- Air-Gapped Wallets are crypto wallets that are totally disconnected from the internet and any form of wireless communication.
- They are considered the most secure wallets in comparison to cold wallets, hot wallets, and custodial wallets.
There is no doubt that crypto adoption in the digital world is picking up pace. People are crazy to trade these digital assets. But to trade them, one requires a crypto wallet. And this wallet section has a huge variety, like hot wallets, cold wallets, custodial wallets, and air-gapped wallets.
Security is the main factor in the financial world, or even in the crypto world. In a competition of wallets, air-gapped wallets are considered the most secure wallets in comparison to other wallets. But what makes them unique and secure? We will find the answer to this question in the article.
Crypto wallets- At a Glance
Cryptocurrency wallets, or crypto wallets, are used for storing your private keys, which helps to keep your crypto safe and accessible. The wallet also allows users to send, receive, and spend cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and many more. The private keys are the main factor in accessing your crypto coins.
There is also popular slang in the crypto space “Not your keys, Not your crypto.” It means that if you don’t have the private keys, then forget your crypto forever. That’s why, it becomes crucial to safely secure your private key, as if they lose it, then you lose your crypto as well.
Understanding the Concept of Air-Gapped Wallet
Before understanding the concept of it, we should first know about other wallets that are available in the crypto space. These are custodial wallets, non-custodial wallets, hot wallets, and cold wallets. While custodial wallets are managed by the custodian or any company. Non-custodial wallets are managed by the user itself.
Hot wallets store your keys on your mobile, computer, or any internet-connected device. While cold wallets store the keys offline or on a device that is disconnected from the internet. These are all the other wallets available in the crypto space for users to securely store their private keys.
But, the concept of an air-Gapped wallet is unique and more secure. As the name suggests, “Air-Gapped” means a device that has no direct connection to the internet. It signifies the physical gap of air between the wallet and any online network or the internet. This helps the wallet secure the private keys from online hacks or exploits.
The transactions are generally done offline, and they interact with online devices via QR codes and micro-SD cards. Generally, this wallet has two devices, particularly for facilitating transactions. While the first device contains private keys and is totally disconnected from the internet. The other device is used for transactions via QR codes.
What Makes Them Unique?
What makes it unique is the security that it offers to crypto users. They are considered the most secure because they store keys offline. It prevents the private keys from being stolen or hacked. The wallet makes it harder for malicious actors to steal your private keys.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, these wallets offer a high level of security to crypto users, especially for those who hold a handsome amount of crypto coins. Their mechanism is robust and defensive, which helps the users secure their crypto from malicious actors. However, we can’t claim that they are completely risk-free.
There are also some risks attached to them, like with many other crypto wallets. But, as a whole, in comparison, they are the most secure wallets.
