodl metal wallet, manufactured in-house by Privacy Pros.

Now that you know ‘why’ the MetaMask Trezor combination is critical for your crypto assets, let’s start where the journey all began for us: setting up your Trezor Model T hardware wallet…

Setting up your Trezor

The first thing you’re going to want to do when you buy the Trezor Model T is set up its security and native wallets. Here are the exact steps we took to set up our Trezor Model T for the first time:

Got to trezor.io/start and download the desktop app “Trezor Suit’.
Open Trezor Suit
Connect your Trezor device to your computer with the cable provided
A security check will pop up on the Trezor Suit screen asking you to confirm when you received and opened your Trezor that:

the hologram was intact
you purchased from a Trusted Reseller
box packaging was in tact.

Once you confirm these security features, you’ll be prompted to do a firmware upgrade for the Trezor device.

You’ll then be given the option to ‘create’ or ‘recover’ a wallet. Most times, you will create a wallet.

Setting up your seed phrase

Whichever option you choose above, you’ll need to input and confirm the seed phrase for your created or recovered wallet, using the screen on the Trezor. Here’s some things to know about your seed phrase:

Your seed phrase will be a series of either 12 or 24 words in a fixed order.
If you are recovering a wallet, input the seed phrase for the wallet you want to recover.
If you’re creating a wallet, Trezor Suite will generate a seed phrase for you to input.
Make sure you tap each letter grouping on the Trezor screen until you get the correct letter to spell out each seed word, then tap the green ‘tick’.
Words must be spelled out in order.
Make sure you record your seed phrase somewhere really secure. It’s like the master key to your crypto. If you’re looking for secure seed phrase storage, check out out our metal storage wallet reviews here.

Next you’ll see prompts to set up a PIN, to secure physical access to your device.

How to connect your MetaMask and Trezor wallets

If all goes smoothly, these are the three basic stages to connecting your Trezor with MetaMask:

1. Pre-connection system checks

For the connection to go smoothly, it’s important to check a few things you before trying to connect your Trezor to MetaMask:

Make sure you have the latest version of Chrome, Metamask and an up-to-date operating system on your computer
Make sure your Trezor is connected via cable to your computer when following any of the Troubleshooting steps below.

You should also know what systems you’re operating with as different system interacting can cause different connection errors. These trouble shooting steps below are for the following system settings:

MacOS Monterey v12.1
MetaMask Chrome Browser
Trezor Model T

2. Connect MetaMask and Trezor

Open your MetaMask Chrome browser extension and click the circle at the top. A menu will pop up that looks like the one pictured. Click ‘Connect Hardware Wallet”.

A new window will open in MetaMask asking you to select the hardware device you want to connect. Select “Trezor”.

Once you click “Trezor” this will open a window in Trezor Suite . Follow the prompts in this window to complete the connection.

Before you’re finished, MetaMask will pop up again asking you to select the Trezor account that you wish to connect. Pick the account you need, and click ‘Unlock’.

Your MetaMask will open with two accounts showing:

The original MetaMask account
The Trezor account you nominated.

3. Import tokens to your Trezor account in MetaMask

If you can’t see your assets in the MetaMask Trezor account, you will need to add the tokens in MetaMask.

You can do this by opening the Coingecko site, typing in the ticker for the token or coin you want to import, and then finding the MetaMask fox icon right of screen. Scroll to the token contract address and click the copy button.

Re-open MetaMask and scroll down to the ‘Import tokens’ link. Click this.

Select ‘Custom Token’ in the menu on the next screen. Paste the contract address from Coingecko in the Token Contract address bar. The correct ticker should appear below once you do this. Click ‘add custom token’.

Rightio, if like us this connection process is not going smoothly, you’re going to want to tune in next for our 3 troubleshooting tips.

MetaMask Trezor connection errors and how to fix them

Things don’t always go smoothly in crypto. The tech is new and sometimes protocols, apps and hardware don’t work together. When we tried to connect our Trezor Model T to the MetaMask Chrome browser, it failed. Instead of a smooth connection, we got error messages that made absolutely no sense to us!

Frustrating, as one of the reasons we recommend the Trezor is because it integrates with MetaMask wallet. This combination gives you secure connection to hundreds or even thousands of DeFi protocols which you can use to build your crypto wealth.

When these tech issues happen in crypto it can be tough to find a solution because support services – like email and chat – are few and far between. You might have to wait days or even weeks to get a response from a contact email. If you get one at all. On top of this, the unfortunate truth is that both the Trezor and MetaMask user guides are a little inadequate when it comes to troubleshooting connection problems.

We spent two days researching and trying every trouble shooting hack we could read about and dream up, before we stumbled on a fix to our connection problems. So lets go through what we learned, so that you don’t have to waste your time doing the same!

3 connection errors you won’t find in the user guides (and how to fix them)

Issue 1: “TypeError: Cannot add property default, object is not extensible.“

When we first tried to connect Trezor to MetaMask, we had this error message come up.

We fixed this first error by doing a manual update of the MetaMask Chrome extension. This is how:

Firstly, open Chrome and click on Chrome Extensions icon in the top right of screen. Then click on the three dots next to the MetaMask extension. A pop up box will appear. Choose ‘Manage Extensions’.

In the ‘Manage Extensions’ screen, turn on ‘Developer Mode’, then click update.

Re-open MetaMask wallet and try connecting again. The TypeError message should be gone.

Issue 2: ‘Looking for Trezor’

The second issue that we had was MetaMask constantly looking for the Trezor device, but never finding it. After following the Connect Hardware steps, a message would display in MetaMask “Looking for Trezor” with the spinning wheel to show a request was processing. MetaMask stayed stuck like this until the request timed out, making it impossible to connnect.

We fixed this by adjusting the settings inside MetaMask. Here is how:

Open MetaMask afresh and click the circle icon. When the settings menu opens, click ‘Advanced’.

In Advanced, scroll down until you see “Preferred Ledger Connection Type”. Now this is misleading because you’re not connecting a Ledger device you’re connecting a Trezor. But stay with us here…

Click on the drop down menu underneath ‘Preferred Ledger Connection Type’ and select ‘U2F’. This is the connection type you need for MetaMask to find your Trezor device.

The default selection in MetaMask is usually ‘WebHID’ – but for us, this would not work with Trezor! If you have WebHID selected, MetaMask will keep looking for Trezor but will never find it.

Once you’ve set the connection type to U2F, navigate back to the MetaMask wallet home screen and start the process of connecting your Trezor to MetaMask that we’ve outlined here.

Issue 3: Enter Trezor Passphrase

Issue 3 is not so much an error as it is a step no-one tells you about.

Once you’ve solved Issue 2 and MetaMask is able to detect your Trezor, you’ll be taken to a Trezor Suite screen to confirm your connection. The Trezor Suite screen features a prompt to enter your Trezor passphrase.

So how do you know what passphrase they’re talking about? Good question!

The passphrase Trezor Suite is prompting you to enter here is NOT your Trezor device PIN OR your Trezor seed phrase. It’s the passphrase you set if you have a hidden wallet in Trezor and want to access that wallet via MetaMask.

What none of the Trezor user guides tell you is that if you want to connect MetaMask to your ‘Standard wallet” in Trezor, you should bypass this step by simply clicking ‘Enter’.

You will only need to enter a passphrase here if you are trying to connect your Trezor ‘Hidden Wallet’ to MetaMask. Let us explain a little more…

When you set up your Trezor initially, you had the option of setting up a ‘Standard Wallet’ or a ‘Hidden Wallet’. Most typical users will first set up a Standard Wallet. The Standard Wallet does not require a separate passphrase (on top of the Trezor device PIN and seed phrase). The “Hidden Wallet’ requires an additional passphrase to access it as an extra layer of security.

So at this step, DON”T ENTER ANYTHING. Simply click ‘Enter’ and the connection process will continue. If you’ve done this step correctly you will be asked to select the Trezor account you wish to connect.

A list of wallet addresses will appear, some of which are completely irrelevant. Select the one you need based on the token value associated with the address. Click unlock.

That’s it! Your MetaMask Trezor connection should be up and running!

You’ll now be able to interact with DeFi protocols, stake crypto and build your wealth with the added safety of knowing the private keys to your cryptocurrency are protected.

Huzzah and happy investing!

How to use Avalanche Wallet: 4 tips you should know

Crypto KP Free crypto research, How to do crypto November 30, 2021November 30, 2021avalanche wallet, AVAX, top cryptocurrency wallet

If you haven’t heard of Avalanche during 2021 you must have been sleeping on your crypto investments. The Avalanche Layer 1 blockchain has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity and price alongside it’s growing on-chain ecosystem. To get to know your way around the Avalanche ecosystem, use its NFTs stake your AVAX, you’ll need the native Avalanche wallet. But the Avalanche wallet itself has some unique features that others don’t. So in this guide we step through how to access Avalanche wallet, how to use it without losing your AVAX, and some of the best dApps to get into on Avalanche.

What is Avalanche and why do you need to know about Avalanche?

Avalanche is a rapidly growing blockchain and crypto ecosystem. It bills itself as a network of blockchains with blazing fast speeds and better decentralisation (more validators) and scalability than other blockchain networks.Avalanche has a fast growing ecosystem with loads of DeFi protocols and dApps, tonnes of exchanges and swaps, as well as a growing NFT dApp presence. If you’ve been sleeping on your crypto Layer 1 projects, here are some fast facts about Avalanche:

Avalanche’s Total Value Locked (in DeFi) has gone parabolic since August 2021. It’s grown from $300M to $11B!
Avalanche’s total market cap is up 85% in the 30 days, hitting $23 billion at the time of writing
Avalanche recently announced $600 million in funding to encourage development on its network. That equals more ecosystem growth.
Avalanches native blockchain token AVAX is used for network fees, capped at 720 million, and burned (on creation of blockchains, assets, subnets and payment of transaction fees). If the AVAX burned is larger than AVAX rewarded (to validators) the tokenomics are deflationary.

It’s growing popularity and attention makes it a crypto project worth following and an ecosystem worth exploring.

What is Avalanche wallet and why would you use it?

Avalanche is the native wallet for the rapidly expanding Avalanche ecosystem. You might use Avalanche wallet to do any of the following:

To stake your AVAX and earn rewards (you need a minimum of 25 AVAX to delegate for staking).
To run an Avalanche blockchain validator node (you need to hold a minimum 2000 AVAX in your wallet to run a node).
To mint and store AVAX NFT collectibles.

Staking and validating inside the Avalanche wallet earns attractive returns of between 9% and 11% depending on how the term you choose. Read this to learn more about staking and validating opportunities using Avalanche wallet.

Avalanche has a fast expanding NFT scene, with several new and popular NFT marketplaces. We look at the most popular Avalanche NFT dApps below. Avalanche wallet is where you mint and store NFTs for the Avalanche blockchain.

Getting started with Avalanche wallet

Avalanche wallet is a web wallet so you’ll need to be on a browser to use it. You can access Avalanche wallet here.

The first thing to do when you access the webpage is create a new wallet. The software will generate a seed phrase for wallet security for you. If you don’t know what a seed phrase is and why it’s important, check out our quick explainer here.

You’re going to want to write the seed phrase down (in order) so that you can recover your crypto if anything happens to your wallet.

The next step in creating your Avalanche wallet will require you to fill the missing blanks (words) in your new seed phrase – so make sure you don’t skip this first step or you won’t be able to complete the wallet set up process.

Once you’ve gained access to your newly created wallet, you’ll come to a screen that looks like this:

Before you complete any transactions you need to finish setting up the wallet security. There are two steps:

1. Set up wallet name and passphrase

Scroll down to the bottom left of the wallet ‘Portfolio’ screen and you’ll see an orange warning symbol. Click on this symbol to set up a name for your Avalanche wallet and to set a passphrase to access the wallet. You will need to use this passphrase to access the web wallet in future. It’s critical you do this to help with online security as the Avalanche wallet is a ‘hot wallet’.

2. Set up Avalanche wallet security

The next step is to set up your Ledger hardware wallet to secure any crypto you hold inside Avalanche wallet. Hot wallets are vulnerable to cyber hacking and theft. The best way to secure a hot wallet is by protecting it via a cold storage wallet connection.

The best cold storage wallets are the Ledger and the Trezor. To learn more about cold storage wallets, have a read through our article “Getting started with cold storage wallets: all you need to know.”

We review the top cold storage wallets here if you’re wondering which is best for you.

If you’re interested in buying a Ledger to secure your crypto, we recommend the Ledger website.

If you’re interested in a Trezor, Privacy Pros authorize dealer is a great site to get one from.

The great thing about Avalanche wallet is you can easily connect the Ledger cold storage wallet to it. You should do this before you put any funds in the Avalanche wallet.

Connecting ledger to Avalanche wallet

To connect your Ledger, you’re going to need to have the Ledger Live app installed and add both Ethereum and Avalanche wallets inside the Ledger Live app. You can add new wallets through the ‘Manager’ function inside Ledger Live.

Once you have Avalanche wallet set up inside Ledger Live, you can go to Avalanche wallet web version, select ‘Access wallet’ and select Ledger as the device you want to use to access your Avalanche wallet. After you confirm a few transactions on your Ledger, you’ll be given access to the Avalanche web wallet with Ledger security.

We recommending setting up Ledger wallet security for your Avalanche wallet BEFORE sending your funds to the web wallet. This way you’ll know your funds are secure.

4 unique Avalanche wallet features you need to know

Avalanche wallet is a little different from other wallets. You need to know how it’s different so you can use it fully, without worrying about losing your funds. Here are the main differences:

1. It’s three blockchains in one

Avalanche composes of a few blockchains together. So you’re going to need to deal with 3 different ‘chains’ inside the Avalanche ‘primary’ network. There’s three you will come across:

X chain – Exchange chain – is where you first receive your funds (AVAX token) into Avalanche wallet.
C chain – Contract chain – is where you find most of the decentralised finance applications.
P chain – Platform chain – is where staking and validating takes place.

All three chains – X, C and P – can be accessed from within one place – the Avalanche wallet. Check out the rectangle in red on the right:

2. Your public address is different for each chain and changes with each transaction

Each of X, C and P chains have different public addresses. If you don’t know what a public address is, check out our crypto wallet FAQs here. It’s basically like a public facing email address for your wallet…

What this means is, to use Avalanche wallet you need to know which chain to use before you transact. Once you’ve worked this out, then click on ‘X’, ‘C’ or ‘P’ inside Avalanche wallet, to get the right public address.

The X chain address starts with ‘x-avax’,
the P chain address starts with ‘p-avax’ and the
C chain address starts with ‘Oxb’ (like an Ethereum address).

Your public address on each of these chains will also change with each transaction. It’s an extra layer of security in the wallet. But don’t worry, because sending your crypto to an old address from a previous transactions will still get them to your wallet!

3. You send your AVAX to different chains for different uses

The Avalanche wallet ‘cross chain’ tab (see the red rectangle on the left menu bar above) allows you to transfer funds between X, C and P chain. You need to do this to use your AVAX for different things.

For example, if you want to stake AVAX token, you will need to send it from an exchange (where you bought it) to your Avalanche wallet using the X chain public address. You then use the cross chain tab (left of screen) to transfer your AVAX from X chain to P chain so that you can stake it.

4. Avalanche wallet is not set up for dApps

Avalanche wallet is not set up to interact with dApps built on the Avalanche blockchain, from inside the wallet. For that you will need to use MetaMask wallet, with the Avalanche C chain set up inside it.

To set up Avalanche C chain in MetaMask, you need to go to the Metamask menu (red square) and select ‘settings’, then ‘network’. From there, follow these directions to add C chain network to your Metamask.

How to get funds into the Avalanche ecosystem

There are two main ways to get funds into the Avalanche ecosystem so that you can interact with NFTs and DeFi products on the Avalanche blockchain.

1. Send funds to Avalanche wallet

You might send AVAX to you Avalanche wallet if you want to set up a validator node inside the wallet, or you want to stake your AVAX. Returns for staking are currently around 10%.

If you want to send AVAX or NFTs to your Avalanche wallet, you need to send them to Avalanche X Chain.

You can buy AVAX on Binance and send it directly to your Avalanche wallet on X chain. Simply open your Avalanche wallet, click on ‘X’ from the portfolio tab and hit the document icon to copy the address. You then past this address into the Binance ‘Withdraw’ screen and chose the ‘AVAX chain’.

If you are in the US, you can buy AVAX on Kucoin and send it directly to your Avalanche wallet for a small fee. Remember to select X chain.

2. Send funds to Avalanche network on MetaMask

You’re probably going to use Metamask if you want to use DeFi on the Avalanche ecosystem. If that’s the case, you’ll need to send your AVAX to Avalanche C chain.

You can send AVAX from Binance directly to C Chain – just make sure you select this network when you withdraw from Binance. The public address you send your AVAX to is the Avalanche network address copied directly from your MetaMask wallet. Remember you may have to add the AVAX token in your MetaMask for your token to show up.

Once you have AVAX in your MetaMask wallet, you can connect MetaMask to a growing number of dApps on Avalanche and start using their products and services.

If you are in the US, you can buy AVAX on Kucoin and make sure you select C Chain when sending your AVAX to your MetaMask wallet.

5 Best dApps to use on Avalanche

This Avalanche projects webpage is where you can find and explore the long list of many dApps built on Avalanche network. Here’s our highlights on some of the best dApps to use on Avalanche if you’re into DeFi, NFTs, exploring the metaverse or shopping with your crypto:

Avalanche Bridge – you can use this bridge to transfer ERC20 tokens from Ethereum to Avalanche’s C-Chain and back. It’s fast and low cost to bridge to Avalanche. In fact, bridging to the Avalanche blockchain from Ethereum can be a cheaper way of executing a trade than doing it on the Ethereum network.
TraderJoe – is a decentralised exchange to swap crypto quickly and cheaply. It also has lending, borrowing, liquidity farming products available. It’s probably the most popular dApp on Avalanche as we write and well worth checking out.
Wonderland – DeFi staking dApp where you can stake $TIME and earn 86,000% APY at the time of writing. And yes, you read that correctly. 86,000%.
Curate – DeFi Shopping App with AVAX Payments. You can also Mint and sell NFTs using the Curate gasless NFT Marketplace (charges 4% commission instead of gas fees).
Kalao – There are 7 NFT marketplaces on Avalanche network all vying for what has become the hottest sector in crypto bar metaverse gaming. Our favourite is Kalao NFT marketplace where you’ll find the cool Party Animals NFT collection among others. Not as big as the ETH NFT marketplaces, but a lot cheaper to buy into, mint or swap if you’re just getting into the NFT scene.

The safest and best wallet for Ethereum: everything you need to know

Crypto KP Crypto insights, Free crypto research November 23, 2021November 23, 2021best crypto wallet, cold storage wallets, wallet for ethereum

There are over 50 different wallet for Ethereum token as we write. Now we’re pretty sure you don’t want to go through the pros and cons of that many wallets to work out which one is the best wallet is for you. So that’s the question we will answer in this post!

To find the best wallet for Ethereum, we have to make some assumptions about what you, our readers, wants to do with your ETH tokens. So, we will assume that like most crypto users, you want to hodl some Ethereum as well as use the Ethereum ecosystem to access DeFi, blockchain gaming, and NFTs.

Before we launch into our Top 4 wallet picks, let’s first start with a quick look at what the Ethereum token is.

What is Ethereum (ETH)?

Ethereum (ETH) is a cryptocurrency and the native token to the Ethereum Mainnet. Ethereum Mainnet is the dominant layer 1 smart contract blockchain in the cryptocurrency world, and has been since crypto first began.

The Ethereum ecosystem comprises all of the layers of software products and services built on the Ethereum blockchain. The native Ethereum ecosystem is the most extensive ecosystem in cryptocurrency. Hundreds of different decentralised apps, Decentralised Finance protocols, crypto exchanges, gaming applications and NFT marketplaces are built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. You can explore the dApps built on the Ethereum Mainnet here.

Whenever these applications are used, the ETH token is required to pay ‘gas fees’ to use the Ethereum blockchain. ETH token is also used as native currency for some decentralised applications and protocols built on Ethereum. For example, many popular NFTs minted on the Ethereum Mainnet are priced in ETH.

The ETH token is multifunctional – ETH is ‘gas’ for the network, it’s a native currency, and it’s also a digital asset store of value for many crypto investors. This is important to understand because how you use ETH can impact the type of ETH wallet that best suits you.

What is an Ethereum wallet?

An Ethereum wallet stores the private keys to your ETH tokens. When you want to transact your ETH tokens, you use these private keys to sign the transaction. Blockchain transactions are cryptographically secured with private keys. Your private key ensures that only you have access to the tokens you are transacting, so that nobody can take your crypto from you without having your password or authorization.

Different types of Ethereum wallets

An Ethereum wallet can take different forms. For example you can have:

A cold storage Ethereum wallet that stores your private keys completely offline and never exposes them to the internet. This is the safest type of wallet for Ethereum as cyber criminals are unable to get access to your offline wallet to steal your private keys and crypto.

A hot wallet for Ethereum which is connected to the internet. A hot wallet is typically a mobile phone app, browser extension, or website. Because it is connected to the internet, it’s not as safe a cold storage Ethereum wallet. A hot wallet secures your private keys online using password security, 2FA and other similar means. Like anything with password protection, hot wallets can be cyber hacked and your private keys (and cryptocurrencies) stolen. There are ways to make your hot wallets more secure, but they generally involve connect and protecting them with cold storage security. We’ll go into this more below.

What to look for in a wallet for Ethereum?

The top features you should look for in an Ethereum wallet include:

Functionality – we’ve chosen wallets for Ethereum that you can use across the Ethereum ecosystem for DeFI, gaming AND NFTs.
Security – the best wallet for Ethereum should integrate with a hardware wallet, so you can make sure you keep your private keys offline at all times. This is the ONLY safe way to protect your crypto assets from hackers.
Portability – a good wallet for Ethereum should have both a mobile and web versions. A web version is important if you want to create and mint your own NFTs. A mobile version is critical to almost everything else.
Smooth on-ramp – we include only those wallets that allow you to buy ETH with a bank card or VISA.
Easy importing to other clients – the wallet needs to be partnered with lots of other crypto projects so its usable across the Ethereum ecosystem.

The best wallet for Ethereum – our Top 4

We’ve left the best til last! Based on these features, here is our list of the top 4 wallets for Ethereum:

1.Ledger and Trezor cold storage wallets

Ledger and Trezor are cold storage wallets. For all you need to know about cold storage wallets, check out our recent post here.

Functionality – Both Ledger and Trezor wallets support ERC20 (ETH and Ethereum based tokens) as well as NFT files.

Security – Ledger and Trezor are listed together because they are the best hardware wallets on the market from our extensive hardware wallet reviews. These hardware wallets are the most secure way to store or hodl your ETH. They are a MUST if you want the best protection for your crypto.

Portability – Ledger has an accompany Ledger Live (mobile and desktop) App. Ledger also supports WalletConnect. Trezor comes with Trezor Suite Desktop App (no mobile wallet version).

Smooth on-ramp – You can buy ETH and other crypto directly in the Ledger Live App (which you download and use with the hardware device). You’ll pay fees to these banking service providers, which are Wyre and Coinfy. Trezor wallet also lets you buy ETH through a selection of 9 different crypto exchanges or direct SEPA transaction.

Easy importing – Since both devices connect to MetaMask, you can virtually connect to any dApp or protocol in the Ethereum ecosystem with hardware level security.

The rest of the wallets on this list are hot wallets, which means they store your private keys on your mobile phone or laptop. While your private keys are protected by wallet security when online, they are still susceptible to hack. This is why we have prioritised hot wallets that connect with either Ledger, Trezor or both. We highly recommend using this combination when hodling and using your ETH, to get the flexibility and functionality of a hot wallet with the security of cold storage.

2.MyEtherWallet

Functionality – One of the original wallets for Ethereum and also one of the most trusted, you can use MyEtherWallet for the big 3 – DeFI, gaming and NFTs.

Security – MyEtherWallet connects with Ledger Nano and Trezor hardware wallets, to provide hardware level protection for your ETH and NFTs.

Portability – MyEtherWallet is available in app form and as a web wallet.

Smooth on-ramp – You can by ETH via simplex using your VISA or MasterCard. If you’re European, you can also cash out to Fiat currency through partner Bity.

Easy importing to other clients – MyEtherWallet connects seamlessly to exchanges and DeFi protocols through WalletConnect and WalletLink.

3.MetaMask wallet

Functionality – MetaMask is the ubiquitous ETH wallet – used for DeFI, gaming and NFTs. MetaMask does not offer a lot of native functionality in the wallet itself. However, it connects to almost every Ethereum platform, dApp and protocol out there, so you don’t really need the wallet to do much.

Security – You can use Ledger or Trezor hardware wallets to secure your MetaMask with cold storage protection for your private keys. We don’t recommend leaving your crypto on MetaMask without a hardware wallet connected however. Just too many hacks of the hot wallet version…

Portability – MetaMask comes as a browser extension and mobile app. Both sync pretty seamlessly.

Smooth on-ramp – You can buy ETH directly in-wallet through either Apple Pay, bank transfer or credit card. Metamask takes a fee itself in these transactions and you will pay a fee to Apple or Transak (for bank transactions). You also pay the gas fee to use the Ethereum network. It’s not the cheapest way to get your ETH.

Easy importing to other clients – We haven’t found a platform or application it won’t connect to in the enormous Ethereum ecosystem

4.Guarda wallet

Functionality – Guarda Wallet offers NFT storage as native and integrated DeFi capabilities. You can also manage your blockchain or .ENS domains using Guarda wallet. This is functionality Metamask doesn’t offer yet. For ETH hodlers, Guarda runs it’s own staking pool for ETH. This means you can stake your ETH in the Guarda app and earn 14.5%. Guarda supports over 50 different blockchains and hundreds of coins and tokens. There’s a coin search function here if you want to make sure your coins are supported. https://guarda.com/coins/

Security – Guarda Wallet lets you connect a Ledger device to their platform, so you can securely display your balances and manage your transactions.

Portability – The Guarda Wallet comes in mobile, desktop and web versions.

Smooth on-ramp – You can buy 300+ different coins and tokens, including ETH, directly in-wallet using VISA or MasterCard.

Easy importing to other clients – You can easily connect Guarda Wallet to various DeFI protocols with the WalletConnect integration.

Conclusion – which is the best wallet for Ethereum?

All of the wallets on this list will let you navigate the Ethereum ecosystem securely and access Ethereum’s its DeFi, NFT and gaming benefits. However, the combination of Guarda wallet + Ledger is overall the best wallet for Ethereum based on our research. This combination is easy to use, you can keep your private keys securely offline and best of all, you can stake your ETH inside the app and earn rewards while you hodl! (Note, all staked ETH is locked until the release of ETH2.0).

The best NFT wallet for gaming and collectibles

Crypto KP Free crypto research November 10, 2021November 15, 2021best crypto wallet, Enjin wallet, NFT wallet, Phantom wallet

Crypto NFTs are the ‘latest thing’ in online gaming, digital art and collectibles. From CryptoKitties to Bored Ape Yacht Club, NFTs are all the rage. But with new technology comes new risks – and your NFT wallet is not immune! While Metamask wallet is one of the most popular ways to store, buy and sell NFTs, hacks of Metamask wallet are becoming more common and there is zero support if cyber criminals target you. That’s why in this post we detail 4 alternative NFT wallets, and tell you how to make Metamask safer to use for your NFTs.

What are NFTs?

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are digital assets (tokens) that represent objects like art, music, in-game items, and videos. They may be bought and sold on the internet. They’re based on the same software as numerous cryptos. However, there are certain distinctions to be aware of.

Firstly, because NFT’s are one-of-a-kind digital assets, they are referred to as “non fungible.” This implies that you can’t exchange one NFT for another of the same NFT (similarly) because each is individual. Just like you can’t, for example, swap a Van Gogh with a Picasso.

Cryptocurrencies are fungible: 1 Bitcoin may be exchanged for another.

Secondly, NFT software differs from crypto in that it stores data. This distinguishes them from cryptocurrency and opens up a lot of possibilities for what you can do with them.

NFTs have inherent value as both cryptocurrencies and as a digital kind of expression and culture.

Non-fungible tokens are being utilized by artists, musicians, gamers, and some companies to monetize their creative works and products right now.

NFTs are new forms of digital assets and some can be extremely valuable.

What can you do with NFTs?

NFTs are programmed to store data so they can represent anything from digital art, music, e-books and videos, gaming items like in-game components. They have become an ingrained part of crypto culture and individual social status. So it goes without saying you can collect them, use them with your public profile, or deploy them in online game play.

NFTs can also be used as fan or membership tokens. Fan tokens give fans access to unique content, experiences and rights such as access to exclusive articles, meet and greet opportunities, or the right to vote on polls.

The use cases for NFTs are still not fully known and we expect them to grown rapidly. For now, you can create, sell and buy NFTs on NFT marketplaces like Opensea.

Why do you need an NFT wallet?

You need an NFT wallet to store, use and move your NFTs.

When you buy an NFT in an NFT marketplace you need to take custody of it. You do this connecting your NFT wallet to the marketplace website, platform or protocol. Once the purchase is complete, the NFT file (or at least your private key authorising your ownership of the NFT) is moved to your NFT wallet. You can view the NFT from your wallet and have full custody of it and access to it.

Is an NFT wallet the same as a crypto wallet?

Yes and no. Some crypto hot wallets, like Metamask, Trust Wallet and C98 can store both cryptocurrencies and NFTs. But other wallets don’t have the capability to store NFTs.

Different wallets also have different native capabilities when it comes to your NFTs – some you can only store, send and receive. Others you can use the NFTs directly in game play by connecting your wallet to blockchain games.

It can be complicated to work out just which wallet to use, which is why we have pulled together a simple list of the top NFT wallets around.

Should you use Metamask wallet to store your NFTs?

Metamask wallet is probably the most commonly used crypto wallet. As so many platforms and protocols connect with it, it’s convenient to use Metamask wallet across the crypto ecosystem and this includes NFTs. The problem with Metamask however is its security.

Firstly, it’s a hot wallet like any other, so it’s exposed to cyber hack.

Secondly, as crypto has flourished and Metamask’s popularity grown, it’s become fertile ground for cyber criminal attack. We’ve noticed on crypto Twitter an increase in the personal stories of Metamask wallet being hacked. Unfortunately, from these first hand accounts, there is no support from Metamask if you are targeted and your NFTs are stolen.

It’s a catch 22 situation because Metamask wallet really is one of the most convenient wallets for both crypto and for NFTs but you also need to keep your assets safe.

There are some alternative NFT wallets worth exploring alongside Metamask. There are also ways to secure your Metamask wallet to make it safe from cyber crime. Let’s take a look at both of these.

4 alternatives to using Metamask as your NFT wallet

All 4 of the wallets below support ERC-721 and ERC-1155 NFTs. You can store your gaming and collectibles in the wallet and wallets like Enjin make it easy for your to use your NFT for in-game experiences.

Top gaming NFT wallet

Enjin Wallet – Enjin wallet is a mobile wallet built for both NFTs and crypto. It supports Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Polkadot, Binance Coin and all ERC-20 (Ethereum) tokens. Importantly, Enjin NFT wallet also supports all ERC-721 & ERC-1155 NFTs. Enjin wallet is most popularly used for gaming NFTs. Because Enjin is a gaming and metaverse platform, Enjin wallet lets you trade NFTs, and provides blockchain gaming support. It also offers in-app token swap (Android only). With Enjin wallet, you can carry your digital identity across blockchain games and apps. This makes it simple to move around the gaming ecosystem. The wallet has 4.5 out of 5 starts across 650 reviews on the App Store, so Enjin must be doing something right.
Phantom wallet – Phantom wallet is an NFT and DeFi wallet created for the Solana blockchain. The wallet comes as a Chrome browser extension only at the moment. Phantom has recently announced that its mobile wallet is coming soon however. The great thing about Solana wallet is that it integrates with Ledger Hardware wallet. This gives it security above and beyond any hot wallet on this list. Phantom wallet appears to have an Ethereum Mainnet integration in the works; you can sign up for their Beta waitlist straight from their website.

Top NFT collectibles wallet

Trust Wallet – Trust wallet is another mobile wallet you can use to store both crypto and NFTs. The NFT section can be found under their ‘collectibles’ menu. Trust Wallet integrates with both Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain so you can send, receive and store NFTs from both of these networks. You can’t store Solana NFTs on Trust Wallet however.
C98 Wallet – C98 NFT wallet is an NFT and cryptocurrency wallet with multichain support. You can store, send and receive NFTs across a bunch of blockchains including the big three: Ethereum, Solana and Binance Smart Chain. The wallet takes a little getting used to because of its multi-chain functionality. But it has native links directly into NFT marketplaces where you can buy your NFTs. Also, their support team is really responsive and has helped us out with using the wallet on a few occasions. That’s rare in crypto, and more than we can say for Metamask!

How to make Metamask a safer NFT wallet

The best way to secure your Metamask wallet is to connect it to a hardware wallet. Metamask has integrations with both the Ledger or the Trezor hardware wallets. It’s pretty easy to connect them up and once you do, you have the same security with your Metamask as you would using a hardware wallet.

Ledger Nano X or Nano S

Trezor One or Trezor Model T

Connecting your hardware wallet to a new Metamask wallet

When the connection is up and running, you will have to individually validate all Metamask transactions physically by confirming them on your hardware wallet. This makes it difficult for cyber criminals to steal your NFTs (or crypto) without you knowing.

The best way to connect Metamask to Ledger or Trezor is using the Metamask Chrome or other browser. You simply open the browser, click the icon at the top right and in the menu you will see ‘Connect hardware wallet’. Follow the prompts from there.

Connecting a Trezor or Ledger to your existing Metamask wallet

It’s also possible to connect a new Trezor wallet to an existing Metamask hot wallet. The instructions are a bit more complex but you can find them (for Ledger wallet) here, and here (for Trezor wallet). This is a great option if you start using Metamask and then decide to buy a hardware wallet to secure your crypto or NFTs.

5 top security tips for using Metamask NFT wallet

Never share your private key or seed recovery phrase with anyone!
Write down you seed recovery phrase or better yet, store it in a metal wallet like BillFodl.
Always disconnect from sites you have used Metamask with. You can do this by clicking the three dots at the top right of the browser and then selected connected sites. Hit the trash can for any sites or protocols that you don’t need connected at that time.
Use a strong password for the Metamask app and make sure all of the native security and privacy functions are turned on. This includes options like Privacy mode and Face ID. You can find security options in the Settings menu.
Don’t keep all of your coins and NFTs on Metamask unless you have your hardware wallet connected.

Conclusion

You can use Metamask to send, receive and store your NFTs but we only recommending doing this if you have it connected with a Ledger or Trezor hardware wallet. If you are looking for an NFT wallet that is sleeker, with a better user interface and more gaming functions we’d go with something like Enjin or Phantom. These wallets both support growing NFT and gaming platforms and we only expect the wallet experience to get better as these platforms expand.

Metamask vs Trust Wallet: which one should you go with?

Crypto KP Free crypto research October 21, 2021October 21, 2021best crypto wallet, metamask vs trust wallet, top cryptocurrency wallet

At first, the world of crypto can be confusing and complicated. Especially because you have to learn to take custody of your own cryptocurrency. One of the first things you need to do is find a good crypto wallet and learn how to use it. Inevitably, there’s one question everyone faces starting out in crypto: “What’s the best cryptocurrency wallet for me?” The answer will depend on what you need out of your crypto wallet. In this post we’ll look at two of the heavy weights – MetaMask vs Trust Wallet – so we can help clear up confusion about which one is best!

What is Metamask?

Metamask is an open source cryptocurrency wallet created by a group of developers who aim to ‘extend the decentralized web to everyone.’

It’s a software wallet, otherwise known as a hot wallet, because it’s connected to the internet.

Metamask has browser extension and mobile version of the same hot wallet. You can synchronize both of these to make them operate in tandem.

What is Metamask used for?

Connect to DeFi products and services

The main advantage of using a Metamask crypto wallet is to transact your cryptocurrency across the cryptoverse. Why would you want to move your coins? In a nutshell, DeFi.

Aave, Curve, and Yearn Finance are some examples of decentralised finance protocols. Metamask allows you to seamlessly connect to these protocols. Once you do, you can use their services to generate passive income on your cryptocurrency – for example by lending, staking, and yield farming.

There are a few technical requirements you’ll need to know and perform in order to use Metamask with DeFI. Check out our post on how to set up Metamask for non-technical users. If you take these steps first, it will save you a lot of confusion and worry later.

Metamask has security integrations with the best hardware wallets on the market – Ledger and Trezor – which means you can interact with DeFi easily and securely. You just have to connect your Ledger or Trezor hardware wallet from the Metamask menu and then off you go!

Metamask really opens up the world of Decentralised Finance to crypto users. And this is the main reason that every crypto holder should have MetaMask crypto wallet in their crypto tool kit.

Buy Ethereum

You can pretty quickly use Metamask to buy Ethereum (ETH) via the bank services directly in the wallet. Payment is through Apple Pay, bank transfer or debit card. You’ll pay network fees to do this and fees on the Ethereum network are notoriously high.

This is not the most cost-effective way to get coins, but it’s an easy approach to begin with some cryptocurrencies and Decentralized Finance solutions if you’re a novice.

Once you have the ETH in your wallet you then use the wallet swap function (see below) to swap that ETH into a bunch of other coins or tokens.

Swap crypto

As we mentioned above you can also swap between cryptocurrencies using Metamask, for example Ethereum or the Binance Smart Chain. A service fee of 0.875% is automatically factored into each swap quote – the price you pay for convenience! Metamask supports swaps between a long list of coins and tokens, making it a useful feature if need a quick transaction

You may also swap cryptocurrencies using other dApps that Metamask connects to, such as QuickSwap on the Matic Mainnet or SushiSwap on the Ethereum Mainnet. The fees can be lower doing this so we don’t use the swap function within Metamask wallet.

Send and receive crypto

You can send and receive crypto into and out of Metamask, although for security reasons (as for any hot wallet) it’s not advised to store your coins in the wallet.

Metamask wallet – pros and cons

PROS	CONS
Ubiquitous – just about every app, bridge and protocol we have come across has a Metamask integration. Metamask is you virtual transport around the crypto ecosystem, regardless of what blockchain network you need to operate from.	Clunky and not very user friendly – you have to learn how to use it and manually add the blockchains you want to transact on. The silver lining is, once you learn Metamask you can do most other things you need to do in crypto.
Supports multiple blockchains – your DeFi options are endless. You just have to learn how to manually input each new network you want to use.	Syncing – doesn’t always go smoothly between the web browser and the mobile app and you need to have two different access passwords for each of these, which is a pain.
Integrates with most new DeFI protocols and dApps – which is where the (risky) money can be made in DeFi!	No real native capabilities – It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other apps. No native decentralised apps, no in-wallet staking or farming. It’s a transactional wallet only.
Security integrations – with the two best hardware wallets on the market, Ledger and Trezor. Once you link your Metamask to one of these hardware wallets, Metamask has the security of a cold storage wallet with the convenience of a hot wallet.
Control over fees – It allows you to set network fees and slippage, which means you can control your transaction costs (somewhat) while using it.

What is Trust Wallet?

The Binance wallet is a mobile cryptocurrency wallet run by the Binance crypto exchange. It supports the Binance Smart Chain ecosystem since it is the official mobile cryptocurrency wallet of Binance as well as Ethereum mainnet.

This is a plus, because you can bridge Binance coin (like BNB) over to the Binance Smart Chain within the wallet. By using the Binance Smart Chain, you avoid the very high transaction fees associated with ERC-20 tokens transacted on the Ethereum mainnet.

What is Trust Wallet used for?

DeFi

Like Metamask, you can use Trust Wallet to connect to a range of DeFi protocols, mostly through the ‘Wallet Connect’ integration. We use Trust Wallet to connect into PancakeSwap where we earn double digit APY staking our CAKE. That’s just an example.

Limited native staking

Trust Wallet has a few unique features that other wallets lack, owing to its Binance connections. For example you can use it for Staking directly inside the wallet for a handful of coins including BNB, Kava and Cosmos. Native staking gives you the option to chose exactly which node validator you’re going to stake your coins with. It shows the APY for a list of different validators, which means you can chose the best one.

There are also native links to popular DeFi protocols from the “Discover” screen. SushiSwap, Curve, yearn.finance, Aave and 1inch.exchange can all be linked straight from the wallet.

Exchange

Trust wallet has an exchange function where you can trade BNB for a long list of other coins and tokens. There are no price charts, but you can see limited order books per trade.

Buy, send, swap

Trust wallet also offers the standard functions that other wallet offer. You can send and receive coins from the wallet and swap between cryptocurrencies. You can also buy a limited range of large cap cryptos. The payment provider is Moonpay, which does charge pretty heft fees.

Trust Wallet – pros and cons

PROS	CONS
Supports Binance Smart Chain as well as Ethereum Mainnet – cheaper transactions for BNB and BNB swaps / exchanges Some direct DeFi protocol links within the wallet and some native staking.	DeFI integrations – not as many newer protocols and platforms as Metamask.
Wallet Connect integration – allows you to connect to quite a few DeFi protocols and dApps.	Buggy – We’ve had loads of problems with the PancakeSwap / Trust Wallet connection in the past.
	Limited to Eth network for most DeFi transactions – meaning you’re going to pay top dollar network fees to use Trust Wallet for DeFi.

The verdict

Metamask is our choice in the Metamask vs Trust Wallet battle. You just have to look at the long list of ‘Pros’ to understand why.

You can use Trust Wallet and just stick to the Ethereum network and it’s ecosystem of DeFi products and services. If you do this, Trust Wallet is a sound option to go with. BUT…Metamask is used everywhere! And it will allow you to transact on cheaper blockchain networks (Solana, Avalache, Polygon) that are exploding with new dApps and DeFI protocols.

These other blockchain networks are building strong DeFi ecosystems where you can make a great return with your crypto after connecting with your Metamask.

The Metamask ecosystem integrations are so great you don’t really miss or need any native capabilities in the wallet itself beyond what is already there. You just have to work with the clunky nature of the wallet and traverse a bit of a learning curve first. Once you do, the world of DeFi is your oyster!

Best cryptocurrency app to trade, earn, win and stake crypto

Crypto KP Crypto wallet news, Free crypto research September 8, 2021September 10, 2021best cryptocurrency app, crypto wallet app, crypto wallets

Hackers stole $700 million in crypto in the month of August 2021 alone. And that’s just the reported number. As the cryptocurrency world continues to welcome more new crypto wallets and epic platform hacks continue to be a feature of the space, choosing the best cryptocurrency app to guide your investment decisions is more complex but also more crucial.

To trade or invest in cryptocurrency, there are a few ground rules if you don’t want to lose all your dough. The most important rule is that you should never invest what you are not willing to lose. Another rule is to have the best resources to securely trade, earn, win and stake your cryptocurrency. Downloading and using the best cryptocurrency app can help you:

move your crypto around online
avoid human error when you transact your crypto,
improve your user experience, and
give you access to tier 1 crytpo investments and decentralised finance protocols
help to secure your crypto while you earn with it and compound your investments.

We’ve reviewed the newest and most popular cryptocurrency apps to select the best cryptocurrency app to do all of these things. The winner? Read on to find out!

What is a cryptocurrency app?

A crypto app can be a mobile or a desktop application. It provides a platform for you to transact your cryptocurrency and store your coins while you do so. Whether you decide to buy, sell, stake, earn, farm or hodl your crypto, it’s best to ensure that you are transacting using the best full-featured cryptocurrency app available.

Different cryptocurrency app types

There are a few types of cryptocurrency apps. Two of the main types are cryptocurrency exchange apps and crypto wallets.

Cryptocurrency exchange apps – These apps are used for buying and selling cryptocurrency. The best cryptocurrency exchange apps protect the safety of user assets and provide low fees on trades and swaps, good technical customer service, and fast trades. Examples of these apps include Binance, eToro, and Coinbase, etc. Crypto exchange apps like the Binance app also act as a crypto wallet.

Crypto wallets – These applications are designed to help you monitor, manage and transact your cryptocurrencies regularly on-the-run. Since this is a software application that can be installed on the user’s phone, the ease of access is guaranteed. However, because the user has to connect to the internet to use the app, this type of wallet is more vulnerable to hackers than a hardware wallet.

Best cryptocurrency app

While traders use cryptocurrency exchanges to conduct daily trades, the cryptocurrency app serves as a form of storage to secure your digital assets while you need to transact with them. The best crypto wallet app can both secure your private keys and provide a platform to trade, stake, lend and borrow digital assets. While choosing the best cryptocurrency app, we prioritized its security capabilities and depth of native features that will allow you to make money on your crypto investments.

What else are you in crypto for after all!

Security from hack is essential in crypto, and any app that cannot guarantee the security of your assets should not be rated as one of the best.
The first thing to remember is cryptocurrency app you choose is only as secure as your phone security settings allow. Once your phone security is up to scratch the best cryptocurrency wallet apps have great added security features including pin code, two-factor authentication, and seed recovery phrase.

Apart from the security features, the best cryptocurrency wallet app should also guarantee:

an exceptional user experience,
fast transactions,
low transaction fees, and
diverse integrations with various blockchain networks and decentralised finance protocols.

These are the necessary features to invest and make money on your crypto

After reviewing these features across the most popular and newest crypto apps, here is our pick for the best cryptocurrency wallet app available.

We also recommend a best ‘up and coming’ crypto app. It’s one we have yet to test fully but are keeping an eye on. This newcomer has incredible features. It brings unparalleled convenience to crypto transactions which will make crypto far easier for newcomers.

No. 1 – Binance Wallet

Binance is one of the leading names in the crypto industry and the Binance Wallet is our pick for best cryptocurrency app. The Binance Wallet offers the best app features to help you invest and make money from your crypto. The top money making features include:

Trading spot, margin and futures markets
Automatic locked and flexible staking
Interest earning opportunities on crypto held in the wallet
Mining
Airdrops and rewards competitions
Binance marketplace for non-fungible tokens

All of these functions are available and customizable directly from the mobile wallet app and also from the desktop app.

best cryptocurrrency app — An example of the different features Binance wallet offers – staking, loans, pooling, earn, and trading spot, margin and futures makets

Binance Wallet provides constant security upgrades helping to keep its users’ details secure. Binance offers password and multiple-factor identification. It adds a custom whitelisting feature to this suite of protections. You can whitelist wallet addresses to prevent crypto withdrawals from your wallet by hackers.

Binance trumps its peers in terms of performance. The app is swift while trading spot, margin and futures markets. It also allows you to customize the home page to your taste.

Beginners can get used to cryptocurrency trading using Binance Lite. Binance Lite is trader-friendly and comes with simple instructions for the beginner. Binance Pro was also released to help professionals conduct fast trades.

To get a 5% discount on your Binance spot market trades, set up your account with our link.

The Binance wallet is not available in the US. It’s offshoot BolsaDX is available for US citizens however. BoslaDX advertises as a Latin American platform but it is cloud based. US citizens can trade with it without needing a VPN. The app is forthcoming and we imagine will give you everything we enjoy from the original Binance wallet.

No. 2 – Celsius Wallet

The Celsius wallet is one of the best out there for earning interest. Celsius allows you to borrow and lend cryptocurrency to earn more coins and tokens. Apart from earning interest, the Celsius wallet can also be used to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

The security features include the standard pin code, 2-factor identification, “know your customer” details, and setting Hodl mode. Hodl mode prevents any withdrawals from your account without entering a second passphrase. It’s an extra layer of protection from hackers.

Celsius is easy to use because you’re not making complex transactions, so if you’re new to crypto you don’t have to be worried about losing your money from human error.

All you have to do is send your crypto to their given wallet address and you can start earning interest. The rates on stablecoins (which don’t fluctuate with crypto volatility) are what draws many customers into Celsius. At the moment you can earn 8.8% on your USD stablecoins through their lower risk lending vehicle. This is an industry leading rate for the risk profile.

Celsius provides an incentive to get paid in their native token CEL by offering higher interest rates. CEL is traded on crypto markets like other coins. You can also opt to be paid in the coin you are lending, but the rates can be around 2% lower.

If you want $50 worth of BTC free, set up your Celsius account with our link. It helps support our research!

No. 3 – Metamask Crypto Wallet

Metamask is one of the original crypto wallet apps and one of the best.

Their platform works on Android, Desktop, and iOS. While it works well on mobile, we love it’s browser extension for making DeFi from your desktop super easy.

Metamask allows you to move your crypto seamless between DeFi protocols once you know how to list different Blockchain networks in the wallet. If you want more information about how to set up Metamask for DeFi, have a read of this post. While the DeFi capabilities Metamask supports are diverse, using the wallet takes some getting used to. It’s also worth noting the DeFi dApps are not native to the wallet themselves. Instead, you can connect your Metamask wallet to different dApps that you find in your browser or on your browser app for mobile phone.

Although it supports 2-factor authentication, password and seed phrase recovery, Metamask wallet is not suited for long-term storage of private keys. Like any crypto wallet app, the fact that it is online also increases the security risks due to online hackers. However, Metamask now seamlessly integrates with Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets. This means you have the security of a hardware wallet while you transact your crypto with Metamask! That’s about as secure as it comes for a mobile wallet in crypto.

Best ‘up and coming’ cryptocurrency app

Coin 98 Wallet

Coin98 is a new crypto up and comer project from South East Asia building up a portfolio of DeFi products that you can use to make money in crypto. You can access many of these products on the Coin 98 mobile wallet app.

What differentiates Coin 98 Wallet is its multi-chain and cross chain capabilities. The wallet makes it seamless for new users to move crypto across different blockchains, without having to know which blockchain to choose for which transaction.

This is a game changer for crypto if it works because it leapfrogs the steep learning curve needed when you first enter the crypto space. If you’re new to crypto, Coin 98 Wallet may just be the best thing since sliced bread.

The best features of this cryptocurrency app that make it a contender for our list are:

Exchange connect – connect directly to 9 different crypto exchanges from the wallet, including the popular ones such as Binance and FTX.
Native dApps – the inbuilt dApp browser is where you’ll make money with Coin98 wallet. You can connect directly to major DeFi protocols.
Cross Chain bridge – convert tokens between 4 blockchains – Ethereum, BSC, Tron, Solana – directly in the wallet. Extremely convenient and only available in Coin 98 wallet
Cross chain staking, swaps, earning and yield farming – the best feature of Coin98 to invest and earn crypto. If you want read more about this check out our full featured Coin 98 write up here.

Verdict

Binance is the best cryptocurrency app going. Its versatility, performance, and functions are exemplary compared to other similar apps.

Celsius wallet is the best cryptocurrency app for new crypto users who don’t know how to transact on the blockchain. It is also a great starter app for risk averse investors interested in earning passive income.

MetaMask is the most ubiquitous crypto app. It doesn’t have the native features that other apps have but its browser extension will help you move coins and tokens between decentralised apps. You need to be able to do this to invest your crypto and manage those investments.

Binance is the most popular and widely used cryptocurrency app because of its unique ‘all in one’ features and value add. Whether you’re a beginner who needs to learn the ropes or a professional who needs advanced features in his trading app, Binance has got you covered. It is no surprise that Binance emerged as the best cryptocurrency app available. We predict Coin 98 wallet might just give Binance wallet a run for its money in the next 12 months or so. It’s definitely one to put on your watch list and check out!

Top cryptocurrency wallet – best to secure and invest your crypto

Crypto KP Free crypto research, How to do crypto September 7, 2021best crypto wallet, top cryptocurrency wallet

With the number of cryptocurrency wallets already in the market, choosing the top cryptocurrency wallet is not an easy proposition. But having the right cryptocurrency wallet for the right purpose is critical to protecting your money. In crypto, you are your own bank. This means the safety of your assets is up to you! But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

Whether you’re a cryptocurrency trader, an investor, or a beginner, you will need a cryptocurrency wallet to store your coins securely, transact, and recover them. There are several options out there, and they all offer unique features which makes choosing the best crypto wallet an arduous task.

The very top cryptocurrency wallet should offer their users safety, security, a great user experience, excellent technical support, and customer service, among other things. We’ve researched the market and have rated the top cryptocurrency wallets in three categories to help you protect your assets and make money from your investments.

What Is a Cryptocurrency Wallet?

Cryptocurrency is not like fiat money. You can neither hold nor see it in its physical form. However, you can still lose it. Like the traditional wallet that holds your valuables, a cryptocurrency wallet works similarly, albeit with more advanced security features.

A cryptocurrency wallet helps you to store the information with which you can access your cryptocurrency. The crypto wallet keeps private keys that give you direct access to your cryptocurrency on the blockchain.

As a trader or an investor, you should be ready to invest significantly in getting the best crypto wallet because the safety of your coins should always be prioritized.

Types of Cryptocurrency Wallets

There are three things we consider when classifying a cryptocurrency wallet. Firstly, a cryptocurrency trader or investor needs a place to store his coins securely. There is no better place for that than a hardware wallet. Hardware wallets or ‘cold wallets’ remain the most secure options for storing cryptocurrencies.

Secondly, like with fiat money, cryptocurrency users may not want their coins to keep sitting idly in their hardware wallet. There will always arise a need to transact with the crypto. That’s where the crypto wallet app or the ‘hot wallet’ comes in.

Finally, if the user loses his hardware or software wallet, a seed phrase recovery wallet acts as the last resort. To match these three use cases for crypto wallets, there are three types of wallets you will need.

Hardware Cryptocurrency Wallet (Cold wallet)

This is the most secure type of cryptocurrency wallet. It is a storage device that you can handle physically and keeps your private keys to access your coins offline. This feature makes it unsusceptible to internet-based hackers.

Mobile Cryptocurrency Wallet (Hot Wallet or mobile crypto apps)

Every cryptocurrency trader wants to transact cryptocurrency daily without stress. While owning a hardware wallet is perfect for security, they are secure because they’re not connected to the internet. Hot wallets offer convenience in daily cryptocurrency transactions. However, they are susceptible to attacks from internet hackers so you need to know you’re using mobile crypto apps that are safe.

The top cryptocurrency wallet in the mobile category may have several security features, but its ratings are more concerned with the ease of use and speed of transactions. For this reason, we advise readers to employ a hybrid approach of storing most of their crypto (or their private keys to access it) securely in a hardware wallet and keep private keys for the coins you want to transact with in a mobile app or ‘hot wallet’.

Seed Phrase Recovery Wallet (metal crypto wallet)

Because in crypto you are your own bank, it is critical to have a last resort when dealing with the security of your cryptocurrencies. While hardware wallets are almost impervious to attack online, they are still susceptible to physical attacks, loss or technology failure. Seed phrase wallets serve as the means of recovering your coins from the blockchain if you lose access to your hot or cold wallet. For optimum security, ensure that you have a seed phrase recovery wallet for each hardware wallet you own.

Top Cryptocurrency Wallet – our pick for your crypto

All three types of wallets we explain above have different specific functions that cannot be understated. Because of the distinct roles played by each type of wallet, we have chosen the top cryptocurrency wallet in each category.

Whether you are a cryptocurrency trader or a long term investor, you should consider getting the best crypto wallet in each category. With all three, you can be sure you’re using our ‘crypto safe system’ and doing everything you can to protect your investment.

Top cryptocurrency wallet – hardware

The most important reason for having a hardware crypto wallet is the security it guarantees. The rate at which users lose their hard-earned cryptocurrency to fraudsters, hackers, fake app wallets is alarming, and cryptocurrency owners should spare no effort to secure and manage their cryptocurrencies safely.

The hardware crypto wallet offers the highest level of security among the other types of wallets. Although security is the most critical feature of a hardware wallet, several other factors also come into consideration. They include the number of cryptocurrency options available, user experience, mobile apps and third party integrations supported, connectivity, size, and cost.

After considering all these, our top cryptocurrency wallet (hardware) is the Ledger Nano X.

Ledger Nano X

Selecting Ledger Nano X as the best crypto wallet (hardware) wasn’t an easy choice. Although Nano X had a wide variety of unique features that make it stand out in its field, several worthy alternatives like Trezor T lost out narrowly. Ledger as a brand stands out among its peers in the hardware wallet sector. Its latest product, Ledger Nano X, is significantly better than Ledger Nano S in user experience, user interface, and security features.

Ledger Nano X is 7.2 x 1.175cm in size. It has top security features with a pin code, secure element chip, and seed recovery phrase generation.

Nano X also has a ledger software validation process used to verify the authenticity of the Ledger device when you buy it. This differentiates its security offering from other hardware wallets.

The Leger Nano X wallet is very versatile as it supports the most coins and integrations with third-party wallets and crypto exchanges. Ledger Nano X also allows you to connect to mobile devices via Bluetooth and cable. Nano X offers Bluetooth mobile connection for both iOS and Android.

Finally, Ledger Nano X has a mobile application called Ledger Live App. The app allows users to monitor and manage their accounts on both mobile and desktop, as well as perform a number of transactions (buy, sell, trade, stake) through its native features and third party integrations. The Ledger Live is the heart of the Nano X wallet and its greatest feature.

Purchase a Ledger Nano X to protect your cryptocurrency.

Top crypto wallet app (software wallet)

While hardware wallets are essential for enhanced security, software wallets are also necessary if you intend to transact regularly or remotely. Software wallets are apps that you can download to you rmobile phone or iPad. Since software wallets are used for transactions, the best crypto wallet in this category was selected based on the security of the wallet, native features, variety of coins and third party integrations supported, transaction fees, speed of transaction, and ease of use.

After weighing up these features across the extensive crypto wallet app market, our top cryptocurrency wallet (software) is the Binance wallet.

Binance Wallet

Mobile wallets are not usually well known for their security features, but Binance Wallet offers a wide range of these features. Apart from the standard password protection, Binance wallet also offers multiple-factor authentication on login and transactions. Binance also has a security feature that whitelists unknown crypto wallet addresses to protect the wallet against hackers. The wallet user can input and see the list of devices allowed to access his account with the device management feature under the wallet settings menu.

In terms of versatility, performance, and function, Binance stands out among its peers.

Binance wallet provides 24/7 support and is compatible with Android and iOS. Binance also caters to beginners and professionals with two types of apps: Binance Lite and Binance Pro. Binance Pro has advanced features for traders with knowledge, while the Lite version is more simplistic to allow the beginner to trade efficiently. Binances range of native features is what makes its software wallet truly stand out from its competitors.

You can trade the spot, margin or futures markets direct from your phone. You can also stake your crypto, earn interest on it, participate in Airdrops and join rewards competitions. It’s a great place to engage in multiple different ways to earn cryptocurrency, directly from the one app.

Binance also allows you to customize the language and currency of the wallet application. Finally, Binance wallet has a QR code generator that will enable you to log in to your account from any web browser.

You can set up your Binance account and download their crypto wallet app right here.

Top Seed Phrase Recovery Wallet (metal crypto wallet)

In order of importance, the seed phrase recovery wallet (or metal crypto wallet) might just be the most important. It is the last layer of protection a cryptocurrency wallet holder has to restore access to their coins on the blockchain. If you lose your hardware wallet and don’t have your seed phrase, you cannot recover your cryptocurrency and it is lost for good.

Seed phrase recovery wallets must be both enduring and secure. In choosing the best crypto wallet in this category, we considered three things: the construction, security features, and ease of use. For the best type of construction, durable materials should be used to make the wallet. The best crypto wallet must also have excellent security features to prevent the loss of data. Finally, the recovery wallet must be easy to use.

Billfodl satisfied all these conditions with ease and was therefore chosen as the top seed phrase recovery wallet.

Billfodl

Billfodl is made from a combination of 316 marine grade stainless steel, iron, and steel. The security against both destruction and unauthorised use is strong as Billfodl wallet has a very thick protective metal casing that is fireproof and waterproof.

It’s also easy to set up the Billfodl wallet. There are tiles that you slide into the casing for each word in your seed recovery phrase. This is easy to do. Once the user slides the seed recovery phrase tiles in the wallet, the wallet can then be closed and locked with a padlock. Our advice is always to store your metal crypto wallet in a secure location separate from your hardware wallet. Remember, if someone has your seed phrase, they can steal your coins.

The best place to buy the Billfodl wallet is directly from the makers – here.

Billfodl wins the rating for best metal crypto wallet in our view

Conclusion

The three types of wallets have very distinct features, but they are all necessary to ensure the safety of your cryptocurrency. The three wallets together form our recommendation for your ‘crypto safe system’ – they give you the maximum protection available as custodian of your own crypto assets. Remember, in crypto you are your own bank. As a cryptocurrency trader or investor therefore, safeguarding your digital assets should be your top priority.

Backed by extensive research, we have selected the top cryptocurrency wallet in each category. Top cryptocurrency wallet Ledger Nano X, Binance wallet and Billfodl are the best of their kind in each category that the market has to offer. For your peace of mind, choose wisely!