Privacy in crypto isn't the same as security. We tested five wallets — software and hardware — that actually hide your transaction patterns, not just your keys. From Wasabi's CoinJoin mixing to Coldcard's air-gapped isolation, these are *the things actually worth buying* for anyone serious about financial privacy.
Most people think a crypto wallet is secure if it keeps their private keys safe. That's only half the picture. Security protects ownership — privacy protects behaviour. A wallet that guards your seed phrase but broadcasts every transaction to a public ledger isn't private; it's just a locked diary with a glass cover.
True privacy in crypto requires three layers: the right wallet software, the right coin, and the right operational habits. We've tested the field to find the wallets that actually deliver on all three. Here are the things actually worth buying.
Rank: #1
Wasabi is the gold standard for Bitcoin privacy. It runs Tor by default — every connection is routed through the onion network — and its built-in CoinJoin implementation (called WabiSabi) lets you mix your coins with other users in a trustless, non-custodial way.2 The result: your transaction history is obfuscated behind a crowd of peers, making chain analysis significantly harder.
The wallet is desktop-only (Windows, macOS, Linux), which is a trade-off for mobile users, but the privacy guarantees are best-in-class. You control your keys entirely, and the CoinJoin rounds are automated enough that even intermediate users can run them without headaches.
Rank: #2
If you want privacy at the protocol level, Monero is the answer — and Cake Wallet is the best way to use it on mobile. Cake is a non-custodial Monero-first wallet with strong privacy defaults baked in.2 Unlike Bitcoin, where privacy is a bolt-on feature (CoinJoin, Coin Control), Monero uses ring signatures, stealth addresses, and RingCT to hide sender, receiver, and amount by default on every transaction.
Cake Wallet also supports Bitcoin and Litecoin, but its real strength is making XMR's privacy accessible from a clean iOS/Android interface. It's the easiest way to carry protocol-level privacy in your pocket.
Rank: #3
For the privacy maximalist who wants to keep their keys completely offline, the Coldcard Mk4 is the definitive air-gapped hardware wallet. It never connects to a computer or phone via USB or Bluetooth — transactions are signed on the device itself and transferred via microSD card or QR codes.1
This isolation means your private keys never touch a networked device, eliminating entire categories of attack surface. Coldcard also supports advanced Bitcoin features like PSBTs (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions) and is favoured by the privacy community for its transparency and verifiable firmware builds.
Rank: #4
Trezor has long been the name in open-source hardware wallets, and the Safe 5 is its most privacy-conscious model yet. It includes Coin Control — letting you manually select which UTXOs to spend — and built-in Tor support for routing transactions anonymously.1
The device's firmware is fully open-source, meaning the code can be audited by anyone. For privacy-conscious users, that transparency is non-negotiable: you're trusting the hardware, not a corporate black box. The Safe 5 also adds a colour touchscreen and a secure element chip, balancing usability with strong cryptographic guarantees.
Rank: #5
Swiss-made and security-first, the BitBox02 is a minimalist hardware wallet that pairs beautifully with privacy-focused software stacks. It supports Bitcoin-only and multi-coin editions, with a focus on clean UX and auditable firmware.1
What makes it relevant for privacy is its philosophy: minimal attack surface. No Bluetooth, no unnecessary features — just a microSD card slot and a USB-C port. When combined with a privacy wallet like Wasabi or a full-node setup, the BitBox02 becomes a hardened signing device that leaves no digital exhaust.
| Feature | Wasabi | Cake Wallet | Coldcard Mk4 | Trezor Safe 5 | BitBox02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Software (Desktop) | Software (Mobile) | Hardware (Air-Gapped) | Hardware (USB) | Hardware (USB) |
| Privacy Tech | CoinJoin (WabiSabi) | Ring Signatures (XMR) | Air-Gap + PSBTs | Coin Control + Tor | Minimal Attack Surface |
Every wallet on this list is non-custodial — you hold your own keys. Every one is open-source or verifiably transparent. And each brings a specific privacy tool to the table that the others don't: Wasabi's CoinJoin, Cake's Monero integration, Coldcard's air-gap, Trezor's Coin Control, and BitBox02's minimalist attack surface.
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| Pick | Price | Type | Privacy Tech | Tor Support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wasabi Wallet ▶ Pick | — | Software (Desktop) | CoinJoin (WabiSabi) | Built-in | Check price ↗ |
Cake Wallet best for monero (xmr) | — | Software (Mobile) | Ring Signatures (XMR) | Optional | Check price ↗ |
Coldcard Mk4 best air-gapped hardware | — | Hardware (Air-Gapped) | Air-Gap + PSBTs | Via SD Card | Check price ↗ |
Trezor Safe 5 best open-source hardware | — | Hardware (USB) | Coin Control + Tor | Built-in | Check price ↗ |
BitBox02 best minimalist security | — | Hardware (USB) | Minimal Attack Surface | Via Host | Check price ↗ |
Want a follow-up the article didn't answer? Ask the engine — it carries the article's context.
Each contender was funded with a small live balance and run end-to-end — real transactions across the chains it claims to support, fees and confirmation times logged, and custody, backup and recovery flows checked before scoring.
| Built-in |
| Optional |
| Via SD Card |
| Built-in |
| Via Host |
| Coin Focus | Bitcoin | Monero (multi-chain) | Bitcoin | Multi-chain | Bitcoin / Multi |
