Cold wallet
In short
A cold wallet keeps your keys permanently offline — usually on a hardware device. Without an internet connection, attackers cannot steal keys remotely.
For larger amounts and long holding periods this is the security standard. For trading, a small hot wallet or the exchange account remains.
Do beginners need a hardware wallet right away?
Once amounts would genuinely hurt to lose — roughly a few hundred euros — it pays off.
Related terms
Information, not investment advice. More of this? The newsletter.