How to Set Up a Phantom Wallet (Beginner Guide)

Phantom is a free wallet for Solana, and it also works with Ethereum, Base, Bitcoin and a few other networks. Setting it up takes about 10 minutes. You install the app or browser extension, create a recovery phrase wallet, write down its 12-word recovery phrase, and then send some SOL to it from an exchange like Coinbase. The recovery phrase is the part that matters. Anyone who has it controls your money, and if you lose it, Phantom can't get your wallet back.

1. InstallOnly from phantom.com
2. Create wallet12-word phrase
3. Save the phraseOn paper, offline
4. Add SOLSend from Coinbase

Step-by-step setup

1. Download Phantom from the official siteGo to phantom.com/download and follow its link to the App Store, Google Play or your browser's extension store. Fake Phantom apps and copycat sites show up in search results and ads, and Phantom warns not to install an app just because it came up in an app store search.
2. Choose "Create a New Wallet"Then pick "Create a Recovery Phrase Wallet." Phantom also offers a "Continue with Email" option that uses a Google or Apple sign-in and a 4-digit PIN; this guide follows the recovery phrase route. If you already have a wallet you want to bring over, pick "I Already Have a Wallet" instead.
3. Set a password or biometric unlockOn a computer you create a password; on a phone you can turn on Face ID or fingerprint unlock. Either one only unlocks Phantom on that browser or device. It isn't a backup. On a new device, the recovery phrase is what restores your wallet.
4. Write down your recovery phrasePhantom shows 12 words. Write them on paper in order, numbered 1 to 12, and check the spelling twice. Store them offline. Don't screenshot them, email them or save them in the cloud.
5. Finish setup and find your addressPhantom asks you to pick a username, then opens your wallet. Tap Receive (some versions call it Deposit), pick Solana and copy the address. That long string of letters and numbers is your Solana address. You can share it freely; it's how people send you crypto.

Phantom says its support will never ask you to share your recovery phrase, and you should never enter it on any website. Any website, message or pop-up that asks for it is a scam.

How to add SOL to Phantom

Phantom starts empty. The usual way to fund it is to buy SOL on a US exchange and withdraw it to your Phantom address.

1. Buy SOL on Coinbase or KrakenBuy a little more than you plan to use, since every Solana transaction needs a small amount of SOL for fees.
2. Withdraw to your Phantom addressPaste your Solana address and make sure the network says Solana. Our guide on sending crypto from Coinbase to a wallet walks through each screen.
3. Send a test amount firstSend a few dollars, wait until it shows up in Phantom, then send the rest. It appears once the exchange approves the withdrawal and the transaction confirms on-chain.

Keep your wallet safe after setup

• Store the paper with your recovery phrase somewhere safe and private. Our guide on storing a seed phrase safely covers the options.
• Ignore tokens and NFTs that show up uninvited. Many are bait that lead to fake sites. Phantom hides a lot of spam automatically, and reporting a token or NFT as spam hides it from your wallet.
• Read every approval pop-up before you confirm it. Phantom previews transactions and can show warnings; if a warning appears, or a site wants to move tokens you didn't plan to trade, reject it.
• Bookmark the sites you use, like Jupiter, instead of clicking links from social media.

On-chain transactions can't be reversed. If you send to the wrong address or approve a scam, no one can undo it.

What to do next

With SOL in Phantom you can swap for any Solana token. See how to swap tokens on Jupiter, or open the Solana Meme category on Lasso to see which coins you can buy and where.