DOT has established itself as one of the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, and the Polkadot’s thriving ecosystem is regularly attracting new users to Polkadot and other blockchains that are connected to it.
If you’re someone who’s looking to get involved with Polkadot and aren’t sure which wallet to use to store DOT and Polkadot-based tokens as well as interact with decentralized applications on Polkadot, you’ll likely find an option that perfectly suits your needs in our list of the best Polkadot wallets.
Here are the best Polkadot wallets in 2024:
Ledger – Best hardware wallet for Polkadot
Nova Wallet – Best mobile Polkadot wallet
Talisman – User-friendly multichain wallet with Polkadot support
Fearless Wallet – Polkadot-centric browser extension and mobile wallet
SubWallet – A versatile and powerful wallet focused on Polkadot
Polkadot Vault – Turn a spare smartphone into a highly secure Polkadot hardware wallet
The best Polkadot wallets in 2024 – A closer look
When making our list of the best Polkadot wallets, we’ve made sure to include a diverse range of wallets that will suit different types of Polkadot users, regardless of whether you’re looking for maximum security or prioritize a smooth user experience. Our list includes hardware wallets, as well as wallets that function as web browser extensions or mobile applications. Now, let’s explain exactly why these 6 contenders are the best wallets for Polkadot.
1. Ledger – Best hardware wallet for Polkadot
If you're planning to hold Polkadot for the long term, you should seriously consider securing your investments using a hardware wallet. Ledger's range of devices are currently among the top hardware cryptocurrency wallets available, and are known for their excellent price-to-performance ratio, robust security features, and broad compatibility with various software wallets.
Hardware wallets like those from Ledger provide additional security for cryptocurrencies by storing private keys on the device itself, isolated from potentially compromised environments like desktop computers or smartphones.
When you make a transaction, the hardware wallet signs it internally and sends only the signature to the network, ensuring the private keys do not leave the device or get exposed to the internet. This secure design means that even if the computer or phone you connect to is infected with malware, your private keys remain safe from hackers.
Ledger offers two models that are suitable for storing DOT – the Ledger Nano S Plus and the Ledger Nano X. The main difference between the two is their connectivity options. The Nano X supports Bluetooth for wireless connections to other devices, while the Nano S Plus connects via a USB cable. Both models incorporate an EAL 5+ certified Secure Element to further boost security.
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2. Nova Wallet – Best mobile Polkadot wallet
Nova Wallet is a mobile wallet for iOS and Android devices that supports the Polkadot and Ethereum ecosystem. Besides Polkadot, Nova Wallet can also be used with other blockchains which use the Substrate framework, which is the underlying technology powering Polkadot.
Nova Wallet’s functionality extends well beyond the basic features of storing and sending DOT and Polkadot-based tokens. Since the wallet was designed specifically for Polkadot users, Nova Wallet allows users to contribute to Polkadot ecosystem crowdloans, delegate their voting power, or participate in Polkadot governance themselves. It's also a great Polkadot wallet for staking if you're looking to grow your DOT holdings passively.
In addition, Nova Wallet can be used to interact with any decentralized application that’s based on Substrate or the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine).
When it comes to security, Nova Wallet implements a non-custodial design, which means users retain control of their private keys. The wallet requires a PIN code for login and transaction authorization to provide an additional layer of security, and also uses an open source blacklist to alert users if they’re about to interact with addresses or DApps that have been labeled as malicious.
Additionally, users who require the highest degree of security can use Nova Wallet in conjunction with a hardware wallets (for example Ledger devices).
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3. Talisman – User-friendly multichain wallet with Polkadot support
Talisman is a multi-chain wallet that functions as a browser extension and supports the Polkadot and Ethereum ecosystems. Talisman can be used on the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Brave and Arc web browsers.
The Talisman wallet is designed to provide a user-friendly experience which is suitable for beginners while simultaneously supporting advanced features that make the wallet appealing to more experienced Polkadot users as well.
Talisman allows users to tag and “watch” accounts on the Polkadot or Ethereum networks, which makes it easy to track the activity of whales or other notable addresses to potentially gain an edge in the markets. In addition, users can organize their accounts into folders, which is a very handy feature for those who utilize many different addresses and are very active in the Polkadot and/or Ethereum ecosystem.
In terms of security features, the Talisman wallet has a non-custodial design, supports Ledger hardware wallets, and doesn’t record any sensitive information about its users. The wallet’s code has also been audited multiple times to ensure security.
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4. Fearless Wallet – Polkadot-centric browser extension and mobile wallet
Fearless Wallet is a wallet for Polkadot and Ethereum that can be used as a browser extension or as a mobile application for iOS and Android devices. In addition to Polkadot and Kusama, Fearless Wallet can also be used with other blockchains that are based on the Substrate framework.
Just like the other wallets we have featured in this article, Fearless Wallet is non-custodial and gives users full control over the private keys necessary to access their cryptocurrency holdings.
Fearless Wallet offers all of the functionality one would expect from a top-tier Polkadot wallet. You can store and transfer DOT and Polkadot-based tokens, and participate in staking and crowdloans for projects that are participating in parachain slot auctions.
However, it also has some extra tricks up its sleeve – for example, the wallet warns users when they’re about to interact with a cryptocurrency address that’s flagged as being linked to a scam.
The wallet also supports nomination pools staking and universal transfer flow, which will be appreciated by more demanding users.
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5. SubWallet – A versatile and powerful wallet focused on Polkadot
SubWallet is a powerful cryptocurrency wallet that supports Polkadot, Ethereum, and blockchains built using the Substrate framework (for example Kusama). Substrate functions as a web extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave), a mobile app (iOS and Android) or as a web dashboard that can be accessed with a browser.
SubWallet is a non-custodial wallet that supports a large variety of Polkadot and Ethereum-based tokens and NFTs, and also supports more than 50 channels for cross-chain crypto asset transfers. The wallet also provides a streamlined user interface for staking tokens through various protocols, and provides DApp (decentralized application) browser. This makes it one of the best Polkadot wallets for staking.
If you require an additional layer of security, you can use SubWallet in conjunction with Ledger, Polkadot Vault and Keystone hardware wallets. SubWallet also implements phishing prevention measures and alerts users when they’re about to interact with an account that’s flagged as suspicious.
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6. Polkadot Vault – Turn a spare smartphone into a highly secure Polkadot hardware wallet
Polkadot Vault, a solution previously known as Parity Signer, allows users to turn a spare smartphone or tablet into a hardware cryptocurrency wallet. The Polkadot Vault solution can be used with both iOS and Android devices and uses physically generated entropy to securely generate private keys. Your phone’s SoC (system-on-a-chip) is used as a secure element to isolate your private keys.
In order to use Polkadot Vault, users have to restore their phone to factory settings, and use Airplane Mode after downloading and installing Polkadot Vault. It’s essential that users keep their phone offline at all times to avoid the phone being compromised by malware. Polkadot Vault can communicate with other devices despite being air-gapped because it generates QR codes that you can scan with an internet-connected device to confirm transactions.
After the initial setup, Polkadot Vault will essentially turn your spare phone into a hardware wallet that supports Polkadot and other Substrate-based blockchains. Polkadot Vault is well-supported by software wallets in the Polkadot ecosystem, which means you won’t have trouble finding a compatible wallet.
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The bottom line
As you can see, the Polkadot ecosystem is quite strong and there are multiple high-quality wallets that were designed specifically to provide the best possible experience to Polkadot users. Most Polkadot-centric wallets also support Ethereum, which is a nice perk if you’re involved in the Ethereum ecosystem as well.
If you’re looking to learn more about cryptocurrency wallets, make sure you take a look at our list of the best crypto hardware wallets on the market today.