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MyEtherWallet: An Introduction

Get started building your onchain portfolio with MEW

Written by Brittany

MyEtherWallet (MEW) is a suite of products designed for easy, secure access to crypto, tokenized stocks, RWAs, NFTs, and other onchain assets across multiple blockchain networks. Founded in 2015, MEW is the oldest Ethereum wallet, and has always been non-custodial, open-source, and client-side, which means MEW users retain full control of their assets at all times.


The suite of MEW tools includes:

  • MEW Mobile wallet for iOS and Android

  • multichain browser wallet extension Enkrypt

  • MEW Portfolio, a web-based onchain portfolio manager which can be used with any crypto wallet of your choice

What can I do with MEW?

  • Create your own onchain wallet - whether you prefer a mobile app, a browser extension, or a web-based experience.

  • Buy, hold, send, receive, sell, and swap crypto across different networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Base, Solana, BNB Chain, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and more.

  • Trade tokenized US equities and RWAs without a broker, without minimums, without time restrictions.

  • Stake ETH for a low risk, low maintenance yield while helping the Ethereum ecosystem thrive.

  • Manage your crypto anytime, from anywhere in the world, without worrying about your assets being inaccessible. MEW is not like a crypto exchange. We can't freeze your account or block your transactions.

  • Get help with anything you want to do onchain from our support team, our Help Center, and blog.

  • Get started in minutes whether you are an expert who has been in crypto since 2010 or an absolute beginner who never had a crypto wallet before.

What do 'non-custodial', ‘open-source’ and ‘client-side’ mean?

  • Non-custodial means that only you have control over your crypto. MEW has no access to user wallets or assets, MEW can't block or freeze your account, and can't prevent you from moving your assets whenever you want. You stay in full control of your assets at all times. Self-custody is what makes MEW very different from big crypto exchanges or popular payment apps that support crypto.

  • Open-source means anyone can view, copy, or make suggestions to our code on GitHub. That translates to higher transparency, security, and accountability.

  • Client-side means we do not have behind-the-scenes servers, and don't collect or store personal user information. We don't even collect your email to create an account. User privacy is one of our highest priorities.

Where are my assets stored then?

  • All ETH and tokens are stored on the Ethereum blockchain, and other cryptocurrencies are stored on their respective blockchain networks. Your wallet keys are the proof of ownership of your assets and your wallet app is where you manage them, but MEW doesn't hold them for you and can't use them without your knowledge, like an exchange or a bank.

  • When using any site, exchange, hardware wallet, or interface based on the blockchain, all crypto is stored on the blockchain itself. Wallets just allow users to interact with the blockchain in a simplified way.

  • The Ethereum blockchain is decentralized, which means it's not owned or controlled by a centralized entity, but is transparently verified and maintained by thousands of remote validators that are run by individuals and organizations. Other networks have varying degrees of decentralization, so do your research if this is something that's important to you.

  • Because assets reside on the blockchain and blockchains have transparency, block explorers like EthVM are able to display transaction information for any given wallet address. Not because of behind-the-scenes servers, but because they are pulling information from the blockchain itself.


MEW is NOT a bank or exchange.

What does that mean?

  • We do not store names, emails, or any personal information about our users.

  • We do not hold, manage, or loan out users' assets. The only one who has access to your assets is you.

  • We cannot cancel, reverse, or refund transactions.

  • We cannot recover assets if your secret recovery phrase is compromised.

  • We cannot recover lost passwords, nor can we reset passwords.


How do I remain secure?

  • Get our MEW Mobile wallet for iOS or Android. It’s simple, fast, and secure.

  • Use our multi-chain browser extension wallet Enkrypt.

  • Keep your secret recovery phrase in a safe place, written down on paper (NOT stored in a cloud or email), and never EVER show it to anyone or type it into an online website for any reason.

  • Follow us on X, read our educational blog MEWtopia, and explore more articles from our Help Center.

  • The most secure way to manage a large amount of crypto is through a hardware wallet, like a Ledger Nano S or Trezor. If you have over $200 in crypto, there is little excuse not to get one.

  • Even though MEW supports access with software wallet methods, we DO NOT recommend using them in an online environment. When using a private key, keystore/JSON file, or mnemonic/recovery phrase, make sure to keep them solely on physical paper and offline computers. This information is extremely sensitive. Make backups. If you lose this information, it’s gone forever.

  • Always check the URL you are using to make sure it says www.myetherwallet.com. And bookmark us for future use.

  • Do not trust any messages sent to you randomly from ‘our team’. We do not have your information. We never email or DM our users first.

  • Do not click any links in messages or emails from unknown senders.

  • Consider installing an ad blocker and do not click on any ads you see on your search engine.

  • Do your research. If something seems fishy to you, it's likely someone mentioned it in crypto communities on social platforms.

  • If you have additional questions or concerns, reach out to us! Our support team is always happy to help. We can be reached at support@myetherwallet.com


~ Follow us on X (Twitter) ~

~ Check out our MEWtopia blog ~

~ Love browser wallets? Download Enkrypt ~

or scan code below~

Tags:

mewwalletios, mewwalletandroid, whatis, mew


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