# Crypto wallet

> The thing that holds your keys, not your coins — signs transactions to prove 'it was me' without ever showing the private key.

The coins live on the chain; the wallet holds the private key that can move them. 'Send' means the wallet builds a transaction, signs it locally, and broadcasts — the key never leaves the device. Hardware wallets keep it in a chip; seed phrases are the human-readable backup of the same secret.

Custody is the decision that matters: self-custody means you hold the keys and there is no password reset — lose the seed, lose the funds; a custodial wallet means the platform holds them, which trades your risk for theirs. For businesses the practical rule is separation — a hot wallet for operations, cold storage for the treasury.

## Related terms

- https://dfieldsolutions.com/en/glossary/solana.md
- https://dfieldsolutions.com/en/glossary/spl-token.md
- https://dfieldsolutions.com/en/glossary/smart-contract.md

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Source: https://dfieldsolutions.com/en/glossary/crypto-wallet
DField Solutions — Dunakeszi, Hungary — dezso@dfieldsolutions.com
Booking: see https://dfieldsolutions.com/en/contact