 TITLE: What Is a Cryptocurrency Wallet? CONTENT: How Cryptocurrency Wallets Work\n-------------------------------\nThere's a lot of jargon in the cryptocurrency world. So, before diving deeper into how cryptocurrency wallets work, let's decipher some of the key terms:\n*   A **blockchain** is the foundational technology that many cryptocurrencies use. Cryptocurrency blockchains are decentralized and public, meaning a record of all the transactions that have occurred are stored on computers around the world. Each cryptocurrency has its own blockchain.\n*   A **private key** is often a randomly generated number. It gives someone control of cryptocurrency that's on a blockchain. You need the private key if you want to send or spend cryptocurrency.\n*   A **public key** is derived from a private key. It's a bit like a cryptocurrency account number.\n*   A **cryptocurrency address** is created based on a public key as an added layer of security. It's what you share with others to receive cryptocurrencies. Anyone can look up a cryptocurrency address on the blockchain to see its transaction history.\nWhile the cryptocurrency itself is stored on the blockchain, cryptocurrency wallets store the public and private keys you need to access them and the addresses you need to receive them. You can have multiple addresses in your wallet—similar to how you can have multiple credit cards in a wallet or keys on a keychain. END