What is a Bitcoin wallet — actually?

Despite the name, a Bitcoin wallet doesn't store your Bitcoincurrency. Your Bitcoin lives on the blockchain — a public record of every transaction ever made. A wallet stores the private key that proves ownership of your Bitcoin. Think of the blockchain as a giant public ledger, and your wallet as the key that lets you sign transactions on it.

When someone asks for your "wallet address," they mean your public key — a long string of letters and numbers that's completely safe to share. It's like your bank account number. Anyone can send money to it. Only someone with your private key can spend what's in it.

Hodl says
Think of it like a mailbox. Your wallet address is the slot where anyone can drop letters (payments). Your private key is the key that lets you open the box and take them out. Share the address freely. Guard the key with your life.

Custodial vs. self-custody wallets

There are two broad types of wallets, and understanding the difference matters.

Custodial wallets (like Coinbase)

With a custodial wallet, a company holds your private keys on your behalf — similar to how a bank holds your money. You log in with a username and password, and the company manages the actual keys. The upside is convenience: if you forget your password, they can recover your account. The downside is that you're trusting them with your funds. If the company is hacked, goes bankrupt, or freezes withdrawals, your access to your Bitcoin may be limited.

Self-custody wallets (like Muun, Exodus)

With a self-custody wallet, you hold your own private keys. No company has access to your funds. The tradeoff is that you are fully responsible for your own backup — which brings us to the seed phrase.

Hodl says
For accepting payments as a merchant, either type works fine. A Coinbase address works perfectly in OrangeTill. Self-custody is more aligned with the spirit of crypto — but getting started with Coinbase is totally reasonable.

What is a seed phrase?

When you create a new self-custody wallet, the app generates a list of 12 or 24 random words. This is your seed phrase — sometimes called a recovery phrase or mnemonic phrase. It is the master backup of your entire wallet and every account associated with it.

Anyone who has your seed phrase can access all your funds from any device, anywhere in the world. It is the most important piece of information related to your Bitcoin wallet.

⚠️ Write your seed phrase on paper. Never store it digitally.
Do not screenshot it. Do not email it to yourself. Do not type it into a notes app or a cloud document. Write it on paper — ideally two copies — and store them somewhere safe and private. A fireproof safe is ideal. If you lose your phone and your seed phrase, your Bitcoin is gone permanently. No customer service can recover it.

Once you've written it down and confirmed it in the app, you're set. You don't need to enter it again unless you're recovering your wallet on a new device.

Which wallet should you get?

For most small business owners accepting Bitcoin for the first time, these are the most trusted free options:

Wallet Best for Coins supported Platform
Muun Best for beginners Pure simplicity, no decisions required Bitcoin only iOS + Android
Blue Wallet Simple, reliable, slightly more control Bitcoin only iOS + Android

Our recommendation: If you're only accepting Bitcoin and want the absolute simplest experience, start with Muun. It has the cleanest interface and fewest decisions to make. If you want to accept multiple cryptocurrencies through OrangeTill, Exodus gives you one app for all of them.

How to find your wallet address

Once your wallet is set up, getting your receive address is straightforward:

1
Open your wallet app
Launch the app on your phone or computer.
2
Select the cryptocurrency
If you have a multi-coin wallet like Exodus, tap the coin you want the address for — Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.
3
Tap "Receive"
The exact label varies by app — look for "Receive," "Deposit," or a QR code icon.
4
Copy the address
Your address appears as a QR code and a long string of text. Tap to copy the text — this is what you paste into OrangeTill Settings.
Hodl says
Some wallets generate a new address for every transaction — that's normal and actually better for privacy. All of those addresses still belong to the same wallet. Any of them will work in OrangeTill.

Hardware wallets — do you need one?

Hardware wallets — physical devices like the Ledger or Tangem — store your private keys offline, completely isolated from the internet. They're the gold standard for security, especially for large amounts of crypto.

For most merchants just starting out, a software wallet on your phone is perfectly adequate. As your Bitcoin holdings grow and you start holding meaningful amounts, a hardware wallet is worth considering. OrangeTill is compatible with any wallet that generates a receive address — including hardware wallets.

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Wallet questions

Can I use my Coinbase account address in OrangeTill? ▼
Yes, absolutely. Your Coinbase deposit address works perfectly in OrangeTill. The tradeoff is that Coinbase is custodial — they hold your private keys, not you. This is fine for getting started. For long-term holdings, many people prefer self-custody, but there's no urgency to switch.
What if I lose my phone? ▼
As long as you have your seed phrase written down, you can restore your entire wallet on any new device by entering those 12 words. This is exactly why the seed phrase is so critical. With a custodial wallet like Coinbase, you recover your account with your email and password instead.
What kind of wallet do I need for OrangeTill? ▼
A Bitcoin wallet — that's it. A free app like Muun or Blue Wallet handles both on-chain Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, which is everything OrangeTill needs. No multi-coin app, no extra setup.
How do I know my wallet address is correct before sharing it? ▼
OrangeTill validates your wallet address format when you enter it in Settings — a green "Address looks valid ✓" message confirms the format is correct for that coin. You can also send a tiny test amount from a second wallet to verify it arrives before using it for real transactions.
What happens if I enter the wrong wallet address? ▼
If you generate a QR code with the wrong address and a customer pays to it, the payment goes to whoever owns that address — and there is no way to reverse it. This is why OrangeTill validates address formats before accepting them, and why double-checking your address when you first set it up is important.

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