Glossary

Crypto wallets

A crypto wallet holds the keys that control stablecoins. Wallets are either self-custodial or custodial.

General information only, not legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Laws, rates and thresholds change often and depend on your situation, so check the official sources below and confirm with a qualified advisor before you act. Last reviewed September 2026.

Definition

A crypto wallet does not store coins. It stores the private key that proves who controls a blockchain address. Whoever has the key can move the funds, so how the key is kept decides who is in control.

Two types

  • Self-custodial: the payee holds the private key or seed phrase, with full control and full responsibility1
  • Custodial: an exchange or app holds the key for the payee, which is often easier to use and to convert to a bank account, but the payee depends on that provider1

Before sending a payout

  • Confirm the wallet address and the blockchain network
  • Screen the address against sanctions lists2
  • Send a small test amount for a new, high-value payee
  • Remember that the sender generally cannot reverse an on-chain transfer3

How Talentir helps

Creators connect their wallet in Talentir by signing a message once, then receive stablecoin payouts to it. See global payments

Sources

  1. FinCEN: Guidance on convertible virtual currency business models (FIN-2019-G001) ↩ ↩2

  2. OFAC: Sanctions Compliance Guidance for the Virtual Currency Industry ↩

  3. FTC: What to know about cryptocurrency and scams ↩