Chapter 1. Bitcoin Wallets and Mining Software

In this chapter, we will take a look at the various Bitcoin wallets available, explore the mining software that is currently available, review the functions that Bitcoin wallets perform, and why we need them. We will take a brief look at both software and hardware wallets. The difference between full wallets and thin client wallets will also be explored. We will also touch upon hosted wallets and look into wallet security.

Next, we will take a brief look at mining software and examine why the software is needed and what it does. Finally, we will quickly review what mining software is available to us and which software we should use. Keep in mind that the material presented in this chapter will be brief and serve only as a review of the basics:

• Bitcoin wallets
• Types of wallets
• Wallet security
• Mining software