How to setup a paper wallet tutorial for bitcoin beginners

Paper wallets are the most secure and simplest way to store your bitcoins. To generate a truly secure paper wallet, you need to make sure that your private keys are never on an OS that isn’t clean and that they never see the internet. The service we used for this process is BitAddress.org, the easiest place to create new paper wallets for bitcoins. In the following figures, you will see the steps you need to take in order to have your own paper wallet ready for usage within minutes.

1. Visit http://bitaddress.org in your favorite browser

2. You can print off the paper wallet from Bitaddress above, but this is not truly secure, since the private keys are created by a third party while connected to the internet. You need to use their tools while offline. To do this, save the Bitaddress page (as an .htm file).  

3. Put the file on a USB drive.

4. Open the file on a clean OS that is not connected to the internet—and preferably never has been.

5. You will see a screen similar to picture above that automatically generates new bitcoin addresses and private keys for you. Move the mouse pointer around a bit and enter random text in the text box to increase the randomness of your addresses and keys.

6. Don’t save the private key and QR codes presented to you. Instead, click Paper Wallet.

7. Select the number of addresses you want to generate.

8. Hide the art if you prefer to, even though the standard design looks great. Glick the Generate button to start the generation process for your number of paper wallets.

9. To save the paper wallets or simply print them out, click the Print button. 

10. Print your paper wallets or save them as a PDF to your hard drive. Saving them as a file is not recommended though, as it is best to print out these wallets as soon as they are generated. 

11. Delete the file and make sure that there is no electronic record of the private key remaining on the computer or USB drive.

12. Ensure the printed paper wallet remains secure from theft, fire, flood, bugs, or other damage. If you lose your paper wallet, or is it not readable, you cannot retrieve your Bitcoin! Remember, to use Bitcoin, you must have a private key that corresponds to your public address. A paper wallet —properly created—ensures that the private key only resides on a piece a paper, and no one else can use the coins in that particular public address. That’s why if you lose your paper wallet, you lose your private key, and you lose the ability to access your coins too. 

13. Scan the QR code on the left side with your mobile bitcoin client, or enter the public key address in the bitcoin client on your computer. In doing so, you can start transferring bitcoins onto your paper wallet. The private key, used to verify ownership of the account in order to spend the balance, can be scanned with the QR code on the right side. 

A quick note on paper wallets: If you do choose to ‘withdrawal’ from the wallet, make sure you take out all the bitcoins from that wallet at once. A paper wallet that has been used once means it is no longer a paper wallet; you will need to create a new one to be completely secure again.

 
                   

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Paper wallets for bitcoin beginners

Paper wallets are bitcoin private keys printed on paper. Often the paper wallet also includes the corresponding bitcoin address for convenience, but this isn't necessary because it can be derived from the private key. Paper wallets are a very effective way to create backups or offline bitcoin storage, also called “cold storage.” As a backup mechanism, a paper wallet can offer security against the loss of key due to a computer accident such as a hard-drive failure, theft, or accidental deletion.

As a “cold storage” mechanism, if the paper wallet keys are generated offline and never stored on a computer system, they are much more secure against hackers, keyloggers, and other online computer threats.

With the piece of paper safely locked away, you can continue sending bitcoins to the associated bitcoin address for safekeeping. When you eventually decide to spend your saved bitcoins, you can use the import private key or import paper wallet function that most Bitcoin wallet programs include. At this point, your bitcoins will no longer be in cold storage.

If you want to spend only some of your saved bitcoins and keep the rest in a paper wallet, after importing your private key into a hot wallet, you should immediately store the remainder of your bitcoins in a new paper wallet (paper wallets are one-time use only). But be sure to prepare the new paper wallet ahead of time before importing bitcoins from the old paper wallet.

Provided you maintain the paper private key in a secure place, the paper wallet method is ideal for storing large amounts of bitcoins indefinitely. However, keep in mind such physical risks as flooding and fire. Also, do not scan, take photos of, or expose your paper private key to other methods of duplication, or you will compromise your paper wallet. Your bitcoins are only as safe as the
least secure method by which you store your private keys. In particular, note that some office photocopiers maintain records of every document they copy. The safest way to make a duplicate of your paper wallet, which is recommended, is to clearly handwrite a couple of extra copies and store those copies safely.

Paper wallets come in many shapes, sizes, and designs, but at a very basic level are just a key and an address printed on paper. The picture below shows Simplest form of a paper wallet—a printout of the bitcoin address and private key.

Paper wallets can be generated easily using a tool such as the client-side JavaScript generator at bitaddress.org. This page contains all the code necessary to generate keys and paper wallets, even while completely disconnected from the internet. To use it, save the HTML page on your local drive or on an external USB flash drive. Disconnect from the internet and open the file in a browser.

Even better, boot your computer using a pristine operating system, such as a Linux bootable cdrom . Any keys generated with this tool while offline can be printed on a local printer over a USB cable (not wirelessly), thereby creating paper wallets whose keys exist only on the paper and have never been stored on any online system. Put these paper wallets in a fireproof safe and “send” bitcoin
to their bitcoin address, to implement a simple yet highly effective “cold storage” solution.

The picture below shows an example of a simple paper wallet from bitaddress.org:

The disadvantage of a simple paper wallet system is that the printed keys are vulnerable to theft. A thief who is able to gain access to the paper can either steal it or photograph the keys and take control of the bitcoin locked with those keys.

A more sophisticated paper wallet storage system uses BIP-38 encrypted private keys. The keys printed on the paper wallet are protected by a passphrase that the owner has memorized. Without the passphrase, the encrypted keys are useless. Yet, they still are superior to a passphrase-protected wallet because the keys have never been online and must be physically retrieved from a safe or other
physically secured storage. The picture below shows a paper wallet with an encrypted private key (BIP-38) created on the bitaddress.org site.

Paper wallets come in many designs and sizes, with many different features. Some are intended to be given as gifts and have seasonal themes, such as Christmas and New Year’s themes. Others are designed for storage in a bank vault or safe with the private key hidden in some way, either with opaque scratch-off stickers, or folded and sealed with tamper-proof adhesive foil.

The picture below shows an example of a paper wallet from bitcoinpaperwallet.com with the private key on a folding flap.

And the picture below shows an example of bitcoinpaperwallet.com paper wallet with the private key concealed.

Other designs feature additional copies of the key and address, in the form of detachable stubs similar to ticket stubs, allowing you to store multiple copies to protect against fire, flood, or other natural disasters. The picture below shows an example  of a paper wallet with additional copies of the keys on a backup “stub”.

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Trezor configuring and operating tutorial for bitcoin beginners

One brand of hardware wallet that has received a lot of attention is Trezor (https://trezor.io/). We find the Trezor hardware wallet to be an excellent, relatively easy-to-use use device.
Produed by SatoshiLabs, the Trezor is a small device that “stores your bitcoins” (that is,it stores your private keys). When you want to spend your bitcoins, you use a USB cable to plug the Trezor into a laptop or pc. It doesn’t have to be your own laptop; you can use a complete stranger’s one and still secure to spend your bitcoins. This is, perhaps, the defining feature of the Trezor: It doesn’t require you to trust the laptop that you plug it into. This is helpful if you’re traveling and don’t have your own laptop with you: You can use any computer at your destination.
Since most bitcoins are stolen by exploiting security holes in smartphones and laptops, using the Trezor dramatically cuts down on the risk of Bitcoin theft. So how does it work?

Smartphones and laptops are also devices that can store private keys, but unlike the Trezor, they deal with those keys like any other data, i.e., as information that can be viewed, copied, or modified. Viruses on a laptop can search for the private key data, copy them, and broadcast them to a remote server, leading to stolen bitcoins. The Trezor, on the other hand, never allows the private key data to be viewed or copied by you or a virus. Instead, when you want to spend bitcoins, it uses its internal private keys to sign a transaction that it then gives you. The Trezor is like a paranoid chef who will never reveal his secret recipe but will cook for you anytime you want.

Configuring the Trezor is somewhat laborious (it may take 5–10 minutes for bitcoin beginners), but this does not need to be done more than once.
1. Plug the Trezor into your laptop.
2. Visit https://wallet.trezor.io/. Install the necessary plugins so that your
laptop knows how to communicate with the Trezor. You may need to restart your browser to continue once the plugins are installed.
3. Navigate to https://wallet.trezor.io/ again. The website will recognize that your Trezor has not been configured yet and will ask you to giveyour device a unique name. Enter a name and click Continue.
4. Enter a new PIN using your laptop.
5. Enter the PIN again to verify you did not make a mistake in the previous step.
6. The Trezor device will now display a recovery seed so that you can recover your bitcoins in case you lose your device. This is the only time that the Trezor will ever reveal (indirectly) its private keys (they are derived from the seed). Once the configuration process is done, the private keys can never again be viewed or accessed. Write down the recovery seed on a piece of paper (or two), and store it in a safe place.
7. Congratulations, you are ready to use your Trezor! If you have bitcoins stored elsewhere, you can send them to your Trezor by clicking:
Account ▸ Receive to find a receiving Bitcoin address.

Operating the Trezor is much simpler:
1. Plug the Trezor into a laptop.
2. Open a Bitcoin wallet program on the laptop that is configured to work with the Trezor (or visit https://wallet.trezor.io/, a website created by SatoshiLabs designed specifically for Trezor users).
3. On the laptop, choose how many bitcoins you want to spend and where you want to send them. Click Send.
4. The Trezor will ask you to enter your PIN. (This is to prevent someone from being able to steal your Trezor and spend your bitcoins.) Enter your PIN using the laptop.
5. The Trezor will display the transaction details. Press the corresponding button on the Trezor to confirm (or the other button to deny) the transaction. The Trezor will now create a signed Bitcoin transaction and send it to the laptop.
6. The laptop automatically broadcasts the transaction to the Bitcoin network. Your bitcoins have been sent! These steps take only a minute to carry out and are quite convenient for tasks like online shopping (the Trezor was not designed, however, to be used at a point-of-sale terminal like the cash register at a coffee shop).
The Trezor also supports advanced features, such as the use of passwords (in addition to the PIN) and hierarchical deterministic wallets for multiple accounts. These features are more than we can cover in thislittle box, but you are encouraged to check out the Trezor website (https://trezor.io/) for more details.

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Hardware wallets for bitcoin beginners

Hardware wallets are a relatively new Bitcoin storage method.They are devices that both store private keys and sign transactions with these private keys. The private keys never leave the device, so no one can extract them from it.
The hardware wallet communicates with a client wallet software in a computer. This client can be either a wallet program or a web wallet running inside a web browser. In any case, the client only acts as an intermediary between the hardware wallet and the blockchain, merely transmitting the transactions signed inside the hardware wallet. Some wallet software projects have a support for hardware wallets.
Transactions are sent from the client wallet on the computer to the hardware wallet through some connection, usually USB. Signed transactions are returned from the hardware wallet through the same connection. Hardware wallets usually have a small screen to show the user information about the transaction, and some buttons to allow the user to decide whether to sign the transaction or decline it. If malware is installed in the user’s computer, it could change the details of the transaction being sent over to the hardware wallet. The screen in the hardware wallet showing details of the transaction about to be signed is meant as a protection against this kind of attack. It is also common for the hardware wallet to require a PIN or a password to accept transactions coming through the connection.

Popular hardware wallets supporting these standards are:

1- Trezor: Trezor is a very tiny computer rather than a smartcard. Private keys are still generated offline. Trezor also generates a 24-word seed upon setup. The Trezor has its own built in screen where the seed is displayed and copied down during backup. Since the Trezor is an offline device it offers extra security since the seed isn’t displayed on an online computer.
An additional passphrase can be added to the 24-word seed. This provides extra protection, since anyone who finds someone else’s 24-word seed is free to access the funds. If the optional passphrase is added, an attacker still wouldn’t be able to access funds without both the seed AND the passphrase. If the passphrase is forgotten, it cannot be recovered.

2- Keepkey: KeepKey is the latest Multi-supporting Crypto Hardware Wallet to hit the Market, providing an offline storage for many Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Testnet, Litecoin, Namecoin, Dogecoin, and Dash. This is a Micro USB to USB device featuring a Built-in Screen that stores and secures your Cryptocurrency via an offline device accessible just for the end-user.
When you entrust KeepKey with your Cryptocurrency Holdings, each and every transaction must be approved via it's OLED screen and built-in confirmation button. Making it almost impossible for virtual attackers to directly steal from you since the device can be managed offline and should be left with you for safekeeping.

3- Ledger Nano: The Ledger Nano is a smartcard based hardware wallet. Private keys are generated and signed offline in the smartcard’s secure environment. The Nano is setup using the Ledger Chrome Application. A random 24-word seed is generated upon setup and backed offline by writing it down on a piece of paper. In case of theft, damage or loss, the entire wallet can be recreated with the seed. A user selected PIN code is also assigned to the device to protect against physical theft or hacking.

This pic shows as an example a Trezor hardware wallet in operation, with an address and a bitcoin amount, prompting the user to either confrm or deny the transaction. The hardware wallet is connected to a computer through a USB port, and prompts the user for a PIN via the computer’s wallet software.

The hardware wallet is almost as convenient as using the personal hot wallet, but it is more secure because it is impossible for your private keys to be exposed to the Internet. Your bitcoins on the device will always be in cold storage. One downside to this method is that you need to purchase a piece of hardware, instead of just downloading a free open source program. Another disadvantage of using your hardware wallet is that you can lose it, which might lead to lost your bitcoins (although some hardware wallets provide ways to back up your bitcoins). Although the hardware wallet is an excellent combination of convenience and security, you might not want to rely on one to store your bitcoins for decades, because no data is yet available on the lifetime or durability of such devices.

To protect against loss, theft, or malfunction of the hardware wallet, the user must keep a copy of the private key on some other medium, such as paper or external storage.
Hardware wallets usually allow the user to make a copy of the private key during initialization of the device. In particular, TrezorTM uses deterministic wallet technology to generate many addresses from a single master private key, and therefore only a backup of this master key is necessary.

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Mobile wallets for bitcoin beginners: Bitcoin on the GO

A mobile wallet is the most common type of bitcoin wallet. Running on mobile phones operating systems like Apple iOS and Android, these wallets are often a good choice for bitcoin beginners. Many are created for simplicity and ease-of-use, but there are also fully featured mobile wallets for power users.

Should i use a mobile wallet? I would certainly use one,but with the same warning as the web wallet: only in small amounts. It’s neat to carry Bitcoin with you wherever you go, and if you ever do happen upon a business that advertises they accept Bitcoin, consider buying something small as a show of support!

Here is a list of the best and legitimate bitcoin mobile wallets for beginners:

1- MyCelium: MyCelium is so far the most popular Bitcoin wallet for Android users. It is extremly easy to use, allows you store your bitcoins, manage multiple accounts and make backups. it uses HD (hierarchical deterministic) seeds to improve security and transaction speed and offers GPS-assisted local Bitcoin trading, which basically lets you see people who want to sell or buy bitcoins in your area. It has support for many of the hardware Bitcoin wallets such as Trezor and ledger and even offers support for connecting through Tor if you would like an extra privacy.

Wallet link: Android, IOS

2- Coinbase: Coinbase is a good Bitcoin application running on both iOS and Android, especially for bitcoin beginners that just want to get a hang of it. It offers an easy and intuitive interface which allows you convert bitcoins into good old dollars with the tap of a few buttons. One of the best things about Coinbase is that it uses an extensive, deep verification (requiring a three-step verification) process when a user signs up, which affords it an air of legitimacy – a highly desirable feature in the world of cryptocurrency. However, it should be mentioned that Coinbase doesn’t give you access to your own private keys.
Wallet link: Android, IOS

3- Breadwallet: Breadwallet is probably one of the simplest Bitcoin wallets to use on your Android phone. It offers basic send and receive features so it’s not confusing for first-time users. After its iOS version success, Breadwallet has released its Android app some time ago. It offers a few remarkable features, like App sandboxing, built-in AES hardware encryption and one-button payments. It’s available for users in no less than 19 languages. An essential feature which stands it apart from other apps is that it provides a direct connection to the Bitcoin network, so there are no intermediary servers involved. While this app may not consist of some advanced features that pro Bitcoin users need, it's really extremely recommended for bitcoin beginners.
Wallet link: Android, IOS

4- Airbitz: If you are very frequently Bitcoin user to make payments, then Airbitz is a great wallet. Its user interface is elegantly designed and simple to use and provides for users to take control of their private keys with the simplicity of running an internet banking app. As a bonus, it comes with a number of plugins that facilitates spending bitcoins.:
- Fold Integration: This integration allows you to buy Starbucks and Tartet gift cards from within the app.
- Bitrefill Integration: You can easily top up your mobile phone from within the wallet!
The app has also a built-in broker service which facilitates offering Bitcoins for purchase in EUR or USD. All in all, Airbitz is a really innovative, admirable and ambitious Bitcoin wallet that offer a variety of features covered up in a well-designed app.
Wallet link: Android, IOS

5- Copay: If you want access to your Bitcoin wallet across multiple devices, then Copay another great bitcoin wallet app that differentiates itself with a focus on security and cyber-theft prevention. The app safely stores distinct, multiple Bitcoin wallets, which enables privacy-conscious and business users to maintain their funds properly segregated. Simply, it means that on Copay, you can have multiple people sign off on every transaction.Like Mycelium, Copay requires you to back up your wallet, and uses the same HD-generated twelve-word system to lock down your wallet.
It also happens to be one of the first Bitcoin wallets to support the full Bitcoin Payment Protocol (BIP), a relatively recent payment protocol designed by its developers to enhance the security of Bitcoin. Copay lets the user sync with Coinbase and Gildera to buy and sell bitcoins,but unfortunately, the app does not have the ability to make local transactions like Mycelium.
Wallet link: Android, IOS

Conclusion:
As you may see, there are many choices to select from when finding the best Android wallet to match your personal requirements. If you're a bitcoin beginner who desires a great stability of simplicity and features, Coinbase is most likely your greatest bet. On the other hand, if personal privacy and anonymity are your priorities, Mycelium may be a much better . After that, for people who need extra anti-theft steps, Copay gives a great solution.

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The best online wallets for bitcoin beginners

Some companies offer bitcoin wallet services. They effectively act as an intermediary to hold your bitcoins and enable you to spend and deposit as you wish,taking responsibility for the management and security of your account.
If you plan to use a third‐party bitcoin wallet, make sure you can trust the company behind the service, so choose carefully. Generally, exchanges or other third‐party companies that hold funds on your behalf should be treated with caution. The country where that company is registered will have its own requirements concerning how well regulated that company should be. Because regulations of bitcoin as a financial service or product are still being developed in many regions of the world, you should choose a country with a solid background in regulating financial services, like the US and UK. Don’t store any more than you need on a third‐party exchange or similar company or more than you can afford to lose should the worst come to pass.

Here is a list of the best online bitcoin wallets for beginners:

1- Blockchain.info: Blockchain.info is a user-friendly online wallet able to be used on different types of computers. It’s one of the most widely-used wallets because of its ease of registering, web and mobile access. A few factors that will appeal greatly to Bitcoin beginners.
While this might look like one of the most convenient wallet solutions available to date, Blockchain.info has an extended history of server problems and wallets getting inaccessible. Users are advised to only use this wallet solution as a backup option, rather than making it their primary choice.On the topic of security, after verifying your email adress you'll be asked to create a 12-word backup phrase which you must keep safe in case you need to restore your wallet. Blockchain.info also provides two different additional layers of security on top of that (highly recommended!). The first is two-factor authentication (2FA) for which you’ll require a mobile phone and active number, user will receive a text message every time someone tries to log into its wallet. On the other hand, you can set a 4-digit pin code which will be prompted every time the app is accessed. Both security measures are more than sufficient, and users should activate these options from first day.
Wallet link: Blockchain wallet

2- GreenAddress: GreenAddress is a multisig (multi-signatures) web wallet that provides a good number of features:
- two-factor authentication security option.
- GreenAddress signature required to move coins.
- Transaction limits and restrictions.
- GreenAddress supports hardware wallets.
- The company introduced the nTimeLock feature for transactions recovery.
Some of these features are only possible because the wallet employs a 2of2 signature scheme, meaning on any transaction need two signatures one from you and one from GreenAddress and they sign only when it matches the transaction limits you have enabled.
The primary issue with this wallet provider is the stability of the site. Users claim difficulty loggins in to their wallets which is what keeping this company far from dominating the bitcoin wallet market.
Wallet link: GreenAddress wallet

3- Bitgo: Like GreenAddress BitGo is a high-security multi-sig wallet, and One of the best trusted wallet provider in the bitcoin area. Innovators with an advantage, simple to use and user-friendly design. It has advanced security features such as spending limits, multi-user access, key recovery solutions, zero confirm transaction services and other security and usability protocols.
BitGo operates a Bitcoin security as a service platform based on its innovative multi-signature technology. The Bitgo wallet uses multisignature technology to underpin its product offering by sharing keys between themselves and the user.
The BitGo platform also allows exchanges, marketplaces, and e-commerce players to facilitate secure, multi-party transactions that are secured with BitGo.
Wallet link: BitGo wallet

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4-CoinSpace: CoinSpace HD wallet is another free Bitcoin and Litecoin wallet. To generate  your addresses CoinSpace wallet generates a passphrase for you that you can use as your seed. The main thing to remember is to memorise the phrase by print it or write it down in safe place. If you lose the phrase you will not be able to access the funds or generate your addresses.CoinSpace can used to worldwide payments free of charges. It also gives fee suggestions based on your current network conditions which mean you do your payments regularly without paying extra. No one can freeze or steal since it gives complete control on your coins. Coinspace is a cross-platform wallet which means you can use it on both computers and mobiles. It's also maintains a private wallet, it can’t view your balance or see your transactions which maintain your financial privacy.
Wallet link : Coin.Space

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5- Xapo: Xapo is a user-friendly and secure Bitcoin wallet system that runs through a web browser, it uses cold storage and multi-sig technology to secure your bitcoins.
Xapo uses offline servers that are never connected to the internet that give it an advantage on other online based wallet systems. For example better security through gateway procedures.
This provider also offers a prepaid debit card system that can link to your Xapo Wallet and enables you to spend bitcoins at an incredible number of merchants all over the world. The system is compatible with most PoS systems and Bitcoin ATM's.
So it's possible to have a very secure third party maintained system with hot wallet to run on the go .
Wallet link: Xapo wallet

 6- Coinbase: Coinbase is a US-based currency market, based in California, that supports US dollar exchange to and from bitcoin.Coinbase has web wallet built in its service that offers exchanges to merchants payment tool and linking with US bank accounts to buy and sell bitcoins.You can connect your bank account, debit card, or credit card to exchange digital currency into and out of your local currency. Also, give complete control on your coins.
The wallet advantage of this is that transactions can be done out of blockchain although this does detract from the main ethos of Bitcoin.
Using Coinbase is an exellent experience but the meaning is you are trusting a third party with your Bitcoins unless you use their vault service.
Wallet link: Coinbase wallet

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Online wallets for bitcoin beginners

Web wallets: Also called online wallets or hosted wallets or
cloud wallets, are an online accounts accessed through a web browser and store the user’s wallet on a server owned by an external provider, where a user can deposit its funds. The funds are controlled by the web wallet provider. By authenticating with it, the user can later access those funds, i.e. make transactions.

The primary advantage of web wallets are that they are easy to use, users don’t typically  need to know about Bitcoin’s inner workings. No software installation is required; users just sign up and log in to their wallet via a website using a web browser and that the management of the private keys is done by the web wallet provider, thus lowering the entry barrier for new users.

There are additional advantages, such as:
- No syncing is necessary, your Bitcoins are instantly available.
- It can be accessed in more places than just your personal computer; all you need is a web browser.
- You can use browser plugins to make Bitcoin use online very simple.
- Your coins aren’t kept on your HDD, so if your pc crashes your coins will still be safe online.

However, there are several significant disadvantages to using an online wallet.
- You trust a third party with your funds. While several online wallets have a great reputation, it is still a substantial risk to allow another party hold your private keys.
- in case you are connected to the web you are already susceptible to malicious attackers who could try to steal your coins.Using an online wallet could make that attack even easier.
- The web wallet services themselves can be-and have been- attacked. Several have already been shut down due to these attacks.

Web wallets are similar to online banking, in the sense that funds are kept by the web wallet provider. However, as opposed to regular banks, where deposits are covered by deposit insurance, the user does not have any recourse against the web wallet provider absconding with the funds. Furthermore, web wallet providers are not as thoroughly regulated as banks are, which can increase doubts about their
solvency . Security practices for web wallet providers or exchanges act like the practices for individual users. It is inadvisable to store large amounts of bitcoin on web wallet. Users should store only small amount necessary for dayto-day operations, and keep the rest in offline wallets/cold storage. The utilization of web wallets has privacy implications too. On the one hand they can boost the anonymity of the user, because the addresses used in transactions are those of the web wallet with no direct relation to the user. On the other hand, anonymity is decreased because the web wallet provider usually keeps a record of the transactions, and also retains personal details about their users.

So should you use an online wallet? I do, for small amounts. It’s a simple way to keep a small amount of coins available if I’m going out of town and want to make sure I can access some coins easily, at this time i recommend that you do not trust any third parties with large amounts of bitcoins. Also, remember that web wallets offer the least amount of privacy when you use bitcoins, because the provider knows who you are, the number of bitcoins you have, and all of your incoming and outgoing transactions.

Which wallet to use?  Blockchain and Coinbase have wallets built into their services, and both are fine to use. They are the most widely used online wallet, and for good reason, they are simple but have an excellent reputation. You can find out about other online wallets in here:
The best online bitcoin wallets for beginners

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Desktop Wallets for bitcoin beginners

A desktop or software wallet is a bitcoin application that sits on your computer’s hard drive and allows you complete control and great security, because each bitcoin you hold is only accessible on your own pc.

A desktop wallet was the first type of bitcoin wallet created as a reference implementation and many users run desktop wallets for the features, autonomy, and control they offer. Running on general-use operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS has certain security disadvantages however, as these platforms are often insecure and poorly configured.

Here is a list of the 2017's best desktop wallets that work on all 3 major operating systems –  Windows, Mac OS, and Linux:


1. Bitcoin Core:  The real deal.
This is the computer program (called a client) that the core of developers working on Bitcoin release every so often, with updates to make the system better.
This client downloads the entire blockchain onto your computer. Since this is the record of every Bitcoin transaction ever made, there is a lot of data to store.

This standalone program has its advantages:
- When you are running the program, you are a node in the network, so you are helping the blockchain stay healthy by verifying transactions.- You are not trusting a third party with your private keys, they are stored locally on your hard drive.- The code is the most reviewed and most secure.

While Bitcoin Core is a solid choice to use as your wallet, I would not recommend it for the first time Bitcoin user because of some disadvantages especially the first one: 

- Downloading the entire blockchain takes a very long time (hours or even days depending on your internet connection), and significant hard drive space.
- It requires time to sync with the network if you haven’t run the program in a while.
- If you encrypt your wallet, then forget your passphrase, your coins cannot be retrieved.
- You are connected to the internet, increasing the chance that someone could steal your private keys.
- You can only access your coins from the computer that has the client.

2. Electrum: Most popular Bitcoin desktop wallet due to its speed and ease of use.

This client doesn’t download any of the blockchain at all, it connects to a remote server. As such, it is very fast. It also allows users to create a ‘secret seed’ when they first set up the wallet. If your computer ever crashed, you could recover your coins using this system, unlike with the other clients.

It's really that Electrum is ugly and has an unfriendly interface but once you get the interface issues, Electrum is among the most robust, effective and secure desktop wallets out right now. Also it’s an open source, meaning many people have taken component in reviewing and composing the code. This decreases the opportunity of malicious code within the software to practically zero.

3. Armory:  This client is the most mature, secure and full featured Bitcoin wallet. There are many neat options for users, such as creating a “cold-storage” wallet for extra security. However, this client has more features than a beginner will ever need.

4. Multibit: This is considered a ‘lightweight’ client with support for hardware wallets TREZOR and KeepKey, since it doesn’trequire downloading the entire blockchain and uses fewer system resources. Setting up and syncing the client is much easier and faster than using Bitcoin Core. For beginners who want a standalone program as their wallet, I recommend Multibit.

5. Exodus: Since it's launh on july 2016, Exodus has gained a serious momentum.  It has a user friendly and intuitive interface, the fast loading, ease of use and the good support makes Exodus a very good wallet even for total beginners.

Exodus also allows you to hold other coins such as Litecoin and Ethereum. Like other wallets Exodus has its own disadvantages, for example:
- it’s not an open source. Whih means that the developers can insert malicious code into the software without your knowledge.
- No mobile support.
- No 2 Factor Authentication.

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Choose your wallet for bitcoin beginners

When you take paper money out of a bank machine, you need to put it somewhere — usually your wallet or your purse. Bitcoins also need to be stored somewhere, too, allowing you to access them when you want. Several variations of bitcoin wallets are available, such as software wallets, hardware wallets, paper wallets, and web wallets. You can think of your bitcoin wallet just like your physical purse or wallet, although you can’t keep a photo of your kids in it.
Bitcoin wallets are one of the most actively developed applications in the bitcoin ecosystem. There is intense competition, and while a new wallet is probably being developed right now, several wallets from last year are no longer actively maintained. Many wallets focus on specific platforms or specific uses and some are more suitable for beginners while others are filled with features for advanced users. Choosing a wallet is highly subjective and depends on the use and user expertise. It is therefore impossible to recommend a specific brand or project of wallet. However, we can categorize bitcoin wallets according to their platform and function and provide some clarity about all the different types of wallets that exist. Better yet, moving money between bitcoin wallets is easy, cheap, and fast,so it is worth trying out several different wallets until you find one that fits your needs.

There are four main types of Bitcoin wallet:

- Online or web wallets: An online or web bitcoin wallet will store all of your private keys on the Internet, allowing you to access your coins any time, any place.
The most reputable are Coinbase, which is a worldwide storage. Strongcoin is a hybrid wallet system. Xapo offers users an online bitcoin wallet backed by a coldstorage vault.
The biggest concern of the online wallet system is security and safety.

- Desktop wallets: It is possible to set up a bitcoin wallet on your desktop computer with Bitcoin Core. This software can be used to create a bitcoin address through which you can make transactions.
There are other providers of desktop wallets; Multibit is designed to be fast and easy to use, so if you’re non-tech savvy this could be the one for you. Armory is as strong a wallet as its name suggests. It has a number of back-up and encryption options, as well as offering cold-storage for computers that sit offline. If anonymity is key for you then give Dark Wallet a try.  

- Mobile wallets: Mobile wallets are perfect if you intend to undertaketransactions on the go.
Mobile bitcoin wallet apps run on a smaller scale to other forms because they simply cannot handle the entire block chain.
Popular android wallets include the hybrid Blockchain, Mycelium - which offers cold storage - and Hive - which offers payments via Bluetooth. Some of the most frequently used iOS platforms include Blockchain, Hive, Green Address and Breadwallet.

- Hardware & Paper wallets: For those of you who like the touch and feel of real objects then there are a few hardware options available. These can take the shape of vaults, pen drives and paper wallets, where you manage your private address keys with QR codes.

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For bitcoin beginners: Earn cryptos with Earncrypto.com

Earncrypto is website that gives some money for performing simple online tasks and pays with e-currencies . The website has been active since 2014. Based on all reports we can find online, the website is legitimate and will definitely pay you.

1. Go to website : Earncrypto.com


2. Join by using a username, email and password.

Once you sign up you have to choose which cryptocurrency you wish to be paid in.

3. Click on your username and then click on Balance / Set Main Coin

In this example i've chosen Litecoin as my main coin.

4. How to get started? 

- Go to Earn Litecoin Menu and pick a task to accomplish.

There are many ways to earn cryptocurrency in Earncrypto.com :

- By earn offers and completing jobs.

- Completing surveys.

- Installing apps

- Crowdflower tasks (you must have a crowdflower account)

- Earn by inviting friends and get 10% comission for every sponsored offer your referrals complete.

How to gain referrals? 

-Give your referral link to friends who would like to earn free cryptocurrency
-Share your referral link on social media (facebook, twitter, etc)
-Use your share link to advertise specific cryptocurrency 

Conclusion

If you want to make a few dollars one hour online, then filling out surveys has always been an option. EarnCrypto.com just brings the market into the crypto space. The main “catch” is certainly that you’re earning pennies. You’ll also have to check out some sleazy websites and offers. If you don’t mind either of those things, then EarnCrypto.com should genuinely rewards you with cryptocurrencies in exchange for basic online jobs.

Join now: Earncrypto.com

Happy earnings !!

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