Many beginners stumble at the first step on the words "wallet".
First, remember one concept:
Exchange account ≠ your wallet,
What truly belongs to you is the wallet where you control the private keys/mnemonic phrases.
Wallets can be roughly divided into two types:
1️⃣ Hot Wallet
Mobile App, browser plugin
Always online, suitable for daily small transactions, interactions, and claiming airdrops.
Risk: Connected to the internet, easily targeted by phishing links and malicious authorizations.
2️⃣ Cold Wallet
A small hardware similar to a USB drive, usually offline.
Suitable for long-term, large-scale storage.
A bit more cumbersome to operate, but with higher security.
A simple principle for beginners:
For practicing & getting familiar: use a hot wallet.
For real money: store in a cold wallet.
For all money: never screenshot and share your mnemonic phrases with anyone.
Later, I will publish a separate piece, focusing solely on "mnemonic phrase safety" and common pitfalls.🔐