Glossary: Wallets

What is a Crypto Wallet?

A crypto wallet manages the keys used to access blockchain accounts and authorize messages or transactions. In app analytics, distinguish the wallet provider from the address, account, and any inferred group of linked addresses.

How wallets work

A wallet creates or imports keys, derives one or more public addresses, and signs messages or transactions. A wallet provider may be a browser extension, mobile app, hardware device, custodial service, or embedded wallet inside another product. One person can use multiple wallets, and a single wallet may expose several accounts or addresses.

Wallets in product analytics

In crypto app analytics, “wallet” can refer to the account address, the wallet provider, or an inferred user identity that groups addresses. These are different measurement units. State whether a metric counts addresses, connected wallet providers, or deduplicated people, and document any identity linking rules.

Example

A user visits a dApp on mobile, connects an embedded wallet, and later signs in from a browser extension. The app may observe two provider sessions and multiple addresses. An analytics system should only combine them when it has a reliable, disclosed identity signal.

Common mistakes

• Do not treat an address as a verified real-world identity.

• Do not assume one person always uses one address, or that one address always represents one person.

• Do not confuse wallet provider with wallet address or smart contract account.

• Protect private keys and seed phrases; analytics should never collect them.

Related reading

Explore Wallet Address, Embedded Wallet, Wallet Profiles, and Identity Resolution.

FAQs

What is the difference between a wallet and a wallet address?

A wallet is software or hardware that manages keys and helps users interact with accounts. A wallet address is a public identifier used by a blockchain account. One wallet can manage multiple addresses, and a smart account may have an address without being a user’s key store.

Does a wallet store cryptocurrency?

On a blockchain, tokens and balances are recorded in ledger state. A wallet manages or provides access to the keys or account controls used to authorize actions; custodial services may manage those controls on a user’s behalf.

Can one wallet work on multiple blockchains?

Some wallets support multiple networks, but support depends on the wallet, account type, and chain. Similar-looking addresses do not guarantee that the same account or assets are available across networks.