Top 4 Best Beginner Bitcoin Wallets for Your Desktop

Novice cryptocurrency users are often worried about how they can best store their bitcoin balance moving forward. Keeping money on an exchange wallet needs to be avoided at all costs. Using a desktop bitcoin wallet makes a lot more sense, as the user is in full control of their funds at all times. Below are some of the most convenient desktop bitcoin wallets for novice users, all of which are well worth checking out.

4. Armory

One of the “oldest’ desktop bitcoin wallet solutions available today goes by the name of Armory. On paper, the desktop wallet is rather easy to set up, as most of the world is done through the installation procedure. Do keep in mind Armory requires the users to download the entire blockchain on their computer. This process will take a few hours or longer, as the blockchain is roughly 100GB in size right now.

What makes Armory so appealing are some of its more extensive features, even though they may not necessarily appeal to novice cryptocurrency users right away. Taking security seriously is of the utmost importance when it comes to bitcoin. Armory offers multi-signature and cold storage support, which will provide for more security to both novice and experienced users. Armory is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS, and is certainly worth checking out. It also provides a bit more privacy, as the wallet does not reveal the IP address linked to your bitcoin wallet.

3. Bitcoin-QT

It may seem surprising to see the Bitcoin-QT wallet ranked number 3 on this list, but there is a good reason for that. Not only does the QT client require users to download the entire blockchain, it is also one of the more “bland” wallets for novice users.At the same time, Bitcoin-QT works quite well and receives regular updates, which make it worth checking out. Users will need to encrypt their wallet themselves, though, which may be considered a “daunting task” for novice users. In the end, Bitcoin-QT is a bit of a hit-and-miss among novice cryptocurrency users, thus your mileage may vary.

2. Multibit

Multibit has always advertised itself as the go-to wallet for desktop bitcoin users. It takes mere seconds to set up a bitcoin wallet, as everything is done through a Setup Wizard. Moreover, the wallet is available in several dozen languages, which makes it more appealing to non-English speakers as well. The only downside is how Multibit is only available on Windows right now, which leaves Linux and MacOS users out in the cold. Then again, most novice cryptocurrency users seem to be using a Windows computer, which makes Multibit a more than solid pick.

1. Electrum

From a convenience point of view, Electrum is the best desktop Bitcoin wallet client hands down. It is very lightweight, easy to set up, and does not require the whole bitcoin blockchain to be downloaded. Electrum has been around since 2011 and still receives regular updates to improve stability and add a few new features as time progresses. Users can also choose between various user interfaces, tweaking the Electrum wallet look and feel to their liking.

Similarly to most other wallet services, Electrum requires specific servers and nodes to maintain its connection to the bitcoin network. However, the Electrum servers and decentralized and redundant, which means users will always be able to access their bitcoin wallet without interruption. Last but not least, the wallet supports various add-ons and plugins, allowing for even more customization.

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