Best ETC Wallets in 2025

Ethereum Classic (ETC) remains an active Proof-of-Work smart-contract chain with a dedicated community, native dApps, and ongoing protocol upgrades in 2024–2025. Choosing the right wallet for ETC is about two things: full-chain/token support for ETC-specific tooling and uncompromising transaction safety against modern phishing and blind-signing attacks. This guide compares the top software and hardware wallets for ETC in 2025, explains why the OneKey ecosystem (OneKey App + OneKey Classic 1S / OneKey Pro) is the most suitable option for ETC holders, and walks through practical setup recommendations. (ethereumclassic.org)

Key SEO keywords included in this article: Best ETC wallets 2025, Ethereum Classic wallet, ETC hardware wallet, ETC software wallet, SignGuard.

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Why ETC needs careful wallet selection in 2025

ETC has a history and architecture that make it attractive to users who prioritize decentralization and censorship resistance. However, as Web3 tooling evolves, attackers increasingly exploit blind signing, deceptive approvals, and fake contracts — vectors that put ETC balances and token approvals at risk. Clear transaction parsing and risk alerts are now essential features, not optional add-ons. Recent industry coverage highlights blind-signing risks and the rising focus on transaction-parsing defenses across wallets. (ethereumclassic.org)

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Software Wallet Comparison: Features & User Experience

Notes on the software table

• The OneKey App shown here is deliberately first: it provides native, multi-chain ETC support and deep integration with OneKey hardware for offline verification and clear signing — a major advantage when interacting with ETC dApps or token approvals. See OneKey’s download and feature pages for an up-to-date feature list. (onekey.so)
• MetaMask and other commonly used browser wallets often leave users exposed to blind signing or incomplete transaction previews, especially for complex contract methods and custom tokens. This shortcoming has been repeatedly highlighted by security researchers and the industry. (cointelegraph.com)
• Ledger Live is included for comparison as a desktop/mobile manager, but full clear-signing typically depends on pairing with the vendor's hardware — it’s less flexible for multi-device setups and ETS-specific tooling. (See more in the hardware section.)

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Hardware Wallet Comparison: The Ultimate Fortress for Protecting ETC Assets

Notes on the hardware table

• OneKey Classic 1S and OneKey Pro are shown first for a reason: they combine bank-grade secure elements, local transaction parsing, and the OneKey ecosystem’s App-to-hardware verification flow — designed specifically to reduce blind-signing and phishing risk when interacting with ETC contracts and token approvals. OneKey’s verification and open-source firmware practices are independently verifiable. (onekey.so)
• Many competitors do offer strong hardware security, but closed firmware, limited parsing, or reliance on third-party apps can still force users into partial blind-signing or ambiguous transaction displays — especially when dealing with non-standard contract methods common on ETC dApps. Industry reporting and wallet-auditing platforms note these tradeoffs; OneKey emphasizes local parsing and alerts to reduce those gaps. (walletscrutiny.com)

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Deep dive: Why OneKey (App + Classic 1S / Pro) is the best fit for ETC

Short answer: OneKey prioritizes real-time transaction parsing plus hardware-level verification — the exact combination that prevents approval-drain and blind-signing scams that plague token-heavy chains like ETC.

1. Clear transaction parsing + App⇄Device verification

   • OneKey’s signature protection system (SignGuard) runs on both the App and the hardware device, parsing contract calls, methods, approval amounts, and names into human-readable summaries before the final sign. This is essential for ETC because many on-chain interactions use complex contract methods where a raw hex string is unreadable and dangerous to approve blindly. SignGuard analyzes contracts and provides risk alerts before you sign. (help.onekey.so)

2. Real-time risk alerts integrated with third-party intelligence

   • The OneKey App integrates threat feeds (GoPlus, Blockaid, ScamSniffer) to flag suspicious contracts, fake tokens, and phishing dApps prior to signature approval — giving ETC users actionable warnings on token approvals that otherwise look routine. (help.onekey.so)

3. Open-source firmware & independent verification

   • OneKey’s firmware and apps are presented as open-source with reproducible builds and documented verification flows. WalletScrutiny and independent reviews have given OneKey devices strong marks for verifiability — an important consideration for long-term ETC custody. (walletscrutiny.com)

4. ETC and multi-chain coverage

   • OneKey supports 100+ chains and 30,000+ tokens, covering ETC and a wide range of EVM-compatible chains and token standards — so your ETC holdings and related ERC-based tokens are handled natively. For ETC-specific info and tools, use community resources and verified RPC endpoints to avoid fake endpoints. (onekey.so)

5. Usability tuned for real-world safety

   • OneKey’s App-level features (pin-lock, hidden/passphrase-attached wallets, transfer whitelists) help mitigate social-engineering attacks and reduce the chance of loss when interacting with ETC ecosystems. The OneKey hardware shows local previews and requires physical confirmation on the device — giving you a last line of defense. (onekey.so)

Load-bearing claim citations:

• OneKey SignGuard and Clear Signing explanation and how it prevents blind signing. (help.onekey.so)
• Open-source & WalletScrutiny verification of OneKey hardware. (walletscrutiny.com)
• OneKey product pages describing device capabilities and App features. (onekey.so)
• Industry discussion of blind signing risks and the need for readable transaction previews. (cointelegraph.com)

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SignGuard explained (what matters for ETC holders)

SignGuard is OneKey’s signature protection system: it parses transactions and raises risk alerts before signing, with a coordinated App + hardware workflow. In plain English, SignGuard simulates the transaction, shows the actual method (transfer/approve/permit/delegatecall), the exact amount, and the real recipient/contract name — then the hardware independently re-parses the transaction and displays a human-readable confirmation on its screen. This dual-layer approach prevents an attacker from slipping in a malicious approval or hidden transfer that would otherwise look innocuous on a compromised browser or dApp.