Comparing Bitcoin wallets

We have been using Circle as an online wallet to help make the introduction to Bitcoin gentler and safer. Yet there are other options we can use for sending and receiving Bitcoin. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's briefly discuss them now.

Online wallets

Services such as Circle are called online wallets. Online wallets are web-based services that manage and store a small amount of your Bitcoins on a public web server. The rest are stored offline in a physical vault. They generally have the following characteristics:

  • Available through a web browser or mobile application
  • Create and store your private keys online
  • Offer the option to send/receive via email address
  • Have a built-in exchange to buy/sell bitcoin ...

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