Wallet
Self-custody wallets differ on key handling, what they reveal to servers, and which chains they cover.
18 zero KYC · 1 light KYC
Privacy, evidence, and risk are separate. See the published method.
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How to choose
A wallet holds keys and talks to a network. The listings here are self-custody: keys are generated and stored locally, and no signup or identity attaches to the software. What differs is everything around that: whether the code is open source and the build reproducible, whether the wallet can use an owned node or routes through the developer’s servers, whether traffic can run over Tor, and which chains are covered.
The privacy limits come from the chain and the connection rather than the wallet brand. On transparent chains the history of received coins stays publicly readable regardless of software, and a light wallet that queries someone else’s server reveals addresses and balances to that server along with an IP address. Monero-focused wallets appear throughout this category because that chain hides amounts and participants at the protocol level.
- Where keys live, and whether the build is reproducible from published source.
- What the wallet connects to by default: an owned node, the developer’s servers, or third parties.
- Tor or proxy support for the network path.
- How the coins being stored were acquired, which usually decides more than the wallet choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do wallets require KYC?
Self-custody wallets do not. Identity checks happen where coins are bought, and the acquisition route is what links a balance to a person.
What does a light wallet reveal?
A wallet that queries a remote server discloses the addresses it asks about, their balances, and the requesting IP address to that server. Running against an owned node or over Tor changes what the server learns.
Are hardware wallets more private?
They isolate keys from the computer, which is a security property rather than a privacy one. Network and chain exposure stay the same, and vendor customer databases have leaked; the Ledger incident article documents the consequences.
Why do Monero wallets feature so often here?
Monero hides sender, recipient, and amount on every transaction at the protocol level, so wallet software for it inherits chain-level privacy that transparent chains do not offer.