Ratings Methodology for Cryptocurrency Wallets
NerdWallet’s overall ratings for cryptocurrency wallets are weighted averages of ratings in the following categories:
Number of cryptocurrencies supported.
Integrations, which includes swaps, staking and defi, purchases and NFTs.
Platforms available, such as whether the wallet operates on desktop, a web browser or mobile app.
Capacity to convert between online and offline storage.
Security, which includes two-factor identification, multisignature sign on and open source code.
Tools, which includes educational content and market analysis.
Data collection and review process
We collect data by using these products, gathering information from their websites, and following up with providers with questions that aren’t answered as part of our user experience. Our process is structured to elicit both favorable and unfavorable results equally. It is not designed or prepared to produce any predetermined results. The collected information, combined with our specialists’ hands-on research, makes up our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance.
The final output produces overall star ratings from poor (1 star) to excellent (5 stars). These overall star ratings appear on roundup pages and the provider’s review. We then undergo an additional evaluation process to create lists of the best crypto wallets for particular consumers. This evaluation adjusts the weighting of factors (and occasionally considers other criteria) to emphasize features that matter most to the consumer targeted by the list. For example, a list of the best hardware wallets may take pricing information into account, whereas pricing isn’t a factor for free online wallets. Because of this, a provider’s overall star rating is not always the primary factor determining inclusion in lists or NerdWallet’s awards program.
Information updates
Factor weightings
The review team
The combined expertise of our investing editorial team is infused into our review process to ensure thoughtful evaluation of products and services from the customer's perspective. Our writers and editors have over 50 years of combined experience writing about finance.
Number of cryptocurrencies offered
Integrations and features
Purchases and swaps: If a wallet allows users to buy and trade/swap crypto from their wallet, it earns the highest rating. Those that offer one or the other have lower ratings, and those with neither option receive the lowest score.
Support for NFTs: Wallets that store NFTs get the highest rating, and those that cannot get the lowest rating.
Web3 integrations: Products with features that include browser extensions allowing users to connect their crypto with decentralized “web3” applications receive the highest ratings. Wallets that do not support such functionality get the lowest ratings.
Platforms
Desktop app: Ratings for desktop apps are binary, meaning that if a wallet offers a desktop app, it will get the highest rating. Those without desktop apps are assigned the lowest rating.
Storage conversion
Security
2FA: Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, requires an individual user to authenticate access on different devices.
Multisignature transactions: Requires transaction authentication from more than one party.
Open source: Open source software development lets any user look under the hood to see how a program operates.
Tools
Trading data and analytics: Providers whose software provides advanced data, such as price comparisons of multiple digital assets, will receive the highest scores. Conversely, those with only basic price histories will receive lower ratings, and wallets with no data offerings will get the lowest scores.
Education: Providers with detailed explanations of cryptocurrency concepts or separate sections of their website devoted primarily to education will receive the highest ratings. Those with only information relevant to their products get lower ratings, and those without significant educational resources receive the lowest ratings.