Best ZCash Wallets of 2022: Nighthawk, YWallet & EdgeWallet

ZCash completed its NU5 upgrade on Tuesday causing technical issues for many users that prevented them from transacting or — in many cases — being able to see their funds in their wallets. In light of these problems, it’s a good time to review the options in the field.

Table of Contents

What is ZCash?

ZCash is a privacy token that launched in 2016. For the past six years, it has offered users the option of making their transactions private. But unlike some privacy coins — such as Monero — it did not make privacy the default. Because both public and private transactions appear on the blockchain, that made it easier to track transactions even by users who opted for the private setting. (If you know that Bob, Phil and Jack each made a transaction, and you know that Bob and Jack were responsible for transactions #1 and #2, it doesn’t make it hard to figure out that Phil was the one who made the shielded transaction.)

That vulnerability made the token a subject of criticism by privacy advocates. But because of it, ZCash was able to get listed on centralized exchanges — unlike certain alternatives, including Monero.

Nonetheless, the upgrade eliminated the problem going forward.

After this week’s upgrade, Nighthawk was the wallet that managed to retain the most functionality. Launched in 2020, Nighthawk was the first to shield transactions by default. Their app is available for both iOS and Android devices. In the event you experience difficulty seeing your funds on Nighthawk, you can try deleting the app and reloading your wallet. They should eventually appear.

Click here for Nighthawk’s download page.

YWallet

YWallet, launched in 2021, is a younger option. It requires you to create a new wallet for ZCash once you’re inside the app, which is a slight inconvenience, but it also offers two significant advantages. Firstly, it allows you to easily create as many ZEC addresses as you want to create. And secondly, it offers a desktop version. Nighthawk does not.

Click here for YWallet’s download page.

ZecWallet Lite

Zecwallet Lite, created at ZCash’s inception in 2016, was the first wallet to support the token. But as of May, it was set to be deprecated by the end of 2022 after developers stepped back from the project. As a result, it did not perform well in the wake of Tuesday’s upgrade, leaving users unable to view their funds or transact. In theory, however, it should continue working until its deprecation. Additionally, there is a possibility that new developers will step forward to take over the wallet. Until then, it’s available for both iOS and Android devices as well as desktop.

Click here for Zecwallet’s website.

EdgeWallet

EdgeWallet, headed by CEO Paul Puey, is relatively unique among ZCash wallets insofar as it requires users to input a username, password, and PIN at set-up. The wallet is shielded — unshielded is not an option. However, it is the first on this list to offer wallets not only for ZCash, but for a number of additional cryptocurrencies — including bitcoin, Ethereum, LItecoin, Doge, and many more. And as a special advantage, it permits users to exchange their ZEC for those currencies.

Click here for Edge’s website.

Jaxx and Unstoppable

Jaxx and Unstoppable are two options that allow users to store ZCash, but they do not allow shielded addresses. They’re worth a try if you’re experiencing an emergency that prevents you from viewing your balance or transacting on the other options. Jaxx also enables the swapping of ZEC into other currencies.

Click here for Jaxx’s download page.

Click here for Unstoppable’s page.

Problems?

If you’re experiencing problems with these or any other ZCash wallets, you can head over to the ZCash community forum to ask for assistance. Click here for their website.