Where to store USDT: solutions for beginners and professionals
USDT is the first and best-known stablecoin on the crypto market, launched by Tether back in 2014. It is also the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, which as of September 2025 is nearly $169 billion. By this metric, USDT ranks fourth among all cryptocurrencies, after Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and XRP (XRP).
USDT is also the most popular cryptocurrency in the world and the absolute leader in daily trading volume, which exceeds $124 billion. According to Tether's own data from March 2025, the number of USDT users has surpassed 400 million globally and may soon reach 1 billion.
Demand for Tether's stablecoin continues to grow steadily: according to the company's CEO, Paolo Ardoino, in just the first quarter of 2025, the number of USDT users increased by 13%. This means more and more people are interested in where to store USDT.
Where to store USDT: wallet options
There are plenty of options for storing the leading stablecoin: from "hot" mobile and desktop wallets to "cold" hardware wallets.
The choice of a suitable crypto wallet depends on personal preferences — whether it's secure long-term storage or regular usage, including in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications.
Hardware wallet
The most secure option is to purchase a hardware wallet, which can come in the form of a USB stick, card, or even a smartphone with a large display. This option is best for users who don't make frequent transactions.
Hardware wallets provide offline backups, practically eliminating the risk of private key leaks. Additionally, the seed phrase (used to restore access to funds) is stored inside the device in encrypted form. It cannot be copied or retrieved remotely via the internet, since access is only possible through physical contact with the wallet. Even if a computer or smartphone is hacked, the attacker cannot "steal" the seed phrase — direct physical interference with the device would be required.
Popular hardware wallets:
- Ledger Stax — a smartphone-like device with a large touchscreen, supporting PC and mobile connections, compatible with all major networks for storing USDT.
- Trezor Safe 5 — the latest model from a pioneer in hardware wallets, offering advanced security features and connectivity to PCs and smartphones.
- Tangem 2.0 — a card-shaped hardware wallet with quick backup support and smartphone connectivity. Tangem wallets support USDT across all major networks.
Desktop wallet
Desktop wallets are clients available only on PCs. They also include browser-based or web wallets. The most popular are wallet plugins that not only allow storing and transferring USDT but also connecting to applications.
Popular desktop and web wallets:
- MetaMask — the most popular EVM wallet*, supporting network customization, flexible wallet management, and advanced features like swaps.
- Coinbase — a simple EVM wallet with an easy-to-use interface.
- Rabby — an advanced EVM wallet with address whitelisting for fraud protection and flexible fee management.
- Trust Wallet — one of the most well-known mobile multichain wallets, which launched its own browser plugin in 2024.
- TronLink — a popular plugin that only supports USDT on the TRON (TRC-20) network.
- Exodus — a simple multi-currency desktop wallet.
* EVM wallet — a client that supports all Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible networks (BNB Chain, Avalanche, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, etc.)
Mobile wallet
The most convenient option for those wondering where to store USDT. A mobile wallet is always at hand, providing quick access to digital assets. Moreover, mobile wallets are generally considered safer due to lower exposure to online attacks.
Popular mobile wallets:
- Trust Wallet — one of the most popular mobile crypto wallets with flexible network and address management.
- OKX Wallet — a rising multichain mobile wallet with cross-chain transaction support; also available as a browser plugin.
- MetaMask — mobile version of the most popular EVM wallet.
- Coinbase — a simple and convenient mobile wallet for everyday transactions.
- Zerion — an advanced EVM wallet with liquidity pool management features built directly into the interface.
- Exodus — a simple multi-currency wallet that syncs with its desktop version.
- TronLink — the mobile version of the popular wallet for the TRON ecosystem.
Criteria for choosing a USDT wallet
When deciding where to store USDT, several factors must be considered, as wallets vary in security, usability, and functionality.
Security
Security is a key factor, since users risk losing their digital assets to online threats.
Some wallets offer advanced security features, such as:
- Multisig — requiring multiple private keys or seed phrases.
- Passphrase — an extension of the mnemonic phrase.
- Shamir Backup (SLIP39) — splitting a seed phrase into multiple parts for added protection.
It's important to note that users of the most popular wallets are the most frequent targets of phishing and scams, since attackers rely on volume and inattentiveness.
From a security perspective, hardware wallets such as Ledger, Trezor, and Tangem are the most reliable, as they keep private keys in isolated devices, minimizing theft risks even if a computer or phone is infected with malware.
Functionality & interface
Some wallets focus on simplicity and ease of use. If a user only needs a place to store USDT and perform basic transactions, a simple wallet like Coinbase or Trust Wallet will suffice.
However, for DeFi support and access to trading apps, advanced wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, OKX Wallet, Rabby, or Zerion are better choices.
Custody
Custodial wallets are convenient for quick exchanges of digital assets, but don't give control over private keys. They also require extra protection (e.g., 2FA), otherwise accounts may be hacked and funds stolen.
Non-custodial wallets, on the other hand, give users full control over their assets without relying on third parties (exchanges or custodians). They are considered more reliable but require users to responsibly manage their private keys, since losing them means losing access to assets permanently.
Compatibility
Tether exists as a token on over a dozen blockchains, including Ethereum (ERC-20), Layer-2 solutions (Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism), BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20), Solana (SPL), TRON (TRC-20), Toncoin (TON), Avalanche, Algorand, and others.
Therefore, when choosing a USDT wallet, it's important to check which networks it supports. Compatibility determines whether users can freely use the stablecoin within their desired ecosystem.
Best choices for compatibility:
- MetaMask, Rabby, Zerion — support Ethereum and most Layer-2 solutions (Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism), as well as BNB Chain and Avalanche.
- Trust Wallet and OKX Wallet — universal multichain wallets supporting multiple blockchains, enabling USDT management across Ethereum, TRON, BNB Chain, and Layer-2 solutions.