Glossary
Wallet
Software or hardware that manages a user's private keys and signs transactions on their behalf — the user-facing layer of self-custody.
A wallet is the tool that holds your keys and signs transactions. It is not where the coins live — those live on-chain — it is where the authority to move them lives.
Wallets come in many shapes: browser extensions (MetaMask), mobile apps (Phantom, Rainbow), hardware devices (Ledger, Trezor), smart- contract wallets with social recovery, and custodial accounts at an exchange (where someone else holds the keys for you). The choice trades off convenience against custodial risk.