No level of volatility or uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrencies seems to stop the crypto market from growing its popularity and becoming more mainstream. So, maybe it’s time for you to explore opportunities in the digital asset market, too. Besides, experts say Bitcoin will eventually hit $100,000. And when BTC recovers, the rest of the market usually does, too.
The excitement about cryptocurrencies has led to many businesses getting in on the action and creating their own crypto projects. Many of them have been crypto wallets. And with over 260 million crypto users, wallet applications have a large audience to serve.
In this article, we are going to discuss how to create a cryptocurrency wallet app, what features to include, and what aspects to consider.
Cryptocurrency Wallet Types and the Differences Between Them
Generally, you would find most crypto wallets in the following types.
Desktop
A desktop wallet needs to be downloaded to a computer or a laptop. The application generates a data file for holding the user key, which is both an advantage (ownership and control of the key) and a disadvantage (risks of physical damage or malware).
Web
A web wallet can be accessed from any browser and stores the user’s private key online. It’s easy to use but requires trusting a third party to secure the account.
Hardware
A cold (offline) hardware wallet is a physical device that usually connects to a computer via a USB port. Such a wallet is virtually impervious to hacking but requires a bit more technical know-how.
Mobile
A mobile wallet is intended for mobile devices and has similar functionality to a desktop wallet. The user needs to download the app to send or receive crypto payments on the go. The downside is that their holdings are only as secure as their phone.
From this point on, we’ll be mostly focusing on what you need to consider and do to create a cryptocurrency wallet app for mobile devices. But it helps if a crypto wallet has at least a mobile version and a web version.
Main Features of Crypto Wallet Applications
The following usability features are essential to making a crypto wallet application:
User Authorization
The first thing your users will see is the login page. In addition to asking for their username and password, implement a two-step verification like Google’s 2FA. This function is not often implemented in conventional non-cryptographic applications, but here, it’s a must.
Multiple Cryptocurrencies
Users are recommended to diversify their portfolios with different coins, and it would be inconvenient for them to download a separate app for each of them. Try to integrate several blockchains, which have dozens of tokens built on them.
List of Addresses
Having more addresses makes users more anonymous, which is why you should have a mode to manage multiple addresses. The addresses the person uses the most – meaning, the ones they frequently use to conduct digital currency transactions – should be put at the top of the screen.
Conversion Rates
This feature will help users get quick updates about ever-changing conversion rates. You also don’t want to leave users wondering about real-time rates between different modes – between different cryptocurrencies and between crypto and fiat.
Transactions
Aside from storing crypto, sending and receiving crypto transactions is the key feature of a wallet app. So, this is where your developers should work the hardest – the transaction function should be tamper-proof and incredibly fast.
You should also have windows for available balance, transaction history, and a QR code scanner.
Payment Gateways
Facilitate and provide access to conventional payment services. It’s more than likely that your users will want to buy or sell their digital assets efficiently in fiat. And because your app will have users from different countries, integrate a healthy variety of them.
Notifications
For our final must-have feature, you should ensure that users receive real-time information about all actions in their accounts. Most importantly, they should receive alerts on all transactions. But there are other types of valuable notifications – including the prices of digital money (dynamic changes), news, and promotions.
What to Consider Before Creating a Crypto Wallet Application
As you get ready to build your app, you should discuss the following considerations with your development team.
Cloud Platform
Cloud technologies are the standard for mobile wallet apps, perfect for teams in need of rapid delivery. Choose platforms that remove infrastructure distractions, enable greater efficiency within the development stack, and make it possible to build scalable mobile backends in any programming language.
APIs/SDKs
- Coinbase Wallet SDK (formerly WalletLink) – a cross-platform Java library that works with all EVM-compatible L1/L2 networks
- bitcoinj – a Java implementation of the Bitcoin protocol
- The Blockchain Wallet API – supports many programming languages in the form of libraries for its API (Python, Java, NET, Ruby, PHP, Node, etc.)
- Blockcypher API – a RESTful JSON API for interacting with blockchains (Ruby, Python, Go); SDKs for Node.js, Java, and PHP have been deprecated
Technology Stack
Developers work with varying stacks of tech to build crypto wallets, but they generally go for:
- Java or Kotlin for native Android development
- Swift or Objective-C for native iOS app development
If you want a cross-platform wallet for mobile and web, you can opt for React Native or Flutter and reuse some code for the web application.
Security
Consider security fundamentals, such as:
- Code security from the ground up
- KYC
- A minimum of two signatures
- Timed logout
- Client-side private key
- Unique addresses for every transaction
- Transaction confirmation
- Deny repeat payments
- Data sanitization
- Backups
Integrating Ready-Made Services vs. Building from Scratch
There are times when developers opt to build applications from scratch without using any existing libraries. If you have specific requirements for the app, the limitations of libraries may not allow you to fulfill your vision in its entirety.
Customer development requires a range of diverse skills, so you’ll need at least several specialists:
- A mobile and backend developer to work on the app’s functionality
- A UX/UI designer to build the user interface of the wallet
- A QA specialist to minimize the number of issues and bugs
How to Develop a Crypto Wallet App in 4 Steps
We’ve divided the complex and laborious process of creating a crypto wallet app into four stages. Although we’ll only describe them briefly, you should understand that there are numerous processes contained within each step.
1. Planning
At this phase, you decide which goals you want to achieve, which features to include, and what the app will look like. You need to clarify all the important questions – including “what is the app’s value proposition?”, “what place in this market do you want to take?” and much more besides.
In planning, you want to invest a large amount of time upfront to make sure the app has a chance at success. You also want to consider and set a budget before going into development.
2. Coding
This stage encompasses prototyping, designing, and development.
Developers will start rapidly producing wireframes and iterating on user feedback. Then, UX/UI specialists will further refine the approved wireframes by placing and crafting design elements. And finally, developers will actually begin to write the code for the “final” version of the app.
3. Testing
You should carry out testing in parallel with development to identify and fix major bugs or oversights as quickly as possible. While tests will increase time spent in the development stage, they will benefit you in the long run and help you keep post-release costs low.
Besides basic testing, you should conduct:
- Performance testing (to evaluate reliability under load/stress)
- Security testing (to find potential vulnerabilities)
- Usability testing (external user testing)
4. Deploying
This is where you will submit your app to the store for approval. If you developed the app with the guidelines in mind and fixed most of your major bugs, you will pass. Every time you release a new version of the app, you will be going through the same approval process.
After your app is made available to the public, you will need to move to other tasks – marketing and maintenance.
Consider Tino Agency Your Trusted Partner
Make a cryptocurrency wallet app with Tino, a reputed web and mobile app development company. Our developers have extensive knowledge of and hands-on experience in creating high-quality, innovative applications and are ready to provide custom solutions based on your requirements.
Whether you want to build a simple Bitcoin-only wallet or support various cryptocurrencies and offer numerous features, Tino’s developers will do it. We’ll produce smart code and get the desired set of cryptocurrency functionality – let us know what you need.
Final Thoughts
There is always a need for crypto wallets. Just think about it – there are over 10,000 crypto coins, new ones come out every month, and each of these coins needs a wallet. You can still take advantage of that growing need and introduce your own app.
But before you make a crypto wallet app, consider your competition. With so many wallet apps available, you need to think outside the box and find out what other applications are lacking.
The success of your app will largely depend on your developers. Therefore, make sure to choose the right partner to run an efficient development process.
FAQ
Developing a multi-cryptocurrency wallet suitable for all token standards is one of the best ways to attract a massive user base. But this comes at a price. Be ready for a lengthier, costlier, and more complicated process – in terms of requirements gathering, frontend & backend implementation, and other aspects of development.
If you custom-built the app, the developer should have the code in hand. You can’t get the source code if the developer does not publish it.
Search for a good portfolio and happy clients; this will show the company’s technical expertise and business experience. If you’ve arrived at several options, send each a request for an estimated time/cost and meet the teams (virtually or in person).
You need to download the app and link your exchange account to your wallet. As with any good application, the user simply needs to follow the prompts.