Which wallet type should I use?

You don’t need a “perfect” setup on day one. You need something you can actually use, back up, and recover without breaking into a cold sweat. Most wallet disasters aren’t caused by hoodie-wearing hackers – they’re caused by people building a setup that’s too complicated to maintain (and then panicking when they need it).

Start with what you’re doing day to day. If you’re spending small amounts regularly, a mobile wallet can be fine – treat it like a pocket wallet: convenient, but not where you keep serious savings. If you transact occasionally or you prefer a bigger screen and more control, a desktop wallet often makes sense, and it pairs neatly with a hardware signer for approvals. If this is “don’t touch it for a year” money, a hardware signer (cold storage) is usually the safer default.

Then be honest about your risk tolerance and your budget. If what you really want is “safe and simple”, one reputable hardware signer plus solid backups is the sweet spot for most people – think Trezor, Ledger, or a more security-maximalist option like Coldcard. If you’re living in dApps and browser approvals, treat that hot wallet like a current account: keep only what you’re willing to risk, and store the rest elsewhere. If you’re protecting serious money, air-gapped signing (e. g., Passport, Jade, or SeedSigner) and/or multisig can be a great upgrade – but only if you’re willing to practise recovery and keep your process tidy.

That brings us to the bit everyone skips: recovery confidence. If you’re not confident yet, avoid fancy setups. Do the basics properly first: set up the wallet, write down the seed/recovery phrase carefully, then do a recovery drill (a test restore). Once you’ve proven you can get back in calmly, you can add extras like a passphrase or multisig. Complexity is only “more secure” if you can reliably operate it.

As a rough guide: for spending, start with mobile. For everyday use with a safety bump, use mobile or desktop paired with a hardware signer. For savings, use a hardware signer. For deep cold storage, consider air-gapped or multisig – but only if you can run the process repeatably, under pressure, without improvising.

Non-negotiable: never share your seed/recovery phrase, private keys, passphrase, or PIN. Not here. Not in DMs. Not with “support”. Ever!!!

Closing thought: the “best” wallet type is the one you can run like a habit. Keep your hot wallet small, keep your cold wallet boring, and make sure Future You can recover everything without needing a miracle.

If you want tailored suggestions, comment with what you’re trying to do (spend, long-term holding, DeFi, multisig, etc.), which coins/networks you use, and whether this is an everyday wallet or long-term storage.