What is Samourai wallet?

Utilizing Samourai Wallet's privacy-centric features, such as CoinJoin and Stealth Addresses, enhances Bitcoin transaction anonymity by breaking connections between the sender and receiver and protecting recipient identities.

Feb 21, 2025 at 10:00 pm

Key Points:

• Decentralized wallet for Bitcoin (BTC)
• Focus on privacy and anonymity
• Non-custodial, so users retain full control of their funds
• Open-source and community-driven

What is Samourai Wallet?

Samourai Wallet is an open-source, non-custodial Bitcoin wallet that prioritizes privacy and anonymity. It allows users to conduct Bitcoin transactions without compromising the confidentiality of their personal data or transaction details. The wallet provides an array of features to enhance transaction privacy, such as CoinJoin, Stealth Addresses, and Whirlpool. It is available for download on Android mobile devices.

Features of Samourai Wallet:

• CoinJoin: Samourai Wallet facilitates CoinJoin transactions, which involve mixing multiple Bitcoin inputs and outputs to break the connection between the sender and receiver. This process enhances the fungibility of Bitcoin and makes it more challenging to trace transactions.
• Stealth Addresses: Samourai Wallet generates one-time stealth addresses for each transaction, making it difficult for others to identify the intended recipient. This feature ensures that the receiver's privacy is protected and prevents transaction metadata from being linked to their identity.
• Whirlpool: Whirlpool is a multi-step mixing service within Samourai Wallet that further anonymizes Bitcoin transactions. It involves sending transactions through a series of CoinJoins and Stealth Addresses, effectively breaking the trail of ownership and making it nearly impossible to trace the origin of funds.
• Ricochet: Ricochet is a privacy-enhancing network built into Samourai Wallet. It allows users to send and receive Bitcoin transactions through decentralized and anonymizing servers, providing an additional layer of protection against surveillance and censorship.
• Non-custodial: Samourai Wallet is non-custodial, which means that users maintain complete control over their Bitcoin funds. The wallet does not store private keys on their servers, ensuring that only the user has access to their cryptocurrency.
• Open-source and community-driven: Samourai Wallet is open-source software that is maintained and updated by a dedicated community of developers. This transparency allows users to audit the code and ensures that the wallet remains free from vulnerabilities and malicious code.

Samourai Wallet: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Download and install Samourai Wallet: Visit the official Samourai Wallet website and download the wallet for your Android device.
2. Create a new wallet or import an existing one: If you are creating a new wallet, generate a new 12-word seed phrase and store it securely. If you are importing an existing wallet, enter the seed phrase from your old wallet.
3. Secure your Samourai Wallet: Set a strong password and enable additional security measures like 2-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your wallet from compromise.
4. Configure privacy settings: Enable Stealth Addresses, CoinJoin, and Whirlpool to enhance the privacy of your transactions.
5. Send and receive Bitcoin: Use Stealth Addresses to receive Bitcoin, ensuring the confidentiality of the recipient. Engage in CoinJoin transactions to mix your funds and break the connection between sender and receiver. Leverage Whirlpool for an even higher level of anonymity.

FAQs:

• Is Samourai Wallet safe?
  Samourai Wallet is a secure Bitcoin wallet that employs advanced privacy-enhancing features. However, it is crucial to remember that no wallet is 100% unhackable, and users should practice good security habits to protect their funds.
• What fees does Samourai Wallet charge?
  The wallet itself is free to download and use. However, network fees still apply for Bitcoin transactions. These fees are typically based on the size and complexity of the transaction and are paid to miners for processing and confirming transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain.
• Is Samourai Wallet legal?
  Yes, Samourai Wallet is fully legal and compliant with all applicable laws. Privacy-enhancing features built into the wallet are designed to protect users' right to financial privacy and are not intended to facilitate illegal activities.