Overview
Eternl is a self-custody wallet that lets people hold and send ADA, tokens and NFTs, stake ADA, swap between ADA and other tokens, and connect to Cardano apps. Self-custody means the user, not a company, holds the keys: Eternl stores encrypted private keys only on the user's own device or hardware wallet, never on its servers1. The same wallet comes as a browser extension, iOS and Android apps, and a web app2.
Eternl, formerly known as CCVault.io3, is a Cardano wallet published by Tastenkunst GmbH4, a company based in Germany5. The browser extension installs from the Chrome Web Store4, and the Eternl website points people using Chrome, Edge, Brave and Opera to that same listing6. The mobile wallet apps are on the App Store and Google Play7,8. The web wallet opens at eternl.io in a browser and can be installed as a Progressive Web App, a website that behaves like a standalone app on a desktop or phone2.
Key Features
- Open Cardano apps from desktop or phone. The built-in Eternl DApp browser opens apps inside the wallet on the desktop extension and the iOS and Android apps, using CIP-30, the standard way Cardano wallets talk to websites9.
- A safety check in the DApp browser. When an app opened in the Eternl DApp browser asks to connect, a screen called Eternl Guard shows the app's address and the permissions it requests, and blocks unknown sites until the user approves them9.
- Staking that keeps ADA spendable. Users can search stake pools, compare their fees, pledge and how full they are, and delegate, while the ADA never leaves the wallet and stays spendable10.
- Keys kept on a hardware device. Eternl pairs with Ledger, Trezor, Keystone and OneKey hardware wallets, physical devices that store private keys and sign transactions1.
- Swaps and voting in one wallet. The Eternl wallet includes in-wallet swaps between ADA and other tokens, Catalyst voting on community funding proposals, and Cardano on-chain governance1. The governance tools for voting, creating proposals and registering as a DRep are part of Eternl Pro11.
What to Expect
Everyday users can open eternl.io, install the extension, or download a phone app, then set up a wallet backed by a seed phrase, the list of words that restores a wallet. Eternl asks users to keep that phrase private and never enter it on any other website1. On the staking page, an optional Auto Withdrawal setting adds a reward withdrawal to every transaction the user sends, which saves a separate fee10. To withdraw rewards, the wallet also needs a governance choice: a DRep, a delegated representative whom ADA holders choose to vote on governance proposals for them12, or the Always Abstain option10.
Sending, receiving, staking, basic app connections and account management are free. Eternl Pro is a paid subscription for individuals and businesses that adds Eternl Analytics, multi-signature wallets that need several people to approve a payment, governance tools for voting, creating proposals and registering as a DRep, and developer tools11. Eternl Hub, with full features in Pro, links Eternl on different devices so one person can prepare a transaction and another can sign it without sharing keys13. The release notes describe Analytics with market leaderboards and token charts, a Media library that plays audio and video NFTs, and DFX Open CryptoPay, a beta feature for paying shops in ADA by scanning a QR code14.
Developers have several ways to connect their apps. The extension, the mobile DApp browsers and the web app all follow CIP-30, and apps can also connect through WalletConnect, a service that links wallets to apps through a relay server, or CIP-45, a direct peer-to-peer alternative15. The developer guide also explains how an app can appear in the web app's DApp browser, which shows a selected set of apps15.
