Bitcoin Forum

Can anybody recommend a desktop software wallet (that can run on Linux) that natively supports BIP-39 passphrase ("13th/25th seed word") and multiple blockchains at the same time (at least Bitcoin and Ethereum)?

Most of the hardware wallets like Trezor or Ledger support passphrase, but the only software multi-crypto wallet that I was able to find with passphrase support is Coinomi which is closed-source and has a bad reputation. The rest of the software wallets seem to be Bitcoin-only or Ethereum only (like MyCrypto).

Edited: added that it needs to be runnable on desktop, not a mobile app

Unstoppable wallet is open source and support many altcoins. If you want to generate a wallet with seed phrase and passphrase, you can use Unstoppable wallet for it.

Unstoppable wallet {User experiences} (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5436273.msg61631387#msg61631387)

You've got Unstoppable wallet[1][2] and Crypto.com desktop wallet[3]. I know their extension supports Bitcoin, so the desktop version should be no different.

EDIT: Crypto.com wallet may not be for you either. It doesn't look like it supports passphrases either.


[1] https://github.com/horizontalsystems/unstoppable-wallet-android
[2] https://unstoppable.money/
[3] https://github.com/crypto-com/chain-desktop-wallet

Sorry, forgot to mention another key requirement which is being a desktop app (or at least browser extension) that can be run on Linux, so Unstoppable Wallet doesn't fit under that requirement.

Coinomi is fine to me but since it's closed-source this wallet can't be trusted.

If you still looking for other alternative than the above suggestion I think Mycelium also supports multiple coins since you said "at least Bitcoin and Ethereum" then Mycelium support them check the guide below on how.

- https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/6v33jn/add_a_bip39_passphrase_to_your_12_words_wordseed/?rdt=53933


If that's what you looking for the only wallet that I know is AtomicDex which has open-sourced code but I never tested this wallet.

You don't have any other option but to use a hardware wallet that supports BIP39 with a passphrase like Trezor.

Thanks, for the suggestions, but unfortunately both Unstoppable Wallet and Mycelium are mobile apps and I wasn't able to find any indication that crypto.com desktop app supports BIP-39 passphrase, just tried installing it and it only accepts the seed phrase when recovering wallets.

So the question is still there whether there are any open-sourced alternatives to Coinomi that will fit the bill.

Looks like AirGap would fit your requirements. It is open source,  multi-crypto, BIP39 compliant wallet and  has a Linux flavor (https://github.com/airgap-it/airgap-wallet/releases/tag/v3.5.1/) .

I personally didn't use it but have come across many   good opinions about this wallet.

One of the opt with AirGap is a setup of  the cold storage (https://support.airgap.it/airgap-vault/setup/secure-cold-wallet-airgap-desktop) on desktop

Here (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5342004.0) you can find a dedicated thread.

Interesting, this is the first time I have seen this name and after some research, it fulfills all the requirements of OP but the Airgap doesn't seem to be an actual wallet cause they mentioned it watch only a wallet for their product Airgap Vault.

Also, they focused on creating wallets for Android and IOS, I tried to click Windows and other platform download files but it only redirected me to the APK file nothing else that could find download links of .exe.

I wouldn't recommend using desktop versions of multicurrency wallets because they often contain much more vulnerabilities than regular Bitcoin-only wallets, but the closest thing I found that meets your criteria is this one: https://coin.space/. It has a Linux version, claims to have "a BIP39 passphrase encryption on wallet creation, hardening the security of your wallet right out of the gate", and is likely open-source since I managed to find their GitHub page: https://github.com/CoinSpace/CoinSpace. It could be that, however, they are confusing concepts by referring to a mere seed phrase as a wallet passphrase, so it needs verifying.

The other option is to switch to Windows or use emulators like Wine to run Unstoppable Wallet on a Linux machine. Or just ditch these pesky altcoins altogether.

What about to use free open-source Android Emulator for Linux?

You will probably find it hard to fulfill your requirement and will have to change some plans. I wouldn't only rely on open-source criteria, wallet has to be famous, demandable and frequently inspected by developers but there is no such wallet that unites many altcoins and also supports Linux or Windows. Or your best bet is to use android emulator. Another option, and I would say it's a good option, is to use hardware wallets. Trezor hardware wallet is probably better than many other software wallets that float online.

So you already have a passphrase-protected wallet that you created elsewhere, and now you want to recover it, am I right?

How many altcoins are we talking about? Is it too many to recover the seed + passphrase in separate wallets instead of one multicoin wallet?
I would first recover my bitcoin and move it elsewhere before starting to recover the alts. After that, start with the most valuable altcoin stash. I think you will have to lower your expectations here and use a closed-source wallet, but only do it after your BTC is safe.   

No, you got it inverse. He wanted a multi-crypto wallet that supports BIP-39 and also the passphrase feature while creating a new wallet however, it appears that Crypto.com's wallet solution offers the passphrase feature exclusively for wallet recovery purposes, rather than during the initial wallet creation process.

If that's the case and OP doesn't already have such a wallet generated elsewhere, then it's an even bigger reason not to go down the road of using a multicoin wallet to store the bitcoin. Keep your bitcoin separated from everything else, and transfer the alts to wallets based on their value. Since he mentioned ether, he can find open-source software for that asset as well.   

I know no desktop software that does that, unless there's hardware wallet involved. Trezor hardware and software combination is probably the most secure way to go. If you just want Bitcoin and Ethereum, though, I'd recommend sticking with well-reviewed wallet software about both cryptocurrencies, separately.

I don't know about Android emulators, but I know Unstoppable runs on mobile and is designed to run there exclusively. I can't recommend someone to try out that elsewhere, even if possible, because I don't know the security implications. For example, it is also possible to run the Electrum binaries for Windows, in Linux, using Wine, but you shouldn't do it.

For some reason I remembered Bisq because it's not only a decentralized exchange, but you also get a non-custodial wallet with a seed phrase that you can use as such. But I don't remember seeing a passphrase feature in Bisq, and I am not sure how coin recovery of other assets besides BTC and BSQ would work. It's probably not a good idea to use it for other use cases than what it's intended for.

To make it easier for you to find what fits the criteria, follow my instructions. That's the most basic way.

open the bitcoin.org (https://bitcoin.org/en/) site -> choose your wallet (https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet) -> desktop wallets [linux, macOs, windows] https://talkimg.com/images/2023/11/07/tjydj.jpeg -> select the criteria you want by checking the box for the features you are looking for -> done. You will find a wallet according to your needs.

I'm using Airgap for some coins that I mine since the pandemic it was installed on my two phones I never had any issues using Airgap Wallet they do have separate wallet software the one you mentioned AirGap Wallet is the watch-only wallet where you can monitor your coins, make unsigned transaction and broadcast the transaction and the AirGap vault is where you generated the seed backup and it only signed a transaction by scanning the QR code generated from the Airgap wallet. That's how it works.

About the exe for Windows version they don't release new versions it is stuck at the 3.10 version if you still looking for the exe file you can download it here (https://github.com/airgap-it/airgap-wallet/releases/tag/v3.10.0)

AFAIK, they have suggested adding a password while creating seeds which probably could be a Passphrase but I am not sure I will verify it later cuz, for some reason I opened BISQ to verify the passphrase and a mandatory update popped up and it's taking forever for update not sure why though.

Bisq is not user-friendly so I agree with you completely that it shouldn't be considered as a wallet for storing, its decentralized exchange and to be used for the intended purposes.

---

The last update was released 2 years ago, and windows defender stopped running the application while installing and I had to override it this is Airgap wallet basically watch only wallet now again I don't know how to find Airgap vault and it is too complicated so for shitcoin it doesn't worth trying unless you already have them. ;)

I've tried the latest release and it does have an option to add a password with "fitting" notes of a BIP39 passphrase.
Reference screenshots:

• https://www.talkimg.com/images/2023/11/08/tolNc.png
• https://www.talkimg.com/images/2023/11/08/to0w2.png

However, upon testing to create a new address (legacy, since it won't let me until the first SegWit is funded);
I found out that it is still generated without the password that I've set prior to generation of that address, I've tested the seed phrase in various wallets and tools.
And also, below the "Wallet Info" menu, the keypool seems to be unaffected after setting a password.
Lastly, the wallet and its seed are still auto-generated the first time the app is launched.

As far as I know there is only one open source wallet that would fit what you are asking for and it's called Stack wallet.
Stack is mobile wallet but they recently released desktop version for linux, mac and windw0s os, and I like they are focusing more on privacy.
I wouldn't use it as main wallet yet, since this is early desktop version, but it is promising because they work with Passport hardware wallet if I remember correctly.

Find latest releases on their github page:
https://github.com/cypherstack/stack_wallet/releases

I wouldn't use it as an Ethereum wallet. Their wiki is nearly empty when it comes to that (https://bisq.wiki/index.php?search=ethereum&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go), plus I've never heard of them being pro-ethereum, so I doubt they have developed it with caution. On the other hand, I have never heard of a reputable, open-source, reviewed Ethereum wallet either (e.g., the respective Electrum), but it must be that I've never done more than an ethereum transaction. I would also avoid buying ETH from Bisq, as there are few offers and it's most likely going to be pricey.

Everything works through TOR, so you can't expect download speeds to be the priority in such cases. It's a slow process.

Sure, but you also wouldn't need to use it for any trading. It's the trading aspect that isn't user-friendly. Creating a new wallet and making backups of your seed is the same as with any other non-custodial software.

MyEtherWallet is open-source. I can't comment on the reviewed part of your post, though. But MEW should be good enough.

My suggestion might be to use an emulator to run wallets and mobile apps that meet these criteria. This way, you'll have plenty of good options to choose from.


Indeed, it's true that some recommended wallets have their own unique features and security indicators. It's possible that the list displayed only supports wallets for storing Bitcoin, while what we're looking for here is a multi-coin wallet to store BTC with BIP-39 seed import support and the ability to store Ethereum, much like Unstoppable Wallet.

If I'm not mistaken, Charles-Tim and OmegaStarScream have answered OP's question regarding wallet recommendations for multi-crypto and I agree with the recommendations given by both of them.
1. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5472435.msg63087849#msg63087849
2. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5472435.msg63087860#msg63087860

OP made an exception after they recommended the Unstoppable wallet because according to the OP the Unstoppable wallet did not meet the criteria considering that Unstoppable is not available for desktop.


Below, BitMaxz also provides an alternative by mentioning Mycelium because it supports Bitcoin and Ethereum.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5472435.msg63087909#msg63087909

I tried to offer the most basic things to the OP to choose the wallet (https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet) they want themselves by opening the bitcoin.org (https://bitcoin.org/en/) site to see the desired criteria.

Ugh, it's a browser wallet. I remember I had used that once, when I had requested to receive ETH. It was the best I could find.  :P

That is rather a terrible suggestion. These wallets aren't supposed to be running outside their mobile OSes, and since an emulator isn't a 100% replica of a mobile OS (like Android), you can't expect to gain the same levels of security.

That's exactly what I wanted to ask bayu7adi after I saw his post. Are you sure that it would be a downgrade in security and why? If the wallet is being emulated on a clean desktop OS, would there be a loss in entropy if we generated a seed through that emulated software, or would the keys be less secure? Obviously, it would have to be a trusted and safe emulator, which also begs the question if there is such a thing?   

It should work just fine in terms of security but we can't guarantee the safety of our wallet to any emulators if connected online. However, if the wallet you are using is capable of running offline or has no internet connection maybe any emulator is safe to use just make sure that the emulator and the wallet remain offline never connect it online, and only use a cam for scanning and signing a transaction.

But we are talking about multicoin hot wallets that are online regardless of an emulator or not. They either run on a smarthphone - making them hot or on an internet-connected desktop system, which again makes them hot wallets. I have never heard of an airgapped multicoin wallet that is also open-source on top of that.

It's not as user-friendly as a wallet like Electrum to send/receive funds and anything that we do in the wallet otherwise seed creation/ baking up and all are one-time processes so it's all the same as every other wallet.

Even from as storing perspective, it doesn't look user-friendly or not convenient for reasons like taking time for everything and for the record I really wanted to use BISQ due to its no KYC but it doesn't have any liquidity for the fiat I want to trade so I just have to still stick with KYCed P2Ps.

Few days ago I heard about new multichain wallet with a bit funny name - Uniblow wallet  :D
It is open source, it can work on Linux, MacOS and wind0ws, and it's even working with some hardware wallets like Satochip and ledger.
Don't expect any advanced configuration settings, and use it only with smaller amount of coins for testing.
Uniblow supports BTC, ETH with tokens and nft, BSC with tokens, Matic with tokens, Tron with tokens, FTM, AVAX; SOL and other shitcoins.
Full list of supported coins can be found here: https://uniblow.org/features

https://www.talkimg.com/images/2023/11/15/FAhDN.png
https://github.com/bitlogik/uniblow

official website:
https://uniblow.org/

I guess we can test it and see, but I'd stay away from using any emulator with real money.

Depends on the potential security holes of the emulator.

There's waydroid (https://waydro.id/) which can run on Linux, is open-source and released under the GPLv3 license. I'm sure there are more, but even if "fully reviewed and totally secure", I'd not use a Bitcoin mobile app in an environment that wasn't written to run on, because there might be security implications with the app itself.

The safest approach is to use different wallet software for each cryptocurrency. The security will be better, because no developer cares to be as cautious as each expert team for each crypto accordingly.

I don't care what they say. I don't trust someone who calls their work like that.  :P