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+---
+title: "Getting a Bitcoin Wallet"
+date: 2020-06-28
+icon: "btc.svg"
+---
+Let\'s now get a Bitcoin wallet and become able to receive Bitcoin funds
+or donations.
+
+## Wallets
+
+One of the classical choices for a Bitcoin wallet is Electrum. Go to
+[https://electrum.org](https://electrum.org/#home) to download and
+install it, or if you are a Linux user, it is probably included in your
+distribution\'s package repository.
+
+### Mobile version?
+
+Note also that there are mobile/cell phone versions of Electrum for
+Android and iOS. I generally advise against using a wallet on a cell
+phone for security reasons, but if you would like, you can.
+
+If you are okay with a mobile wallet, I recommend getting [Cake
+Wallet](https://cakewallet.com/), which can use Electrum-style Bitcoin
+wallets, but also Monero and Litecoin.
+
+## Generating a Wallet
+
+Once you open Electrum (or Cake Wallet), you can choose to create a new
+wallet. Name it whatever you want and choose the \"Standard Wallet\"
+option.
+
+I will also note that if you are paranoid, it is perfectly possible to
+generate a wallet without connection to the internet.
+
+### Your Seed is your money.
+
+Now choose the \"Create a new seed\" option when creating the wallet.
+That will randomly produce a \"seed\" of 12 words.
+
+{{< img alt="bitcoin seed" src="/pix/bitcoin-01.png" link="/pix/bitcoin-01.png" >}}
+
+**These words are your money.** Once you are shown them, **immediately**
+write them down on physical paper, and you will be storing this
+somewhere it will not be lost or found. You can memorize these twelve
+words if you trust your memory.
+
+These twelve words unlock all of the funds/addresses you will have on
+this wallet. Whoever has your seed has the ability to spend your money.
+
+Note obviously that I have included a picture of a seed phrase above in
+this tutorial. I or anyone else would be stupid to ever send Bitcoin to
+the following addresses since the seed phrases are now public.
+
+Once you have written down your seed, click \"Next\" and Electrum will
+have you input that seed again to ensure you\'ve written it down.
+
+You will also be asked to supply a password. This password merely
+encrypts your wallet file on this computer so you don\'t have to retype
+your seed phrase each time you open Electrum. Note that anyone with your
+seed phrase can still obtain your funds. This password is only
+protection on your computer here.
+
+## Managing your Wallet
+
+Once your wallet is generated and opened you will be at the wallet page.
+First, I recommend opening the \"View\" menu and unhiding all the
+different tabs.
+
+{{< img alt="electrum options" src="/pix/bitcoin-02.png" link="/pix/bitcoin-02.png" >}}
+
+### Addresses
+
+The address tab contains all the many Bitcoin addresses generated by
+your seed phrase. In fact, as you use these up, the wallet will
+automatically add more.
+
+These addresses (which will all be generated with `bc1` at the
+beginning) can be used by others to send you Bitcoins. Someone can just
+copy-and-paste the address into their wallet to send you funds.
+
+{{< img alt="bitcoin addresses" src="/pix/bitcoin-03.png" link="/pix/bitcoin-03.png" >}}
+
+### Receive
+
+Click on the \"Receive\" tab and then click \"New Address.\" That will
+pick your first unused address which will appear on the right side. You
+could copy this from the \"Addresses\" tab, but this tab also generates
+a QR code which will appear to the right as well if you click on the
+\"QR Code\" subtab.
+
+{{< img alt="receive qr code" src="/pix/bitcoin-04.png" link="/pix/bitcoin-04.png" >}}
+
+#### What is the QR code for?
+
+In case you don\'t know, a QR code is a way of storing text information
+in a format that can be scanned by a phone. If someone has a wallet
+program on a phone, they can easily scan the QR code on another screen
+to avoid having to copy your address over or even worse, write it
+manually.
+
+### Let\'s receive donations on our website.
+
+Save the QR code and the wallet address it corresponds to (starting in
+`bc1`). Now simply put these on your website and anyone can send Bitcoin
+to them. Bitcoin users will know how to scan and use them.