What is the safest crypto wallet?
5/14/2025The best and most secure crypto wallets are very different things. Technically, engraving the credentials on a metal sheet and hiding the plate is exceptionally secure. Still, it is equally impractical, especially if you want to use your digital currency in the coming years.
Different solutions serve different purposes and offer varied ratios of usability and security. An app designed to send multiple daily transactions differs significantly from a device created for storing digital currency savings.
Thus, finding the most secure crypto wallet for every specific task you have in mind is worth it. Some of them will overlap, but a varied toolkit is always better.
We’ve prepared a brief overview of the top crypto wallets, including accessible online wallets and a few representatives of hardware wallets sacrificing usability for security. A combination of them will cover virtually all your blockchain-related needs.
Hot and Cold Wallets: what is the most secure crypto wallet?
Internet is required for hot wallets to work — without a stable connection, you won’t be able to sign and send transactions.
Cold wallets don’t require a connection and have an air gap between a device keeping the private keys and the one broadcasting a transaction to the network. However, this advantage doesn’t automatically make them the best crypto wallets — they lack convenience. Thus, it is common to treat offline wallets as “safes”, not as something used daily.
The best wallets for crypto and DeFi
DeFi investments and products require hot wallets; their counterparts are impractical for decentralized finance and make it difficult to receive rewards.
It isn’t as bad as it may sound — while online wallets have more vulnerabilities than solutions that don’t need the Web, they are still pretty safe. At least as safe as the top-of-the-line banking and fiat e-money apps. So it is perfectly fine to use them for everyday tasks. Most security risks are user-induced, so you should be fine if you don’t visit phishing websites and open shady links.
Exodus
It is arguably the most secure online wallet currently offered. This is both due to its technical features and the team's approach to security.
On the one hand, this non-custodial wallet matches the highest security standards and takes advantage of technologies used by Trezor hardware wallets — it is part of the Trezor ecosystem. This helps with security and makes Exodus a convenient option for Trezor users — they get a hot wallet for “pocket money” that is well integrated with their hardware.
On the other hand, the wallet regularly undergoes rigorous security audits and the results are published openly. Moreover, the team runs a very generous bug-hunting program with rewards of up to $100,000. As a result, it is hard to find a wallet where potential vulnerabilities are fixed faster.
The main drawback of the wallet is its relatively limited list of supported assets — about 260. So, if you are interested in obscure niche tokens, Exodus won’t help you.
MetaMask
MetaMask is “the” DeFi wallet in the current crypto space because it is the most popular EVM-compatible wallet. The lion’s share of DeFi projects is tailored to work with MetaMask. Some even work only with it. As a result, if you use DeFi, you are practically bound to use MetaMask.
Fortunately, MetaMask is a pretty good wallet. It supports all tokens deployed in the Ethereum, Avalanche, BNB, and Polygon blockchains. It is relatively easy to use and has good security for an online wallet. Developers especially love MetaMask for its powerful API.
However, people don’t like being forced to use a specific product, even if it is really good. Thus, there is plenty of criticism of MetaMask online, mainly from people who don’t like MetaMask UI but still have to use it on some platforms. Some of it is justified, and some critics are just nitpicking. To be fair to the team, they fix the discovered issues fast, so the product remains ahead of the curve.
Coinbase
Coinbase is a prime example of a major exchange developing a wallet as part of its ecosystem to retain users. Unlike most competitors, Coinbase focused on making its product easily accessible and created one of the best crypto wallet apps for newbies.
First, it has a clear, easy-to-learn interface. Granted, some competing wallets offer more features, but Coinbase’s software isn’t cluttered, and even a complete beginner will learn the ropes pretty quickly.
Second, there are plenty of built-in tutorials. They are unobtrusive, but you can get a detailed guide on any feature anytime.
Third, Coinbase’s website has an extensive library of articles about cryptocurrencies and blockchain that will be extremely useful for new market participants.
Finally, it supports a huge variety of coins and tokens and is compatible with most of today’s DeFi projects.
The only real drawback of the product is that its PC version lacks functionality compared to the mobile version.
Is crypto DeFi wallet safe?
The most famous wallets with good reputations, such as those mentioned above, are mostly safe. They offer robust encryption and advanced data protection technologies backed by the strictest operational security standards. However, all online wallets are inherently more vulnerable than hardware wallets since malware infecting your device can access crucial data, bypassing the wallet's security. Thus, using them to store the bulk of your savings is not recommended.
Moreover, sometimes your hand is forced. DeFi projects and platforms often require a specific wallet. As we already mentioned, projects operating in the Ethereum space often require MetaMask.
Thus, it is paramount that you comply with the basic safety rule for using DeFi wallets — do not store the bulk of your funds in such wallets. Use them only for the funds actively used at any given moment. This way, even if a breach happens, your losses will be minimal.
The safest crypto wallets are cold
“Cold” wallets have a huge security advantage over their “hot” counterparts — they work without the Internet. They use QR Codes, Bluetooth, cables, and other means to transfer already signed transactions to different devices for broadcasting. The key point is that the device with the private keys is separated from the Web, so malicious actors can’t access it.
However, this security naturally comes at the cost of convenience - every transaction requires multiple extra steps.
Ledger Nano X
Ledger is one of the two leading companies in the hardware wallet market, and Nano X is their flagship model.
At first glance, the Nano X is just a USB stick with a screen and a few buttons. Under the hood, however, it is quite impressive. Nano X supports over 5,000 cryptocurrencies and tokens, has powerful encryption, and has Bluetooth for easy connection to other devices. The latter, however, is a controversial addition — while it is convenient, Bluetooth connection can be a vulnerability.
Moreover, it is not necessary to buy the highest-end offering — Ledger Nano S — a much older and cheaper wallet also offers great reliability and security. It is harder to use and lacks some features, but the core functionality is solid.
Ledger's does not use open-source firmware and software. However, this doesn’t stop the company’s products from being extremely popular and having a stellar reputation.
Trezor Model T
Trezor is Ledger's main competitor. These two companies are in a league of their own and can safely ignore the other market participants who can’t even remotely threaten their positions. No wonder their products are very similar. However, two significant differences are present.
First, there is no Bluetooth on Trezor’s wallets — the company considers it too much of a security vulnerability.
Second, all firmware and software Trezor uses is open-source, so its vast community regularly checks it for possible vulnerabilities.
In other aspects, the Trezor Model T — the company’s flagship model — is similar to the aforementioned Nano X. The older Trezor One, while lacking some quality-of-life features, is still a perfectly usable and secure wallet. Thus, choosing between these makers is primarily determined by personal preference and which approach to comfort and security you like.
NGRAVE Zero
NGRAVE Zero is arguably the ultimate answer to the question, “What is the most secure crypto wallet?” The product stands out among its peers due to extensive anti-tampering measures and robust encryption.
It doesn’t rely on direct connections to other devices via the Internet, Bluetooth, or cable — transactions are signed via the NGRAVE app using QR codes.
The physical device itself has many anti-tampering features, including a fingerprint scanner. It is a very rare hardware wallet that matches the EUL7 security standard.
The main drawback of NGRAVE Zero is its price — over $500.
Summary
There is no perfect universal wallet, and there never will be. Wallets are created for different purposes and audiences.
Let’s say you are just starting to learn and use crypto - there is no reason to rush into buying a top-of-the-line hardware wallet. But if you are starting to be more serious about crypto and already have a significant portion of your savings in digital currencies, it would be wise to invest in something robust and secure.
However, no technology can eliminate the human factor, so it is important to always follow the rules of safe crypto handling.
