MultiBit – Secure Bitcoin Desktop Wallet For Storing Cryptocurrency?

MultiBit is a bitcoin wallet for your desktop. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Find out how the software works today in our MultiBit review.

What Is MultiBit?

MultiBit, found online at MultiBit.org, is a bitcoin wallet for desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The wallet promises to offer easy setups, a straightforward UI, and KeepKey support.

MultiBit is a lightweight (“thin client”) bitcoin wallet, which means that you don’t need to download the entire bitcoin blockchain to use it. It’s just a small 30MB piece of software available as a free download through the official website.

Other advantages that MultiBit has over the native bitcoin client is the ability to open multiple wallets simultaneously (HD support). Plus, MultiBit offers official support for 40+ languages – something we don’t see with other wallets.

Two of the drawbacks of MultiBit are its lack of two factor authentication support and its lack of multi-signature support. However, the wallet remains popular among KeepKey users.

MultiBit was created by UK-based developer Jim Burton. The wallet was introduced to the internet all the way back in 2011. By 2014, the software was the community’s most popular bitcoin wallet. Over the years, however, the software’s market share has slightly decreased.

MultiBit has always been available for free, although donations are encouraged. In 2014, the developer released version 2.0 of MultiBit, calling it MultiBit HD.

MultiBit Features

MultiBit offers all of the following features:

Multiple Operating System Support:

MultiBit is available for download on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

Easy Setup:

MultiBit’s wizard guides you through the process of creating your wallet and your backup wallet. Within minutes, you’ll be ready to participate in the bitcoin economy.

Under Your Control:

Your wallet, funds, and private keys are entirely under your control. The keys are encrypted on your computer and are never held with a third party.

Multi-Language Support:

MultiBit currently supports 40+ languages.

KeepKey Support:

KeepKey is a hardware wallet similar to a USB drive. MultiBit offers full KeepKey support. When you hold your funds on KeepKey, you need to approve every transaction via KeepKey’s OLED display and confirmation button, making it virtually impossible for an attacker – like a hacker or virus – to steal your valuable bitcoins.

Multi-Wallet Support:

MultiBit offers HD (hierarchical deterministic) wallet support, which means you can create multiple wallets from within the software.

Free:

MultiBit, like most bitcoin wallets, is free to download.

Open Source:

MultiBit, like most bitcoin wallets, publishes its code onto Github for verification. You can check the code to make sure there’s no vulnerability or backdoor.

Two of the downsides of MultiBit are the lack of two factor authentication and the lack of multi-signature support. However, if you use MultiBit with KeepKey, then the risk of these security flaws is minimized.

About MultiBit

MultiBit was created by UK-based developer Jim Burton. The wallet first launched online in 2011, making it one of the bitcoin community’s oldest wallets.

In March 2014, the team announced their wallet had been downloaded over 1.5 million times, making it the most popular bitcoin wallet in the community. At that time, the team also announced they were working on a second version of their wallet called MultiBit HD, which introduced hierarchical deterministic support (multiple wallet support) into the platform.

MultiBit Conclusion

MultiBit, also known today as MultiBit HD, is a popular lightweight bitcoin wallet available for free for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The wallet was introduced in 2011 and remains one of the world’s most popular bitcoin wallets to this day.

One of the unique features of MultiBit is its multi-language support. The wallet officially supports more than 40 different languages. The software also works particularly well with KeepKey.

Two of the major flaws of the wallet, however, are the lack of two factor authentication and multi-signature support. Since most wallets now offer these features, these two flaws have caused MultiBit to lose some market share since it became the world’s most popular bitcoin wallet in 2014. Since 2014, however, MultiBit has offered HD support.

You can download MultiBit today by visiting the official website at MultiBit.org.