Blockchain.com (originally known as Blockchain.info) has been providing safe and secure online bitcoin wallets for its customers free of charge since 2011, making it one of the longest running wallet service providers. It is also one of the most trusted, providing over 39 million wallets to customers across 140 countries. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Blockchain.com additionally serves as a bitcoin block explorer and statistics provider, which renders it one of the most useful and comprehensive online resources for bitcoin enthusiasts.
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Unlike several other online (“hot”) wallets, Blockchain.com allows its users to have control over the private keys of their bitcoin wallets, meaning that they retain control over their bitcoin at all times. User wallet funds are therefore not mixed into a centralized wallet, as is the case with many other web-based wallet providers. The number of different security levels employed by Blockchain.com makes it almost impossible for user funds to be stolen or tampered when adhering to general internet safety guidelines (frequently running malware scans, not getting phished by imposter sites, etc).
Setting up your own bitcoin wallet on Blockchain.com is incredibly simple and may seem like a breeze, but making sure to backup and safely store your login information is of the utmost importance. Below is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to create your own bitcoin wallet, how to send and receive bitcoin with it, and how to complete the verification process so that you can buy bitcoin with fiat currency (USD, EUR, CAD, etc).
First, visit blockchain.com. Click the “Sign Up” box in the upper-right hand corner of your screen.
Next, fill in your email address and create a strong password (“strong” meaning a mix of letter, numbers and symbols that is 10 characters in length or more). Make sure you save your password in a safe place (a locked document, a piece of paper, or somewhere on your computer — do not upload it to a cloud-based service like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive). After checking the box next to the words I have read and agreed to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy, click “Create My Wallet.”
You will then be brought to your Blockchain Wallet home screen. Note that in the top bar underneath the word BLOCKCHAIN there will be a reminder asking you to verify your email address.
You can do this by going to your email server for the email you used to register you Blockchain.com account, opening the email from Blockchain <[email protected]>, and clicking on the blue button that says “Yes, This Is My Email.” You will be brought to blockchain.com where a message will appear telling you that your email has been verified.
Follow the instructions given and return to your previous browser tab with the Blockchain Wallet home screen (you can close the email verification tab).
From your wallet home screen, you will be able to see options and balances for 5 different cryptocurrencies. For the purposes of this article, we will only be focusing on Bitcoin (BTC). Click on the word “Bitcoin” underneath Total Balance to go to your Bitcoin Balance screen.
From here, you will see 2 options toward the top of the screen, “Send” and “Request.” Click on either the big blue box that says “Get BTC” or “Request” in order to display your bitcoin address (this is one of many bitcoin addresses that Blockchain.com generates for you).
In the Request screen, your personal bitcoin address is the series of numbers and letters that starts with a “1” and is shown under the word Address. The QR code displayed directly above it is a code that represents your address, meaning it can be scanned by a mobile device and sent bitcoin from a mobile wallet. Copy your bitcoin address and save it in the same place where you saved your Blockchain.com password. You can do this by clicking the copy button to the right of the address (shown where the arrow is pointing in the screenshot below).
Sending BTC is similarly very easy. Just click on the “Send” box from your Bitcoin Balance screen, paste the bitcoin address you want to send BTC to, enter the amount to be sent (in terms of USD or BTC), select your confirmation fee (Regular, Priority, or custom), and press “Continue.”
If you want to purchase bitcoin directly from your Blockchain.com account, you’ll need to verify your account. To get started, click the “Buy & Sell” button in your account dashboard screen.
Enter in your country and state (if you live in the U.S.) and click “Next.” Note that the Buy Bitcoin feature is currently available only for users within parts of the U.S., India, the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Enter in your country code and phone number, then click “Send My Code.” A text message will be sent to your phone number with a verification code.
Enter the verification code, click “Continue,” then check the terms and conditions box, and click “Continue” again.
In the next screen, enter your name and address. After filling all the required fields, click “Continue.”
Next, enter in your birthday and Social Security number (for U.S. residents — bear in mind that Blockchain.com is a highly respected organization and they will not abuse this information), then click “Continue.”
You will then be asked to confirm your identity by providing Blockchain.com with a copy of a current ID (this can be a driver’s license, state ID, or passport). To do this, you will need to take a selfie-style photo of you holding your ID and upload it. Additionally, you will be asked to upload a photo of the ID itself. Blockchain.com usually provides instant ID verification, but sometimes it may take up to a few days to process. After completing this segment, press “Continue.”
Now you will be asked to verify your banking information. This will include providing Blockchain.com with the name of your bank and a routing number. After you have entered this information, click “Continue.” After the verification process has finished you will now be able to buy and sell bitcoin from Blockchain.com.
Tips for Logging in: You will have to confirm your login by email every time you log in. This is a basic safety precaution to make sure that nobody can log into your account if they only have your email address and password. You will also need to login using your “Wallet ID” and not your email address. Your Wallet ID looks something like this:
92624c2a-af6d-4182–8bdc-c49d3260b1c2
It can be located at the bottom of every email sent to you by Blockchain.com. Your browser will likely also save your Wallet ID so you don’t have to enter it every time you want to log in (same thing with your password, if you are saving it in a browser you trust).