Custodial Wallet vs Exchange

Quick comparison to help you distinguish these two crypto terms.

Custodial Wallet
beginner
risk

A custodial wallet is a cryptocurrency wallet where a third party holds and manages your private keys, offering convenience but requiring trust.

Read full definition
Exchange
beginner
fundamentals

A platform facilitating cryptocurrency buying, selling, and trading, either through centralized services managing transactions and custody (like Coinbase or Binance) or decentralized protocols enabling peer-to-peer trading through smart contracts without intermediaries (like Uniswap or dYdX).

Read full definition
Browse full glossaryGet platform access