# Wallets

Wallets are a key component to ensure the authenticity of both the issuing entities and the holders of certificates. They play a critical role in securing the cryptographic chain of trust, uniquely identifying entities, and associating credentials with their rightful owners.

### What Are Wallets Used For?

1. **Setting up a Certificate Authority (CA):**
   * The wallet address is used to generate a unique identifier for the CA.
   * This serves as the root of trust in the cryptographic chain for all certificates associated with the issuer.
2. **Issuing Certificates:**
   * Wallets are used to sign and associate certificates with the issuer’s identity, ensuring verifiability in the future.
3. **Storing Certificates:**
   * Certificates are linked to the user’s unique wallet address.
   * Users can claim their certificates to compatible wallets, ensuring their ownership and authenticity.

### Wallet Management

1. **Default Wallet Management**
   * WalliD CertiShop  backend manages wallets for CAs and users by default.
   * Access to wallets is secured through login credentials, ensuring privacy and security.<br>
2. **Custom Wallet Integration**
   * Issuers can use their own wallets to create CAs by registering with a valid wallet in the webapp or via API requests.
   * Users have the option to claim their VCs into their wallets after receiving the certificates via email.


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