When u said « Overall i would NOT risk any coins on an exchange (which by the way shouldn't be on an exchange anyway «
U mean put thé coins on an cold storage like ledger ?
Coins should only be held on an exchange as long as necessary.
Practically you do NOT own these coins if you do not own the private keys. You are just given the 'right' to withdraw an amount X (data base entry).
It is advised to use a wallet where you have full control over the private keys (e.g. a lightweight client like
electrum).
A cold wallet (like a ledger hardware wallet) is even better than a desktop wallet. A hardware wallet doesn't only give only you full access to the private keys, they are also isolated in an offline environment.
If you can afford a cold wallet, go for it and buy one. It is the most convenient way of
securely storing your coins.
Basically thats the relative 'security ranking' of
wallet types: Cold storage / Hardware wallet / Paper wallet > Desktop wallet > Mobile wallet > Online-/Web- wallet > Exchange