How do I choose a crypto wallet?

Ask six things: who holds the keys, what it costs to hold, whether it covers the networks you use, how you get to dollars, how you log in and recover, and who you can call. A free non-custodial wallet with a passkey login and a built-in cash account passes all six. The checklist on this page walks through each one.

How do I create a crypto wallet?

Sign up, set a passkey (Face ID or fingerprint), and the app generates your keys on your device. You can receive straight away, and buy with a debit card, Apple Pay, ACH or wire when you're ready. When the app shows you your 12-word phrase, write it on paper; it is the only way to recover the wallet.

What are the different types of crypto wallets?

Three: custodial accounts, where an exchange holds the keys; self-custody apps, where you hold the keys on your phone or computer; and hardware wallets, where you hold the keys on an offline device. 'Hot' and 'cold' describe whether the keys touch the internet. Most people want a self-custody app, with a hardware wallet behind it once the stack is large.

Which crypto wallet app should I install?

On iPhone, the Anytime Capital app from the App Store. On Android or desktop, the same wallet runs in your browser with nothing to install. Check the publisher name, install only from a link on anytime-capital.com, and never trust an app that asks for your 12 words to sign in. If you already use another app, import its phrase and keep both.

Is a crypto wallet the same as an exchange account?

No. An exchange account is a database entry that says the exchange owes you some crypto; the exchange holds the keys. A wallet holds the keys itself. With a self-custody wallet like Anytime Capital's, the keys are generated on your device and no company can move or freeze the coins.

Do I need a wallet to buy crypto?

You can buy on an exchange and leave it there, but then you don't own the keys. Buying into your own wallet skips that step: with Anytime Capital you can buy with a debit card, Apple Pay, ACH or wire and the coins land in a wallet only you control.

Are crypto wallets free?

The good ones are. There should be no monthly fee, no setup fee and nothing to receive. The only unavoidable cost is the blockchain's network fee when you send, which goes to the network, not the wallet. Anytime Capital's wallet charges nothing beyond that fee.

What happens if I lose my phone?

Your coins are on the blockchain, not the phone. Install the wallet on a new device and restore it with your 12-word phrase, and every balance comes back. That is also why the phrase has to be written down somewhere safe: without it, no one can rebuild the wallet, including us.

Can a crypto wallet be hacked?

The wallet software itself is rarely the weak point. People lose crypto by typing their recovery phrase into a fake site, installing a lookalike app, or sending to the wrong network. A self-custody wallet with keys that never leave the device, a passkey login and clear network warnings closes most of those doors.

What's the difference between a hot wallet and a cold wallet?

A hot wallet is connected to the internet, like any phone app; a cold wallet keeps the keys offline, usually on a hardware device. Hot is for money you use, cold is for money you're leaving alone. Most people end up with a hot wallet for daily life and, if the stack gets big, a cold one behind it.

Can I have more than one crypto wallet?

Yes, and most people should. Nothing stops you holding a hardware wallet for long-term savings and a free app wallet for receiving, sending and cashing out. The same 12-word phrase can even be imported into several apps at once.

Which crypto wallet is best for beginners?

One that is free, non-custodial, logs you in with a passkey instead of a password, warns you before you send on the wrong network, and gives you a way to turn coins into spendable dollars. Anytime Capital's wallet does all of that and pairs with an FDIC-insured cash account and a Mastercard®.

Is crypto in a wallet FDIC insured?

No. Cryptocurrency is never FDIC insured, in any wallet or on any exchange. Dollars in the Anytime Capital cash account are FDIC-insured up to applicable limits through Pathward N.A., Member FDIC. The wallet and the cash account sit side by side, so you can move between them.

Can I turn crypto in my wallet into cash?

With most wallets, only by sending the coins to an exchange, selling, and waiting for a withdrawal. Anytime Capital's wallet converts supported crypto to USD in the cash account next to it, ready to spend with a Mastercard® or transfer out.

What Is a Crypto Wallet? A Plain-English Guide

What matters	Exchange account	Typical self-custody app	Anytime Capital wallet
Who holds the keys	The exchange	You	You
Can your coins be frozen?	Yes, by the company	No	No
Cost to hold	Often free, until you withdraw	Free	Free, no monthly fees
Cost to send	Withdrawal fee, set by the company	Network fee only	Network fee only
Cash out to a bank	Sell, then withdraw, then wait	Send to an exchange first	Convert to USD in your cash account
Spend it with a card	Sometimes, with their card	No	Yes, with your Mastercard®
Lose your phone?	Reset your password	Restore from your 12 words	Restore from your 12 words
Someone to call	A ticket queue	A help center	Phone, email and a branch in Atlanta

What matters

Exchange account

Typical self-custody app

Anytime Capital wallet

Who holds the keys

The exchange

You

Can your coins be frozen?

Yes, by the company

Cost to hold

Often free, until you withdraw

Free

Free, no monthly fees

Cost to send

Withdrawal fee, set by the company

Network fee only

Cash out to a bank

Sell, then withdraw, then wait

Send to an exchange first

Convert to USD in your cash account

Spend it with a card

Sometimes, with their card

Yes, with your Mastercard®

Lose your phone?

Reset your password

Restore from your 12 words

Someone to call

A ticket queue

A help center

Phone, email and a branch in Atlanta

Anytime Capital WalletYour non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet

WalletCurrent wallet

BTC — Bitcoin

BTC

BalanceRecover from seed phrase

$22,084.13 USD

0.28416093 BTC

Recent activityView all

Received+0.05 BTC2h ago$3,885.85
Sent−0.013 BTC5h ago$1,010.32
Received+0.021 BTC1d ago$1,632.06
Sent−0.0085 BTC2d ago$660.59

BalanceAllocation

24H7D30D90D1Y

Portfolio value

$0.00

-$1,437.20 (-2.52%)Past 24H

Your Assets

Hide $0

AssetPrice24h Volume7d ChartBalanceValue

BTCBitcoin

39.7% of portfolio

$77,717.00

-3.02%

$72.4B

24h vol

0.28416093

BTC

$22,084.13

Copy address

ETHEthereum

19.5% of portfolio · 4 networks

$2,221.82

-4.25%

$24.55B

24h vol

4.87310562

ETH

$10,827.16

Copy address

USDTTether

16.6% of portfolio · 3 networks

$0.999037

+0.01%

$96.65B

24h vol

9,215.47

USDT

$9,206.60

Copy address

SOLSolana

10.8% of portfolio

$97.02

-3.23%

$5.82B

24h vol

61.84720375

SOL

$6,000.42

Copy address

XRPXRP

5.2% of portfolio

$1.26

-2.46%

$3.61B

24h vol

2,316.804

XRP

$2,919.17

Copy address

TRXTRON

4.7% of portfolio

$0.33147

+0.15%

$1.88B

24h vol

7,905.412

TRX

$2,620.41

Copy address

USDCUSDC

3.5% of portfolio · 3 networks

$0.999535

+0.01%

$23.48B

24h vol

1,925.106

USDC

$1,924.21

Copy address

Ready to hold your own keys?

Free wallet, passkey login, an FDIC-insured cash account next door for the day you want dollars. About two minutes, no card required.

No monthly fees

Keys made on your device

Import any 12-word phrase

Cash out to your bank

Already have a wallet elsewhere? Import it with your seed phrase and keep using both.

What is a crypto wallet? And do you actually need one?

The 30-second answer

It's a keyring, not a piggy bank.

Who holds the key is the whole question.

How does a crypto wallet work?

Your address

Your private key

Your 12-word phrase

What are the different types of crypto wallets?

A self-custody app (non-custodial)

Side by side, no marketing voice

This Is What a Good One Looks Like

Receive with one scan

Send in a few taps

Pay only the network fee

How to create a crypto wallet

Create Your Free Wallet

Buy, Receive, or Import Assets

Spend, Send, or Save

How to choose a crypto wallet

Who holds the keys?

What does it cost to hold?

Does it cover the networks you'll use?

How do you get to dollars?

How do you log in and recover?

Is there someone to call?

Which wallet is right for you? Three questions.

How often will you actually move crypto?

Which crypto wallet app should you install?

On iPhone

On Android, or any browser

How people actually lose crypto (it's rarely a hack)

Sending on the wrong network

The 'support agent' in your DMs

The screenshot

The lookalike app

Address poisoning

Guaranteed returns

The words, decoded

Questions people actually ask

Ready to hold your own keys?

Trusted (Trust & Compliance)

Keep reading

Important Disclosures

A good one should be free.

Already have a wallet app?