You might have heard of Bitcoin. Although the fledgling digital currency was invented way back in 2008 and introduced globally a year later, it has only started to pick up steam in recent years. Known as a cryptocurrency, which sounds sinister but isn’t, Bitcoin generation is regulated by encryption techniques and is an open source, peer to peer currency. If that sounds a little shady to you, trust me, it’s safe as houses. Bitcoin is extremely secure to use, and one of the perks of paying for goods, apart from the great exchange rate, is the fact there are very little fees involved with Bitcoin transactions. As a result, Bitcoin is getting more and more popular every day. Nowadays, you can use it for paying in a huge amount of online shops and even as a method of payment in numerous Bitcoin casinos available out there – it’s no surprise that Bitcoin’s popularity just keeps on growing rapidly.
So if you’re interested in starting up a Bitcoin collection, you obviously need somewhere to store the goods. These come in the form of digital wallets, and luckily for you, we’ve got a rundown of the best four for your smartphone.
1 – GreenAddress.it
A relative newcomer on the digital wallet scene, GreenAddress is a hugely innovative addition to the line-up. Coming complete with a host of beefed-up security features and an interesting new take on transactions where GreenAddress.it will actually sign for each one, this new kid on the block could prove to be a popular choice with Bitcoin users around the world.
2 – Coinbase
A great choice for the first-time Bitcoin user, Coinbase is intuitive and unintimidating, while remaining inherently practical. You can also buy and sell Bitcoins on Coinbase, which is certainly an added bonus for many users. This wallet has fallen out of favour with some users for the large amounts of identity verification required, but for the average user, Coinbase is a solid and friendly option, especially for the newcomers.
3 – Blockchain.info
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Blockchain, which is most certainly a wallet for the hardcore Bitcoin user. It utilises enhanced security features to keep your virtual cash safe and secure at all times. However, with all these features, the only obvious downside is that Blockchain.info can be a little overwhelming for new users. Security vs. Ease-of-use has always been the tug of war between wallet designers, so ultimately is depends on your personal taste and what you’re going to be using the Bitcoins for.
4 – Mycelium
Mycelium have focused their wallet entirely on smartphones; the upside of this is that all the features are tailored for phone use, and flow seamlessly through that interface. The downside is there is no desktop version of the software, and at present, it’s only available on Android. However, what it does it does very well, and Mycelium offer a host of innovative features to the Bitcoin user, with a heavy focus on the purist pursuit of P2P transactions.
