How to Set Up Your First Secure Crypto Wallet in 5 Minutes

Before you walk up to a physical Bitcoin ATM, you must have a destination wallet address ready to receive the coins. Think of a crypto wallet as your personal digital bank account.

Step 1: Choose Your Wallet Type

For convenience and ease-of-use at local BTMs, we recommend downloading a mobile wallet app to your smartphone. Popular, highly secure, and free options include:

• BlueWallet (Excellent, clean interface for Bitcoin)
• Trust Wallet (Supports BTC, ETH, and LTC)
• Coinbase Wallet (Self-custody app, easy address generation)

Step 2: Backup Your Recovery Phrase

When you initialize a new self-custody wallet, the app will display a list of 12 or 24 random words. This is your recovery phrase. Write this phrase down on paper and store it in a secure place. Never save it on your phone or share it with anyone. If you lose this phrase, you lose access to your funds forever.

Step 3: Find Your QR Code Scanner Address

Open your wallet app, select the asset you want to purchase (e.g. Bitcoin), and tap Receive or Deposit. This will display a public QR code. Walk up to the Cedar BTM kiosk, choose 'Buy', and hold this QR code up to the machine's glass scanner. The machine will instantly recognize your address and deposit your coins.