All terms
A dedicated device that keeps your keys offline and signs transactions internally.
A hardware wallet generates and stores the private key in a chip that never exposes it. You confirm each transaction on the device screen, so malware on your computer cannot silently change the destination.
Buy directly from the manufacturer. Never buy one secondhand or from a marketplace listing, because a tampered device can be preloaded with an attacker's seed.
Ledger and Trezor are the two established options. Both work alongside MetaMask and Phantom.
That a hardware wallet makes you unhackable. It protects the key, not your judgment. If you approve a malicious transaction on the device screen, the hardware signs it faithfully, which is why the screen exists and why reading it matters.
Common questions
What happens if the manufacturer goes out of business?
Should I buy one secondhand?
Where this comes up on the site
The guides that actually use this word, rather than a list of everything we have written.
Where to go next
More security terms
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