Keys and Wallets

Ownership of any cryptocurrency always comes back to ownership of keys. The keys allow you to sign transactions to send or use crypto.

"Wallet apps" like MetaMask allow the creation of hot wallets, or shimming through to a hardware wallet.

Creating a hot wallet implies full trust of the host environment (computer or phone). The hardware wallet requires one-time trust of the supply chain.

A hardware wallet is a must for beginners who do not understand the threat model. Small mistakes can lead to exploits of a hot wallet.