Bitcoin Core’s User Interface

Bitcoin Core has a built in wallet with graphical and command line/API modes. It can also simultaneously support multiple lightweight wallets with similar security and privacy to its built-in wallet.

Multiple wallet support

Warning: you only get the security and privacy benefits in supported lightweight wallets if they make a secure and private connection to your Bitcoin Core every time you use them. This usually requires special configuration.

Bitcoin Core Wallet GUI (Graphical)

Clear overview

See your current balance and recent transactions

Fee slider

Easily choose between low fees and fast confirmation

Coin control

Enhance privacy or save money by choosing your inputs

QR codes

Generate QR codes to receive payment

Unique invoices

Easily track who paid you

Proxy configuration

Use Tor or a proxy for privacy

Network monitoring

Track how much bandwidth you use

Watch-only support

Track bitcoins stored safely offline

Bitcoin Core Wallet RPC/REST (CLI)

GetNewAddress

Get a new address for receiving payment

GetBalance

Instantly see your available Bitcoin balance

SendMany

Send a single payment to multiple addresses

ListUnspent

See what received transactions you can spend

Create/Sign/Send

Create and send raw transactions

Notification

Be notified of new blocks and transactions

Learn more: documentation for the Bitcoin Core APIs

Lightweight Wallets Using Bitcoin Core

Non-private connection

Lightweight wallets usually connect to several random full nodes (like Bitcoin Core) to send and receive all of their data. In the process they leak private data and make themselves more vulnerable to attacks.

Secure and private connection

But it’s also possible to connect certain lightweight wallets solely to your own Bitcoin Core full node, called a trusted peer. If you do this with a secure and private connection every time you use that lightweight wallet, you’ll get most of the security and privacy benefits of a full node as well as help protect decentralization.