Overview on Digital Wallets
• There are two types of wallets: custodial and non-custodial.
• Custodial wallets give control of the private key to a third party, while with a non-custodial wallet, you have full control.
• Custodial wallets can be used more easily but come with certain risks such as asset loss during bankruptcy or wallet freezing.
Custodial Wallets
Custodial wallets allow users to store their bitcoin without having to manage their own private keys, thus providing convenience in exchange for relinquishing control over the assets. By trusting a third party to safeguard your private key, you are exposed to certain risks, including potential asset loss during bankruptcy or wallet freezing by the custodian at their discretion.
Benefits of Using Custodial Wallets
Using a custodial wallet is convenient as all that is required to transact is logging into the wallet with a username and password, and then inputting the public key of the intended recipient; furthermore, if you forget your password there is often an option to reset it.
Drawbacks of Using Custodial Wallets
As stated previously, by relinquishing control over your assets to a third party you are exposed to risks such as asset loss during bankruptcy or wallet freezing at the discretion of said custodian. Additionally, due to its centralized nature any security breaches could lead to significant losses for all parties involved.
Non-Custodial Wallets
In contrast with custodial wallets, non-custodially held Bitcoin provides users full control over their digital assets without exposing them to any additional risk associated with relying on a third party service provider. These types of wallets require users create and store their own private keys which can be done using hardware solutions like Ledger nano S or through software solutions such as Electrum Wallet . While this may provide added security when compared with other options available in the market place it also adds complexity which could potentially deter some users from utilizing it fully.