Summary

In this chapter, we glanced at Bitcoin wallets and mining software. We examined the different flavors that wallets come in, from software wallets to hardware wallets. We looked at the difference between full wallets—ones that keep a full copy of the block chain, and thin client wallets that do not download the entire block chain but instead use a different technique to verify transactions. We also touched upon hosted wallets and wallet security was covered at a basic level. Always keep in mind that securing your wallet is an activity worth the effort.

Next, we looked at mining software. We discussed why such software is needed and what it accomplishes. We examined mining software by looking at one of the most popular: cgminer. We briefly discussed the options available when running cgminer.

This chapter was meant as a refresher—we will delve deeper into these topics in subsequent chapters. We hope that you found this chapter interesting and will stay with us for the rest of the journey.