New here. How do I know wallets are safe to download?

Sonny

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Quote from: bhantom on June 19, 2014, 12:31:26 PM

Just downloaded the bitcoin-qt and it's taking forever to download the blockchain Huh

Think I'll just carry on using blockchain.info for now

If you don't want to download all the 20GB+ blockchain data, you could use SPVs like Multibit and Electrum.
blockchain.info is good as well, and you should enable 2FA and make encrypted backups as well.

devthedev

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Quote from: bhantom on June 19, 2014, 12:31:26 PM

Just downloaded the bitcoin-qt and it's taking forever to download the blockchain Huh

Think I'll just carry on using blockchain.info for now

Use Multibit then, It only takes a minute or so to download the blockchain.

bhantom

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Just downloaded the bitcoin-qt and it's taking forever to download the blockchain Huh

Think I'll just carry on using blockchain.info for now

cech4204a

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12CDKyxPyL5Rj28ed2yz5czJf3Dr2ZvEYw

It's the best way to find some good wallet on the bitcoin.org and maybe ask friends what they use. I used Armory and i don't suggest you to use it since it's data got corrupted and i had problems getting my BTC out of it.

Gimmelfarb

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Quote from: Habeler876 on June 15, 2014, 02:38:10 PM

Quote from: Gimmelfarb on June 15, 2014, 01:01:48 AM

you may want to familiarize yourself with GPG signatures. that way, when developers release something, you can see that it is properly signed, ensuring that you are receiving the file that the developer intended.

This works for well-known developers, and I fully agree. For Bitcoin QT or MultiBit, for instance, you can depend on this. With altcoin wallets, the developers are often unknown anyway, so it's still a big risk.

yeah, i miss out on a lot of altcoin action because I'm just too scared to touch the software. what i should do is get another cheap laptop to mess around with altcoins -- not for online/offline bitcoin storage.

Habeler876

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Quote from: Gimmelfarb on June 15, 2014, 01:01:48 AM

you may want to familiarize yourself with GPG signatures. that way, when developers release something, you can see that it is properly signed, ensuring that you are receiving the file that the developer intended.

This works for well-known developers, and I fully agree. For Bitcoin QT or MultiBit, for instance, you can depend on this. With altcoin wallets, the developers are often unknown anyway, so it's still a big risk.

odolvlobo

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Quote from: Arise on June 14, 2014, 10:23:05 PM

Thanks for your help guys. Another question:

Is there any danger to making transactions on an unsecure wifi network? Like will someone somehow be able to access my wallet if it's unencrypted and I'm using it at a coffee shop or something? The ins and outs of computer security have been difficult for me to wrap my head around in the past.

Transactions are public knowledge. They have to be -- they are sent to everyone for verification and eventually end up in the block chain. They are not encrypted and contain no secret information. The only downside to sending a transaction over an open wifi, is that a hacker can potentially determine that the transaction came from you.

Also, it is very important to encrypt and back up your walllet before sending any bitcoins to it. Then if someone does gain access to your computer, or you lose it, your bitcoins are still safe.

Gimmelfarb

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you may want to familiarize yourself with GPG signatures. that way, when developers release something, you can see that it is properly signed, ensuring that you are receiving the file that the developer intended.

Marlo Stanfield

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Quote from: monbux on June 14, 2014, 05:58:14 PM

Quote from: Marlo Stanfield on June 14, 2014, 04:18:42 PM

All legit wallets are open source.

Or something like blockchain.info. But even with that I'd be careful.

blockchain.info does not actually have access to your funds, although some web wallets, such as coinbase, do. I'd stay away from those if you want to be safe. Blockchain.info is a great place to keep bitcoin for day-to-day spending.

Yeah, I'm more referring to the being careful about other attacks like phishing which are much more common aginst blockchain.info accounts. Like recently and possibly to this day the sponsored result when you google blockchain.info is a site that says it goes to blockchain.info but it's really just a phishing site that will empty your account.

Swordsoffreedom

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Leading Crypto Sports Betting & Casino Platform

Quote from: Arise on June 14, 2014, 12:42:03 PM

I'm pretty new to all of this and was just wondering... like how do I know downloading any given wallet isn't going to give someone access to my files or install malware or something on my computer?

There is a list of wallets you can use
The Best Wallet is Bitcoin Core but there are different ones you can use as well
https://bitcoin.org/en/download
OR
https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet

Lamigo

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Quote from: acs267 on June 14, 2014, 03:34:18 PM

Every other crypto has their own wallet. You can't use a Bitcoin wallet for a Litecoin wallet, or a Dogecoin wallet, or whatever the newest buzz coin is.

There are indeed wallet clients that can help you manage multiple coins in one single program.
One example is Ufasoft Coin. https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/ufasoft-coin-multi-currency-open-source-client-for-windows-58821

Lamigo

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Quote from: joshraban76 on June 14, 2014, 03:25:01 PM

Quote from: Arise on June 14, 2014, 02:48:38 PM

So is downloading wallets for altcoins generally a bad idea? Huh

No, why ?

Kindly don't mess between altcoins and bitcoin.

altcoins, are the alternative coins, which is any other coin alternative to btc, like litecoin and dogecoin for example.

Indeed, downloading new altcoins' wallet clients is not a good idea as it may contains malware in it.
FYR: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/i-was-robbed-from-my-alt-coins-wallets-extremely-important-be-cautious-349072

Lamigo

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Quote from: monbux on June 14, 2014, 05:58:14 PM

Quote from: Marlo Stanfield on June 14, 2014, 04:18:42 PM

All legit wallets are open source.

Or something like blockchain.info. But even with that I'd be careful.

blockchain.info does not actually have access to your funds, although some web wallets, such as coinbase, do. I'd stay away from those if you want to be safe. Blockchain.info is a great place to keep bitcoin for day-to-day spending.

True. If you don't have the private key, you don't have the bitcoin.

Blockchain.info is good, but it is better to enable 2FA.

Habeler876

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To be honest, this is why I miss a lot of altcoin pumps. I'm terrified to download wallet software from these unknown people, who are most likely just trying to get rich quick on a pump and dump, but could possibly be giving out malware to steal bitcoins....

Arise

newbie

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Merit: 0

Thanks for your help guys. Another question:

Is there any danger to making transactions on an unsecure wifi network? Like will someone somehow be able to access my wallet if it's unencrypted and I'm using it at a coffee shop or something? The ins and outs of computer security have been difficult for me to wrap my head around in the past.

odolvlobo

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Activity: 4466

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Quote from: Arise on June 14, 2014, 12:42:03 PM

I'm pretty new to all of this and was just wondering... like how do I know downloading any given wallet isn't going to give someone access to my files or install malware or something on my computer?

Go to bitcoin.org. That site will point you to legitimate wallets.

monbux

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Quote from: Marlo Stanfield on June 14, 2014, 04:18:42 PM

All legit wallets are open source.

Or something like blockchain.info. But even with that I'd be careful.

blockchain.info does not actually have access to your funds, although some web wallets, such as coinbase, do. I'd stay away from those if you want to be safe. Blockchain.info is a great place to keep bitcoin for day-to-day spending.

rarkenin

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I personally use a combination of multibit, bitcoin-qt, and blockchain. Blockchain has private keys to a few "hot" addresses where a small sum of bitcoins I might want to spend are kept. It is used for day-to-day transactions. Multibit, on my personal laptop, stores larger sums of bitcoins that I might need to partially move to the hot wallet. It's meant to be secure against theft, and inadvertent spending of too many coins, as when the hot wallet is depleted, I'm aware of my need to move coins about.

Bitcoin-qt keeps (on a secure machine that is rarely connected to the network) keys for cold-storage.

In addition, I have the addresses (as watch-only) imported into blockchain.info, so in case of any spends from them (whether mine, or a thief's), I know quickly.

nwfella

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Well hello there!

bitcoin-qt core client always a safe-bet.

blockchain.info one of the more reliable web-wallet based services imho.

Marlo Stanfield

sr. member

Activity: 490

Merit: 280

All legit wallets are open source.

Or something like blockchain.info. But even with that I'd be careful.

Topic: New here. How do I know wallets are safe to download? (Read 1361 times)