Bitcoin wallets are responsible for not only storing the digital asset but also providing access to the funds and allowing traders to conduct transactions. Whether you're buying Bitcoin for the first time or have been investing in the blockchain-based currency for years, understanding how a Bitcoin wallet works will assist you in developing and improving your trading experience. 

In this guide, we're going to assist you in understanding what a Bitcoin wallet is, how they work, and where you can find the best one in the United Kingdom. Because where you store your money has become part of the Tap services that we offer.

What is a Bitcoin Wallet?

A Bitcoin wallet not only stores your digital asset but also facilitates the sending and receiving of BTC. While traditional wallets simply provide a means to store your money, crypto wallets are a more complex product providing more functionality to the user. The digital wallet connects to the blockchain and enables you to conduct transactions, keeps track of your balance, and acts as a "decentralized bank account". 

There are different types of Bitcoin wallets with some being referred to as hot wallets while others are cold wallets. Hot wallets are simply cryptocurrency wallets that are connected to the internet, while cold wallets are only connected briefly when conducting trades. Wallets connected to the internet are more vulnerable to hacking, hence cold wallets being a more viable option when storing cryptocurrencies long term. 

Cold wallets can come in the form of physical hardware, like a USB device, or merely a piece of paper (known as a paper wallet). Most wallets come free however hardware wallets you will need to purchase. 

How does a Bitcoin wallet work?

As we mentioned earlier, Bitcoin wallets connect to the blockchain of the network. Each wallet is represented by a 26 character alpha-numeric code, known as your public key, which acts as your wallet address allowing anyone to send you Bitcoin and identify you on the blockchain. 

Each wallet also comes with a private key, which is essentially the "pin code" to your wallet. This code gives you access to your wallet, allowing you to access and send crypto, and should not be shared with anyone. If someone were to gain access to your private keys, they would have control over your funds. 

The Bitcoin blockchain uses the public keys to track Bitcoin transactions, with each wallet representing a BTC balance, and the network receiving updated copies of this. So while Bitcoin wallets don't actually "store" the digital currency, they hold a record of the current balance and previous transactions. As BTC is sent and received, the blockchain records and updates the ownership of each cryptocurrency as well as the wallets' balances.

What types of Bitcoin wallets UK are available?

There are several options available for Bitcoin wallets in the UK which we'll take a look at below. Crypto wallets fall into two categories - hot wallets and cold wallets - and will differ for each cryptocurrency. I.e. you cannot store Bitcoin in an Ethereum wallet, as each connects to a different blockchain. Bitcoin must be stored in a Bitcoin wallet and Ethereum in an Ethereum wallet. 

Hot Wallets

Hot wallets are constantly connected to the internet and provide fast access to your Bitcoin portfolio. There are three main types of hot wallets:

• - Desktop wallet, applications on a desktop
• - Mobile wallet, applications on a mobile device
• - Web wallet, applications accessed through a web browser

While these wallets are known to be more vulnerable to hacking, they are the best options for someone looking to day trade. 

Cold Wallets

These types of wallets are considered to be more secure as they are not constantly connected to the internet. There are two main types:

• - Hardware wallet, an external device that uses USB or Bluetooth
• - Paper wallet, where public and private keys are printed onto a piece of paper

When looking to make transactions, you will need to connect the cold wallet to a hot wallet. For instance, hardware wallets will come with hot wallet applications for desktop or mobile that, once connected, can facilitate transactions. Paper wallets also require a hot wallet to conduct the transactions. 

An example of a hardware wallet is a Ledger Nano S, which allows you to open an account and provides both app and device to assist you in securely storing your crypto. Cold wallets are best suited for long term hodling. 

Finding the best Bitcoin wallet UK

Finding the best Bitcoin wallet in the UK needn't be a tiresome task as we have you covered with the Tap app. While the app is conveniently downloaded to mobile devices, traders can carry their cryptocurrency anywhere, with much greater security than other cryptocurrency apps on phones. 

While we've redesigned the tech behind traditional mobile wallets, we've also made things easier by allowing you to use a password of your choice. With an easy to navigate interface, and all your balances stored on one page, the Tap app is every trader's dream.

Our Tap wallet allows you to store both crypto and fiat currencies and uses a hybrid of both hot and cold wallet technology to ensure that they are always highly secure, and always available. 

Security and convenience are key

If you're searching for a reliable Bitcoin wallet option in the UK, you'll discover it conveniently with the Tap app. Simply download the Tap app, set up an account, complete the KYC verification, and you'll have the opportunity to securely manage your cryptocurrencies with top-notch security features that are available on the market.

När man pratar om att investera i kryptovalutor tänker många antingen på att köpa och hålla krypto – eller på mining. Men visste du att det finns ett annat sätt att tjäna på dina innehav, helt utan att sälja något? Det kallas staking – och det kan ge dig avkastning på dina krypto­tillgångar, helt passivt.

Här förklarar vi allt du behöver veta för att komma igång med staking – även om du är nybörjare. Låt oss dyka in.

Vad är staking?

Staking innebär att du låser dina kryptovalutor i en digital plånbok under en viss tid – och som tack får du belöningar. Du hjälper helt enkelt till att verifiera transaktioner och hålla igång blockkedjan. I gengäld får du betalt, ofta i form av samma kryptovaluta.

Det här bygger på en konsensusmodell som kallas Proof-of-Stake (PoS). I motsats till mining – där datorer tävlar om att lösa matematiska problem – handlar staking om att du bevisar ditt engagemang genom att låsa dina tillgångar.

När du deltar i staking är du alltså med och verifierar transaktioner och stärker säkerheten i nätverket.

Hur fungerar staking?

För dig som användare är staking en passiv process. När du stakar dina tillgångar – det vill säga låser dem i din plånbok – används de av nätverket för att skapa nya block på blockkedjan.

Ditt innehav används som en form av säkerhet, vilket gör att du kan bli vald att verifiera block. När det händer får du en belöning – ungefär som ränta.

Du kan ofta själv välja hur länge du vill låsa dina tillgångar, från några timmar till flera månader eller år. Ju längre du stakar, desto högre blir vanligtvis belöningen.

Fördelar och nackdelar med staking

✅ Fördelar:

• Passiv inkomst – du tjänar medan dina tillgångar ligger still
• Enkelt att komma igång – kräver inga avancerade kunskaper
• Låga eller inga avgifter – många plattformar erbjuder staking direkt i appen
• Hållbart alternativ till mining – energisnålt jämfört med Proof-of-Work

⚠️ Att tänka på:

• Värdevolatilitet – om värdet på valutan faller kan även din belöning minska
• Låst kapital – du kommer inte åt dina stakade tillgångar under perioden
• Olika belöningar – staking-belöningen varierar beroende på vilken valuta och plattform du använder

Är staking lönsamt?

Ja, staking kan vara lönsamt – särskilt för den som redan har kryptotillgångar som stöder staking. Det fungerar ungefär som ränta på ett sparkonto, där du får belöningar baserat på hur mycket och hur länge du stakar.

Om värdet på kryptovalutan ökar under tiden du stakar kan vinsten bli ännu större. Men tänk på att värdet också kan sjunka, vilket kan minska eller till och med äta upp vinsten från staking.

Sammanfattning: vad är staking?

Staking är ett sätt att använda dina kryptotillgångar för att tjäna belöningar och stötta nätverket – ungefär som att få utdelning på aktier eller ränta på ett sparkonto.

Du behöver inte göra något aktivt – bara hålla dina coins på rätt plats under en viss tid. I gengäld får du belöningar från nätverket.

Tap is a regulated DLT company in Gibraltar, we are also agents of Transact Payments Limited who and as a regulated Electronic Money Institution (EMI) Transact Payments are required by law to “safeguard” customer monies received under its E-Money or Payment Services permissions.
‍

What is safeguarding?

Under the requirements of the Gibraltar E-Money Regulations 2020 and Payment Services Regulations 2020 Transact Payments must;

·        Segregate all client monies from our own funds.

·        Deposit customer funds with a Credit Institution (Bank) with permission to hold client funds.

That Credit Institution must designate (name) the account to show that it is an account which is held for the purpose of segregating and safeguarding the funds or assets in accordance with regulations.

No person other than the payment institution may have any interest in or right over any funds or assets placed in safeguarding accounts.
‍

What does this mean?

All Customer funds are entirely separate from operational funds and held within an authorised credit institution separate from Tap and Transact Payments.

During the course of normal business, Tap and or Transact Payments have rights to use those funds to settle transactions as authorised / instructed by the customer, including redemption to the customer.

Should Tap or Transact Payments experience an insolvency event those segregated safeguarded funds cannot be used for any other purposes.
‍

Is safeguarding limited?

No. 100% of customer balances are safeguarded. There is no limit to the amount that you would receive should an event occur that required the return of your funds.
‍

Reporting.

Transact Payments regulatory reporting requires regular reporting on Transact Payments regulatory capital, own funds calculations and outstanding e-money balances.

Both Tap and Transact Team are committed to open and transparent engagement with our customers. If you have any further question or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Crypto ATMs have been around since 2013 and while their initial integration was slow, just 7 years later there are over 30,500 Bitcoin ATMs around the world. Providing a convenient means of buying and selling the world’s biggest digital currency, here we explore how crypto ATMs can propel crypto adoption.  

Cryptocurrencies have come a long way since the advent of Bitcoin in 2009, and with each passing year more firmly establish themselves in the traditional financial landscape. Bitcoin ATMs are here to support this drive and further establish the digital currency in everyday lives, around the world. And not just Bitcoin ATMs, there are also a number of other cryptocurrencies supported which we’ll cover in more detail below.

History of Bitcoin ATMs

The first Bitcoin ATM launched in October 2013 in a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada. The coffee shop was one of roughly 20 in the area that accepted the digital currency at the time. Created by an American company Robocoin (which later closed in 2015) and a Vancouver-based company called Bitcoiniacs, the ATM used palm scans to authenticate users and allow for a maximum trade of $3,000 worth of Bitcoin a day.  

A month and a half later, another Bitcoin was installed in Bratislava, Slovakia, becoming Europe’s first Bitcoin ATM. A few months after that, Bitcoin ATMs started popping up in the United States, and adoption steadily increased. By 2015, there were a total of 329 crypto ATMs around the world, 500 in 2016, which doubled to 1,000 by 2017.  

The number of crypto ATMs continued to double each year, reaching a total of 6,400 in early 2020. At the start of 2021, there were just under 14,000 of these machines around the world, increasing quickly to over 30,000 by the end of the year. It’s safe to conclude that the power of crypto ATMs has been recognised, and continues to grow as adoption heads in the same direction.  

Crypto ATMs vs traditional ATMs

The most significant differences between the two are that the traditional ATMs are operated by a bank while crypto ATMs are connected to the relevant blockchain via the operator, these two can both accept and dispense cash.  

From a regulatory standpoint, crypto ATMs need to follow the AML/KYC (anti-money laundering and know your customer) regulations outlined by the jurisdiction they are operating in. This will also affect the limits of both deposits and withdrawals allowed by the machine, and in some regions, the ATM will also require a money transmitter licence.  

The downside to crypto ATMs is the fees. Fees can range from 7% - 25% depending on the operator, the location and the trade. While they allow for quick and easy purchase or sale of various cryptocurrencies with fewer KYC verifications necessary than on a traditional exchange, this does come at a price. However, the crypto ATMs also allow users to tap into the relevant network who might not otherwise have access to an online exchange or bank account.  

Of the over 30,500 crypto ATMs around the world, the following cryptocurrencies are currently supported:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Lightning BTC (LBTC)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Dash (DASH)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Zcash (ZEC)
• Monero (XMR)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Tether (USDT)
• Ripple (XRP)
  

How crypto ATMs are fueling adoption

These decentralized crypto ATMs have seen a huge growth in popularity over the last 5 years, allowing users to easily exchange one fiat currency for a digital one. Providing an easy means of transaction in over 75 countries, crypto ATMs are facilitating a seamless means in which to travel - instead of exchanging one fiat for another, simply withdrawal the fiat at a crypto ATM on arrival.

While crypto ATMs and adoption go hand in hand, it might lend closer to a chicken/egg conversation (which came first) as both operations are fueled by the other. With more crypto ATMs, more people can gain access to the peer-to-peer based payment system thus increasing adoption, while growing adoption creates more of a demand for crypto ATMs.  

In the coming years, we will more than likely see the continued growth of crypto ATMs around the world, alongside a similar growth in crypto adoption as the digital currencies become more integrated into the financial sector and our daily lives.

Since Bitcoin entered the financial landscape in 2009 it has made immense leaps and bounds in becoming the internationally recognised digital currency it is today. Despite the giant progress, crypto still has the potential to further infiltrate many aspects of society, particularly how we travel. 

This unprecedented technology can ultimately revolutionise the way we live our lives. Let’s take a look at how crypto is easing international travel, and how you can use it to your advantage.

Blockchain in travel

Many are familiar with cryptocurrencies, but few are aware that blockchain is the technology behind them. Blockchain technology, in simple terms, is a giant public ledger that stores data in a chronological, immutable manner. Particularly flourishing in supply chain management and the broader tech space, blockchain is also proving to be a useful asset to companies operating in the travel sector. 

With a wide range of options within the sector, from flights to car rental to hotels, blockchain is slowly starting to prove to be a powerful force in each case. Already several companies have adopted the technology and used it to add more streamlined and efficient services to the travel industry. 

For example, a French company, Sandblock is harnessing the technology and allowing travel companies to create their own loyalty tokens to attract and retain customers. These tokens can then be traded for a variety of services (beyond the company that issued them) or exchanged for alternative coins or fiat currencies. 

Another example is a Swiss-based, blockchain based company called Winding Tree which was designed to minimize fees for travelers while reducing costs for service providers. The non-profit company aims to cut out the middleman adding high fees to travelers' bookings and connect travelers directly to the service providers using smart contracts. 

These are just two in a wide range of companies already implementing blockchain technology into their businesses, illustrating the unlimited potential the nascent technology holds. 

Crypto bridges the gap

Like blockchain, cryptocurrencies are too playing an impressive role in easing cross-border travel, with plenty more room for development and better adoption. 

Cryptocurrencies facilitate seamless transactions without having to exchange one currency for another when going abroad. Say you lived in America and were visiting Australia, you wouldn’t need to exchange your US dollars for Australian dollars incurring high exchange fees and company-chosen exchange rates if you could just scan a QR code that automatically accesses funds in your universal crypto wallet.

Top tourist destinations around the world have started embracing cryptocurrencies, with a large amount likely to follow. For example, several destinations in Queensland, Australia, that provide access to the Great Barrier Reef have started implementing crypto payments into their tourist-focused businesses, and the reception has been impressive (see more below). 

El Salvador on the other hand approved Bitcoin as a legal tender in 2021, effectively making it very simple for any crypto-savvy tourist to travel around. One doesn’t even need to take a fiat card with them as all transactions can be completed using their mobile device. If that’s not the future of travel, what is?

Advantages of using crypto to travel

For the sceptics out there we’ve outlined several advantages of using cryptocurrencies when traveling, below. 

• It reduces the chance of theft or money loss
• It eases the booking process
• It allows users to avoid excessive exchange rates and ATM fees
• It minimizes the risk of credit card fraud
• Your smartphone functions as a wallet
• No left-over currency when you leave the country
  ‍

Globalisation meets blockchain

With increased awareness around countries and societies around the world, thanks to both mainstream and social media, companies expanding on a global level are becoming more and more common. 

However, this level of globalisation is often plagued with inconsistent means of distributing funds, causing delays, disruptions and unnecessary expenses. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology provide the infrastructure to change these difficulties, stablecoins even more so. 

The mobile revolution

According to a recent study, there are 6.37 billion smartphone users around the world, with 80% of the population in possession of one device. This is a significant rise from 2016’s statistics where only 49% of the world owned a smartphone.

Ownership levels are unsurprisingly highest in developed countries like the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, where on average 80% of the population own a smartphone. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are among the lowest percentages, with an average of 27% of the country owning one. 

Despite this, 80% of the developing world are still crypto-capable. All that is required is a smartphone and an internet connection. In the future, more local businesses, hotels, and shops in these countries will set up crypto wallets, enabling them to accept global payments in a matter of seconds (depending on the coin of choice).

This is likely to happen faster in the developing world than elsewhere, as demand for convenient and reliable payment solutions is on the rise. Less developed countries like the Bahamas are already catching on. 

An industry on the up

Crypto is easing international travel and contributing to a growing industry. Since the pandemic emerged, travel was put on a back foot but has since experienced a surge as people seek an alternative change of scenery. Now, cryptocurrency is making travel to remote areas, a growing demand, all the more possible.

Of course, government collaboration is paramount. Brisbane Airport in Australia is the first in the world to accept cryptocurrency at 30 merchants. As mentioned above, Queensland itself is a trailblazer in the crypto world. Agnes Water, a town located at the south of the Great Barrier Reef, has more than 40 businesses that accept Bitcoin. This kind of initiative is precisely what is required from governments and businesses for crypto to help grow the travel industry.

Ironing out foreign currency wrinkles

It is clear that crypto has the potential to revolutionise the way we operate around the world. Cryptocurrencies can make travelling easier and more accessible, and bolster tourism industries in developing countries. Solutions offered by several payment-focused cryptocurrencies could very well take over, as more and more tourists demand easier payment options.

Tap a streamlined cryptocurrency platform, is also contributing to the movement by providing a mobile app that facilitates rapid purchasing, trading, and secure storage of cryptocurrencies. For travellers faced with less tech-savvy merchants, Tap provides a Mastercard enabling users to spend supported fiat and cryptocurrencies at 40+  million merchants around the world. 

Since the advent of cryptocurrencies in 2009, the world has seen a substantial shift in the way that people transact and manage their money online. The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, sparked a wave that has impacted almost every corner of the globe, significantly shifting the financial landscape as we know it. Let’s explore how crypto is expanding economic freedom on a global scale.

What is economic freedom?

Before we evaluate how this $2 trillion industry is contributing to financial liberation, let’s first establish what economic freedom is. Explained simply, the term refers to measures that grant users the freedom to manage their money, property, and labour in each country, which is then compared globally.

More accurately, the measure of economic freedom is determined by using the Index of Economic Freedom, which weighs up 12 factors contributing to a country’s overall measure. This is broken down into 4 categories, each carrying varying subcategories, such as market openness measuring a country’s trade, financial and investment freedom. The others are regulatory efficiency, rules of law, and government size, each with its own subcategories.

This index was first published in 1995 by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal and is used around the world today. This year, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Ireland have ranked as the most financially free countries in the world.

Crypto and economic freedom

Cryptocurrencies were first established to provide an alternative monetary solution to the global financial crisis that sent the world into disarray in 2007. Satoshi Nakamoto created the new age payment system to empower individuals to hold control over their own finances, allowing them to manage and transact their money without the control of an authoritarian entity. For the first time in history, people were able to send money overseas without incurring the usual costly and time-consuming setbacks incurred with regular, global fiat transactions.

Due to the decentralized nature in which they are run, people are responsible for managing their own crypto wallets and specialised users on the network positioned across the globe are responsible for verifying and executing transactions. After Bitcoin entered the scene a significant number of new cryptocurrencies have been launched, over 12,000 at the time of writing. While some maintain the same “medium of exchange” model, many new cryptocurrencies have emerged providing alternative solutions to the industry.

Ethereum, the world’s second-biggest cryptocurrency, for example, provides a platform on which developers can create their own decentralized apps and cryptocurrencies, while other cryptocurrencies revolve around faster transaction times, cloud storage and private transactions. Each of these projects utilizes a blockchain network that was designed to improve and innovate the crypto and blockchain space.

Spanning beyond government control and lengthy paperwork, cryptocurrencies are able to provide a global currency that operates entirely online and is not confirmed to the borders of a country. Cryptocurrencies are global, accessible 24/7 and cannot be frozen in accounts.

How crypto is driving economic freedom

Requiring only an internet connection and start-up funds, Bitcoin (and cryptocurrencies in general) allows anyone around the world to create a wallet and start trading. One doesn’t need access to a large bank branch or lengthy paperwork, one simply needs an internet connection and a smartphone.

Curling back to the factors that contribute to economic freedom, cryptocurrencies are able to seamlessly check six of twelve of the categories of the Index of Economic Freedom through their innate properties. 

• Trade Freedom [Market Openness]
• Financial Freedom  [Market Openness]
• Business Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Labour Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Monetary Freedom  [Regulatory Efficiency]
• Property Rights  [Rule Of Law] 

The remaining categories however revolve around the governments running the nations in question, particularly the rule of law and government size categories. Nevertheless, cryptocurrencies can still assist in creating better-functioning economies and provide the technology that allows for a more open and free financial system.

A free and open financial system

As cryptocurrencies remove the barriers of borders, they allow people to transact their money in the same way that they communicate with each other (through the internet). As the digital age continues to evolve, we are likely to continue seeing a significant increase in the level of economic freedom that crypto provides to users around the world, empowering both the individual and the nation.

‍