# What is an Ethereum Wallet - how do I get one?

## What is a Wallet?

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## 🔐 What Is a Wallet?

A **wallet** is your personal gateway to the Ethereum blockchain. It’s where you **store ETH (Ether)** — the cryptocurrency needed to interact with decentralized applications like Mintable.

You’ll need a wallet to:

* Hold your ETH
* Mint NFTs
* Buy or sell items
* Approve transactions securely

### 💡 Why Do I Need a Wallet?

Every transaction on Ethereum (minting, buying, selling, transferring NFTs) requires **ETH to pay gas fees**. Your wallet is what **submits these transactions** to the blockchain — and where you hold your funds and NFTs.

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### 🔐 Are Wallets Secure?

Yes! Wallets are **self-custodial** — meaning **you’re the only one with access**.

* You must manually **approve or deny** every transaction
* Mintable **cannot make transactions on your behalf**
* This gives you full control over your digital assets

> 🔒 Always keep your wallet’s **private key or seed phrase** safe. Anyone with that info can access your wallet.

### 🧰 What Is the Mintable Wallet?

Every user who signs up on Mintable also gets a **free Mintable Wallet** — a custodial wallet powered by **MetaMask technology**.

* It lets you **receive NFTs**, including from gasless mints
* You can **take custody** of the wallet at any time and import it into MetaMask
* It’s ideal for onboarding users who don’t yet have their own wallet

🔗 Learn more: [What is the Mintable Custodial Wallet?](https://docs.mintable.app/using-mintable/nft-wallets/mintable-custodial-wallet)

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### 🚀 Ready to Set Up a Wallet?

We recommend getting started with MetaMask:\
🔗 [Install MetaMask →](https://metamask.io)

Then connect it to Mintable and start collecting or creating NFTs right away!