Top 4 wallets of the DotSama ecosystem. Browser and mobile versions.
Crypto wallets are an important application for everyone interested in securing crypto assets. Therefore, crypto-asset owners must do due diligence in choosing their preferred wallets. Apart from due diligence about security, flexibility and assets support is also necessary because a wallet could be secured and would likely not support certain assets. Also, if it is too complex, the usability will be poor. Hence, users go for easy-to-use wallets. For instance, Metamask, Imtoken, Trust wallets, Clover, etc., are pretty easy to use but don’t offer the support for more assets and other concerns.
One example of such a flexible tool is Polkadot.js, a native and browser-based vault that collaborates with various wallet apps to manage your account keys. Unlike traditional wallets, this browser extension interoperates various Polkadot- or Kusama-based dApps. However, it looks so complex for an average user as it is more of a developer tool than a non-custodial wallet.
To make up for the lapses, several wallets proposed by the DotSama ecosystem combine flexibility, accessibility, multi-asset, multi-standard, and network support all in one app. This article will be kind of objective, and it covers the pros and cons of the top 4 wallets of the DotSama Ecosystem.
Disclaimer: This article is not advertising but my initiative — use wallets at your own risk. We are not responsible for your actions as you are required to do your own research.
Talisman — https://talisman.xyz/
The first time I heard about this wallet was around January 2022, when the CEO of one of the DotSama projects mentioned it in a tweet. It seemed to be quite an exciting concept of a browser application combined with a web version. The web version of the wallet is presented as a light version of Polkadot JS with some features added.
It looks stylish enough; the animation works correctly; I like that the team took care of the page loading speed. There is no division into networks, and each token is presented as a separate line, which is a very good solution. As you can see from the picture above, the web version includes a Portfolio, Spirit Keys, NFT, and Crowdloan section.
The NFT section displays all your pictures that are loaded from https://singular.rmrk.app/.
Unfortunately, I did not find the NFT forwarding functionality in the web version. It is designed to redirect to the home website when you click on the NFT tab, provided you’re connected to the Talisman browser extension.
A few more words about NFT — the project has its own Spirit Keys and a special section with the same name for the web version of the wallet. This NFT gives small DAO functionality to holders. It will provide owners with early access to new products, events, NFT drops, and more.
The Crowdloan section is well thought out; it displays the current crowd-loan campaigns and has a functionality where any user can directly vote from the web version of the wallet. The idea is great; unfortunately, there may be problems getting a referral bonus. It can be solved by direct conversation with the project team which participates in crowdloans
In conclusion, I would like to talk about the possibility of buying DotSama tokens for fiat funds through Ramp in the web version of the wallet. There is a BUY button in the upper right corner. I don’t know how widespread this feature will be, but it exists, and we need to keep it in mind.
Now let’s talk about the browser version of the wallet; It has 2 design options. The first is a standard, and the second is an extended one. I hope my embarrassment brought some fun to this boring review. The default display looks like this:
You can select accounts and see which tokens are stored on a particular account. There is no network separation in the web version, and it’s an ideal solution. Unfortunately, the standard version does not provide sending tokens from wallet to wallet. You will be redirected to the extended version if you want to transfer funds, which opens as a separate browser tab. Some words about the tab. here you can see how it looks like and also a set of essential functions, such as:
- Track your balance
- Transfer tokens from wallet to wallet
Summing up, I would like to say that I am pleasantly surprised by this wallet; I would love to use it every day. The team is actively working, the project is introducing new functionality, and I’m sure the mobile version is just around the corner.
The Talisman wallet features the following;
- Crowd Loan voting +
- Staking functionality -
- Web version +
- Browser App +
- Working with NFT in the app +
- Sending NFT inside wallet -
- App Store -
- Android app-
- Web3.foundation grant-
- EVM support -
2. SubWallet — https://subwallet.app/
Around December 2021, I noticed that some of my good friends frequently retweeted posts regarding SubWallet. I did not betray attention, but later I managed a little talk with the project team and learned much more about the subject. The wallet has been developed for a long time. More than 10 developers are working on the project, and let’s see what they got.
Before starting, I would like to note the extended time loading from all the browsers I used. Most likely, this is because of a lot of graphic elements. I hope the team will be able to solve this problem because the presentation of the product is very important. The first thing every wallet starts with is registration, and, to be honest, I was very surprised by this.
While creating or restoring a wallet using a seed phrase, the system asks you to select the Substrate or EVM network type. This is something new, and I have not faced such functionality before. This is an excellent indicator that the team works in all directions. I chose the Substrate type and continued to explore the wallet.
As we can see, there are several sections in the wallet; let’s start with the main one. This is the section that shows your portfolio. The dropdown menu gives you the option to select tokens from different networks. But, if you select the “all networks” section, the wallet loads all the tokens into one list. This is very convenient for monitoring. As you already noticed, there are 3 buttons at the top of the SubWallet UI:
- Receive
- Send
- Donate
I’m sure you know how each works, but I would like you to pay attention while sending tokens from this wallet. Unlike Talisman, sending tokens works inside the wallet without using the deployed version. If you need the “send” button to be active and you can send the token, you need to select the network on which the token was created.
The NFT section is implemented inside the wallet, and it is quite informative and functional. At the entrance, you are greeted by miniature collections with the number of NFTs. When you click on a collection, a full menu of NFTs pops up. And what do I see! Implemented NFT forwarding functionality; no need to go to https://singular.rmrk.app/ to send a picture to a friend, as seen on Talisman wallet.
So let’s move on!
My account’s Crowdloans and Staking sections are empty because I did not participate in Crowdloans from a test account and did not stake tokens. But as you can see in the screenshots, there is no functionality for voting inside the wallet and delegating your tokens for staking. Just monitoring. And it means that to vote or stake the funds, you will need to use official sources or, again, https://polkadot.js.org/apps.
A small digression. Each network has a block explorer, a website, or a dApp that shows all your wallet transactions. For DotSama, it is https://www.subscan.io/. Every time I sent tokens or waited for the receiving, I had to go there and track the transaction. But in the SubWallet, there is a function that we are used to seeing in Metamask- the history of transactions. It can be viewed both in a collapsed version and an expanded one. If you click on any line, the requested transaction information will open on https://www.subscan.io/.
Regarding minor features, I would like to note the following:
- Expanded version of the application
- Show zero balances
- QR code for transfer to the wallet
- Donate button that shows current fundraisers.
And, as I understand it, it was created for charity, not for supporting the project team.
- Dark and light version of the wallet
- Set an avatar for the wallet.
So I would like to go back to the very beginning and check what it means to create an EVM wallet to check the functionality. I restored the wallet using the seed phrase, and this time I chose EVM. DotSama projects are working on implementing smart contracts; this section is for them. Unfortunately, it is impossible to add a network as we do it in Metamask.
In conclusion, I want to say that I am astonished by the functionality of this wallet. I see the team wants to make a complete replacement or at least an analog of https://polkadot.js.org/apps in the form of a browser application. There is no web version of the wallet, and the deployed version looks a bit unfinished, unlike the Talisman. However, I would recommend this wallet to my friends who need the following features in a wallet;
- App Crowdlon Voting -
- Staking functionality -
- Web Version -
- Browser App +
- Working with NFT in the app +
- Send NFT inside wallet +
- App Store -
- Android app-
- Web3.foundation grant +
- EVM support+
Nova Wallet https://novawallet.io/
It seems to me that this is the most functional mobile wallet for the DotSama ecosystem. The project is relatively young, as it was launched in November 2021, and the team received a wallet development grant from Kusama Treasury in December 2021. The team consists of 8 people. Previously, the entire staff worked in Soramitsu but left it to develop their project.
I want to say that everything works very fast. We put the seed phrase of the wallet we used in the tests above. The coins come in a list according to their network. This separation increases the list of coins, but it can be reduced by using the “hide zero balances’’ functionality. In the lower bar, you can see the following sections:
- Assets
- Crowdloans
- Browser
- Staking
Let’s start with the first one.
Asset
When you select a coin, the wallet opens a very detailed section with basic receive/send functionality and additional information, such as:
- Total amount
- Transferable tokens
- Locked tokens
- Transaction history
By the way, there, you can also get a QR code for funds received. I would like to single out the transaction history section. It gives very detailed information, not only the date and time of the transfer but also data on the recipient, sender and the detailed analysis of the transaction using such services as Subscan, Polkascan, Sub.ID
The NFT tab is presented on the main page of the wallet; a fairly informative section opens with pictures stored on your account when you call it. Further, you can see the name of the collection, by whom it was created, and on which network your picture is now, as well as a detailed analysis of the transaction using such services as Subscan, Polkascan, Sub.ID. Unfortunately, the NFT forwarding functionality has not yet been implemented, and the ability to view the picture on https://singular.rmrk.app/. But, I understand that this is a matter of time.
Crowdloans
The Crowdloans section is presented in the wallet as a full-fledged App. Users can vote and track collection statistics for active and relevant projects in the Polkadot or Kusama networks and view information on projects that have already occupied the slot. Returning to the vote, the full functionality is implemented, and as for me, everything works fine. The only question arises regarding rewards for referral activities, whether this story works for a mobile wallet or not. Whether there are agreements with teams of the projects or not. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about this.
Browser section
Probably this is one of the killer- features of this wallet. There was no need to sign transactions before using a mobile application on regular sites, for example, buying something for KSM or voting in a referendum through the site directly, or signing a transaction to be published on Subsocial. Implementing this function puts a mobile wallet on the same level as a browser-based desktop wallet, and it erases the boundaries of a standard application. The browser menu already includes the most relevant sites in the DotSama ecosystem. But, do not forget that this is a browser, and you always have the opportunity to go to any site on your own.
Staking section
The Staking section shows the functionality of the coin delegating. The main page provides up-to-date information:
- The total amount of delegated funds.
- Minimum delegation amount
- Number of active nominators
- Time to get your funds back after staking
- Annual and monthly staking percentage.
The user has the opportunity to select the staking amount and the validator. As for me, the functionality is very worthy.
In conclusion, I want to say that the team knows how to surprise. Interesting browser implementation, worthy functionality. The site presents a roadmap, showing that the team knows what to work on and what to implement.
Find an overview of the Nova Wallet features below;
- Crowdlon Voting +
- Staking functionality +
- Web version -
- Browser Application +
- Working with NFT in the app +
- Sending NFT inside wallet -
- AppStore+
- Android App+
- Web3.foundation grant +
- EVM Support -
Polkawallet https://polkawallet.io/
Polkawallet, a fairly well-known project from the Acala Network team, with a Web3.foundation grant from 2019, is the first mobile wallet I met in 2020. Since then, the team has made many improvements, implemented new functionality, and have updated the design.
Let’s explore the product in detail.
After downloading the seed phrase, we are greeted by the main page, on which we see several items, such as:
- The dollar amount of your portfolio
- Statistics of tokens available for transfer or delegated in staking.
- A number of tokens.
- Meta hub
- Scan QR
It should probably be said that the implementation of displaying tokens is very inconvenient. There is no display of the general set. To see the desired token, you must select the network on which it was created. Speaking of networks- you will not be able to track the entire list of coins in your wallet except by sorting it according to their networks. .
PolkaWallet supports the following networks:
- Polkadot
- Kusama
- Acala
- Karura
- Statemine
- Bifrost
- ChainX
- Edgeware
- Dbc
Yes, you were not mistaken; you will not be able to track anything except these networks. It is not difficult to transfer tokens, as full functionality has been implemented.
In the transaction tab, you have the following functionality:
- Token statistics
- Send to address
- Get QR and copy personal address
- Transaction history
- Subscan button for detailed statistics
Basic functionality without features, everything you need to work. For many, this is exactly what they need. No extra buttons; everything is on point.
The meta hub section is probably the most interesting thing about this wallet. It looks very futuristic. It seemed to me that the location of the buttons and their contours were not the most advantageous, you have to look with your eyes where everything is located.
There are 3 sections inside the meta-hub:
- Staking
- Governance
- Parachains
Let’s talk about each and start with Staking.
- In this section, you open the functionality of delegating your tokens to the validator and vice versa. There are also statistics on the total number of delegated funds, the current percentage of profit, and general data on validators — nominators.
- The Governance section is quite functional, and users can interact with Referendums and Proposals.
- The Parachains section didn’t open for me, I decided the problem was the connection, and I tried everything but did not open it. I hope the user will have the opportunity to vote for a particular project.
It would seem that this is all? But this is not so; the Metahub section will sparkle with new colors if you switch the network to Acala or Karura. Do not forget which team makes the wallet. Therefore, the functionality was customized for these projects.
The following functionality appears in the Acala network in the meta-hub:
DeFi:
- Mint aUSD — get a liquid stablecoin.
- Swap — exchange between tokens in the Acala network, and the implementation of liquidity pools.
- Earn — LP staking and Collateral Staking
- Liquid DOT — functionality for obtaining liquid DOT
- NFTs:
NFT
Downloads all the pictures you have on the Acala network
Governance
The same functionality as in the Polkadot network. Users can interact fully with Referendums and proposals.
To be honest, I’m a little stunned that there is no implementation of all necessary networks in the wallet. Users do not have the opportunity to use all the tokens through this wallet. The developers clarify that all efforts are devoted to developing Acala / Karura networks. Unfortunately for me, this is currently the most inconvenient wallet, and I hope the project team will turn to the community for feedback in the next update of the design and functionality.
Here is an overview of the Polkawallet features you will like:
- Crowdloan Voting+
- Staking functionality +
- Web Version -
- Browser Application -
- Working with NFT in the application -
- Sending NFT inside wallet -
- AppStore+
- Android App+
- Web3.foundation grant +
- EVM Support -
I hope this article will be helpful for you. We all want the DotSama ecosystem to develop. We expect new projects and products will appear every year. I am sure that we will see new wallets that will fight for the user a bit later. This can be done by observing 3 points only:
- Convenience
- Functionality
- Formalization
KSM : HZ7Pa28vCUmX3tEAQnFqVsBr6we37oxM8wkCLZticjJh7fh
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