Skip to content
buybitcoinsmart
Menu

Atomic Wallet vs Wallet of Satoshi

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
Atomic Wallet1.2Warning

Do not keep bitcoin here: over 5,500 wallets were emptied in June 2023 and the cause was never published.

Wallet of Satoshi2.7Bitcoin-onlyWarning

The easiest Lightning wallet to start with, and a custodial one: the company holds your coins, and it has stopped offering that in the US and the EU.

Verdict: Wallet of Satoshi

Wallet of Satoshi rates higher on our rubric: 2.7 against 1.2 for Atomic Wallet.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Atomic Wallet
1.2
Wallet of Satoshi
2.7

Atomic Wallet and Wallet of Satoshi, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Atomic Wallet and Wallet of Satoshi compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactAtomic WalletWallet of Satoshi
Editorial rating1.22.7 (favoured on this row)
StatusCaution: see the reviewCaution: see the review
Made byAtomic WalletLiving Room of Satoshi Pty Ltd
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted with your passwordcustodial in its default mode, meaning the company holds the keys, with a separate self-custodial mode where you do
Bitcoin-onlyNoYes
Runs oniOS, Android, Windows, macOS, LinuxiOS, Android
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityNot statedNot stated
Released2017The custodial service left the US on November 23, 2023 and the European Union at the turn of 2026
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Atomic Wallet

What works

  • Keys are held on your device, so a working install still lets you move your own coins out
  • Desktop builds are published for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora, with a hashsum check for the download
  • One app covers bitcoin and more than a thousand other assets, which is why so many people kept so much in it

What to watch

  • More than 5,500 wallets were drained on June 2 and 3, 2023, for over $100 million by Elliptic's count
  • Atomic has never published a confirmed technical cause, offering four possibilities and picking none
  • No compensation has been paid to the people who lost money
  • Its first public statements put the damage at under 0.1% and then under 1% of users, which the on-chain evidence contradicted
  • The first class action was thrown out in 2024 on jurisdiction rather than on the facts, and a second is now pending in California
  • The homepage says nothing about the incident and still runs testimonials from a man who died in 2021

Wallet of Satoshi

What works

  • The fastest way onto Lightning there is: no channels, no liquidity management and no node to run
  • Free Lightning address that reads like an email, so anyone can pay you without scanning a code
  • Pays Lightning invoices and on-chain bitcoin addresses from the same box, detecting which you pasted
  • A self-custodial mode is offered everywhere, including in regions where the custodial one is not
  • No breach of its custodial infrastructure has been publicly reported

What to watch

  • Custodial in its default mode, so the company can freeze, lose or stop serving your balance
  • Left the US market on November 23, 2023 and has not announced a return
  • Withdrew the custodial service across the European Union at the turn of 2026, pushing EU users into self-custody
  • No published country list, so which mode you get is decided by the app rather than by a page you can read first
  • In-app buying runs through third-party partners whose country coverage changes without the wallet saying anything

Frequently asked questions

Is Atomic Wallet or Wallet of Satoshi better?

Wallet of Satoshi rates higher on our rubric: 2.7 against 1.2 for Atomic Wallet. The rating follows the product rubric published on our about page; the rows above set custody, price and platforms side by side so you can check it.

Are Atomic Wallet and Wallet of Satoshi free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Atomic Wallet is self-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted with your password; Wallet of Satoshi is custodial in its default mode, meaning the company holds the keys, with a separate self-custodial mode where you do.

Is Atomic Wallet or Wallet of Satoshi bitcoin-only?

Wallet of Satoshi is bitcoin-only; Atomic Wallet supports other assets too. Bitcoin plus more than 1,000 other coins and tokens, by Atomic's own count

Does Atomic Wallet or Wallet of Satoshi carry a warning?

Atomic Wallet: On June 2 and 3, 2023, more than 5,500 Atomic Wallet users had their balances emptied in a single coordinated event. Elliptic put the total above $100 million and attributed it to North Korea's Lazarus Group. Atomic Wallet has never published a confirmed technical cause and no compensation has been paid. The first US class action was dismissed in September 2024 for lack of personal jurisdiction rather than on the facts, and a second was filed in California in June 2025. The company's own homepage carries no mention of any of it. Wallet of Satoshi: Wallet of Satoshi pulled its app from US app stores and stopped serving US customers on November 23, 2023, then withdrew its custodial Lightning service across the European Union at the turn of 2026, as the MiCA transition periods and the DAC8 reporting rules closed in on custodial providers. EU users are offered the self-custodial mode instead. Wherever the custodial mode is still available, the company holds the keys, which is the risk to weigh before you put money in it.

The full reviews: Atomic Wallet and Wallet of Satoshi, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

More comparisons

Every other head-to-head Atomic Wallet or Wallet of Satoshi appears in.