Set up your COIN wallet

1. Download the COIN Wallet

   Get it from the Download page. Before you open it, check that the file's SHA-256 hash matches the one published with the release. It takes a minute, and the Windows guide shows you how.

2. Open it and create a new wallet

   The first time it starts, the wallet asks for your language and how you'd like to use it. Choose Advanced mode. Don't let the name put you off: it's the mode that keeps your own copy of the blockchain and includes mining, and it's just as easy.

   Then choose Create a new wallet and give your wallet a name.

3. Write down your 25 words

   The wallet shows your recovery phrase, also called your seed: 25 words that are the master key to your coins. Write them on paper, in order. With these words you can restore your wallet on any computer, even if this one is lost.

   Never share your seed. Anyone with these words can spend your coins. Don't photograph them or save them in a file. No Coin developer, moderator or support account will ever ask for them.

4. Choose a password

   The password unlocks the wallet file on this computer. Make it strong. It can't be recovered, but if you forget it you can always restore the wallet from your 25 words.

5. Let it start its own node

   Keep Start a node automatically in background (recommended) selected and press Create wallet. That's it. Your wallet starts a node and connects to the Coin network by itself.

   The first time, the node downloads the blockchain and checks every block. The wallet shows its progress and says Connected once it has caught up.

6. Receive your first coins

   Open Receive, copy your address and give it to whoever is paying you. The payment shows up in Transactions, and you can spend it after 10 blocks, about 20 minutes.

Want to mine? Open Advanced > Mining, choose how many CPU threads to use and press Start mining. Mining guide »

Next steps

• Send and receive COIN: addresses, fees and confirmations.
• Back up your seed properly. It takes five minutes.
• Stay safe: the habits that keep your coins yours.

Advanced: set up with the command-line wallet

Every download also includes coind, the node on its own, and the command-line wallet. On Linux, these are what you get. Start coind and let it sync, then start the command-line wallet from the same folder and follow its prompts to create a wallet.

It shows your 25 words once, when the wallet is created. Type seed at any time to see them again, and address to see your address.

The Linux guide walks through it, and Run a node covers keeping coind running.