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Across this support page, we refer to your wallet and account(s) as separate items.
The distinction is not immediately clear, but is important for understanding how MetaMask works, its structure, and what you can and can't do with wallets and accounts.
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tl;dr
'Wallet' describes the MetaMask software you're using. 'Account' refers to a public-private key pair.
Your wallet doesn't have an address; an account within it does. Instead, a MetaMask wallet is a software tool that allows you to manage and access accounts.
You can derive more than one account from a Secret Recovery Phrase (seed phrase).
What is a wallet?
A wallet is a client (a piece of software) with which you manage your accounts.
The confusion around web3 wallets often stems from the term itself and how it relates to our non-technological, everyday-life understanding of it. A physical wallet holds cash and cards; in web3, your wallet does not contain your assets — your accounts do.
Instead, we should imagine MetaMask and other wallet software as the kind of real-world, physical 'wallet' that holds an ID card or passport. The wallet itself is simply a tool for transporting around a means of proving your identity. MetaMask, accordingly, is principally a tool for proving your identity in web3. This is why we sometimes refer to MetaMask as a decentralized identity management tool: it's a way of signing transactions and messages to demonstrate that you are the holder of the private keys of your account(s).
What is an account?
An account is a public-private key pair derived from your Secret Recovery Phrase (SRP).
Your accounts in MetaMask are each represented by a public address (the 'public' side of your key pair), which you may have seen referred to incorrectly as a 'wallet address'. There is no such thing: there is only an account address. Confusingly, many web3 services and protocols conflate wallets and accounts. This is unhelpful, particularly when navigating support issues such as lost SRPs, and restoring and resetting wallets and accounts.
What does this mean in practice?
- You don't have funds and assets in a wallet; you have them in your accounts. Your accounts, in turn, are managed using your wallet.
- When you share an Ethereum address, you're sharing an account address. There is no such thing as a wallet address.
FAQs
'Wallet' describes the MetaMask software you're using. 'Account' refers to a public-private key pair. Your wallet doesn't have an address; an account within it does. Instead, a MetaMask wallet is a software tool that allows you to manage and access accounts.
What is the difference between a wallet and an account? ›
Digital wallets and bank accounts can both help you store and spend money. However, digital wallets are primarily meant as a replacement for the physical cards, keys and passes that you might otherwise need to carry. Bank accounts are offered as a safe place to keep your savings.
What is the difference between a crypto account and a wallet? ›
A crypto account is a public-private key pier derived from your Secret Recovery Phase (SRP). An account is a subsection of wallets that allows you to separate funds based on your needs, for more security, or instant payments. You can manage multiple additional accounts in each wallet.
What is the difference between an account and a wallet in Ethereum? ›
An account is not a wallet. A wallet is an interface or application that lets you interact with your Ethereum account, either an externally-owned account or a contract account.
What is the difference between trust wallet and MetaMask? ›
Differences between MetaMask and Trust Wallet
MetaMask is geared towards users who want to interact with dApps in Web3, while Trust Wallet is aimed at users who want a simple and secure way to manage their crypto assets. Another difference is their compatibility with different cryptocurrencies.
Why do I need Apple wallet? ›
Carry
The Wallet app lives right on your iPhone. It's where you securely keep your credit and debit cards, driver's license or state ID, transit cards, event tickets, keys, and more — all in one place. And it all works with iPhone or Apple Watch, so you can take less with you but always bring more.
Is wallet payment safe? ›
Contactless forms of payment such as digital wallets are always more secure than swiping a card, he added, noting that scammers are still known to put card skimmers on credit card readers to steal the customer's information.
How to turn crypto into cash? ›
Here are five ways you can cash out your crypto or Bitcoin.
- Use an exchange to sell crypto.
- Use your broker to sell crypto.
- Go with a peer-to-peer trade.
- Cash out at a Bitcoin ATM.
- Trade one crypto for another and then cash out.
- Bottom line.
The best software wallets
- Guarda. ...
- Crypto.com DeFi Wallet. ...
- Trust Wallet. Best for Binance and Binance.US users. ...
- Exodus. Best for customer support. ...
- ZenGo. Best for easy account recovery. ...
- Ledger. Best hardware wallet for hot wallet integration. ...
- Trezor. Best hardware wallet for security. ...
- KeepKey. Best hardware wallet for price.
Cash App acts as a bitcoin wallet, where you can view your BTC balance and buy or sell at any time. Cash App securely stores the private keys for your bitcoin, so you can instantly access it at any time.
With a digital wallet, there's no need to carry cash or bank cards. You can simply open your digital wallet on a cellphone and tap to purchase items in seconds. A few examples of digital wallets include Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
What is the meaning of wallet account? ›
Wallet Account means a digital or electronic account, designated with a specific identification number, used for the deposit, delivery, withdrawal, and storage of digital or electronic assets.
What is the best wallet for Bitcoin and Ethereum? ›
- Zengo Wallet: 4.8 out of 5 stars.
- Crypto.com DeFi Wallet: 4.8 out of 5 stars.
- Guarda: 4.6 out of 5 stars.
- Exodus: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
- Coinbase Wallet: 4.4 out of 5 stars.
- Trust Wallet: 4.3 out of 5 stars.
- MetaMask: 4.0 out of 5 stars.
- Ledger: 5.0 out of 5 stars.
'Wallet' describes the MetaMask software you're using. 'Account' refers to a public-private key pair.
Can you have both MetaMask and trust wallet? ›
Because MetaMask is a self-custody wallet built to support the open Web3 ecosystem, it allows you import your wallet's address directly into Trust Wallet anytime you want.
Which wallets are better Coinbase or MetaMask? ›
Metamask supports all ERC20 tokens, while Coinbase only supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum Classic along with 500+ assets. This means that if you want to use Metamask to store your coins and tokens, you'll have a much wider range to choose from.
What is the main purpose of a wallet? ›
A wallet is a flat case or pouch, often used to carry small personal items such as physical currency, debit cards, and credit cards; identification documents such as driving licence, identification card, club card; photographs, transit pass, business cards and other paper or laminated cards.
Is a digital wallet a bank account? ›
So, is a digital wallet a bank account? Not exactly. Both offer quick and convenient ways to pay for things, but some subtle differences exist. Digital wallet apps are primarily used to store money and payment information, whereas banks allow you to manage more financial information across your accounts.
Is a Coinbase account the same as a wallet? ›
Coinbase.com is a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing cryptocurrency. Once you make a purchase on Coinbase.com, your crypto is stored on the platform. Coinbase Wallet, on the other hand, is a self-custody wallet.
