Overview
Eternl's web wallet is a free way to hold and use Cardano (ADA) directly in your browser. No installation, no add-on, just open eternl.io and you're in. It comes from Tastenkunst GmbH, one of the longer-running Cardano wallet teams (the same wallet was originally called CCVault back in 2021). The same wallet also exists as a browser add-on and as a phone app, and the same recovery phrase opens any of them1.
You hold the recovery phrase, which means only you can move the coins. Eternl's keys are generated on your device and stored there.
Key Features
- Several accounts under one wallet. One recovery phrase can host multiple separate accounts inside the same wallet, useful for keeping your savings, spending, and DeFi activity apart without setting up different wallets2.
- Stake to several pools at once. Instead of putting all your ADA into one Cardano stake pool, you can split it across several. Few other Cardano wallets offer this2.
- A built-in browser for Cardano apps. Open Cardano DEXs, lending apps, and NFT marketplaces inside the wallet itself, with the same approval flow used for normal payments2.
- Vote on Cardano's future. Cardano now has on-chain governance, where ADA holders can pick representatives (called DReps) to vote on protocol decisions. Eternl supports this fully2.
- Pair with a hardware wallet. Connect a Ledger, Trezor, or Keystone for extra security on larger balances. Hardware and software accounts can sit side by side in the same wallet2.
- Power-user tools. Shared wallets that need multiple sign-offs, native token creation helpers, and detailed transaction reports for tax or portfolio tracking2.
What to Expect
Eternl's main site is intentionally bare, just a link to open the wallet. From there, setup walks you through writing down a recovery phrase and setting a spending password. The interface is dark-themed and dense, packed with features for power users, but the basics (send, receive, stake) are clearly laid out for newcomers.
Day-to-day, Eternl handles most of what a Cardano user might want from a single screen. Sending ADA and Cardano tokens, delegating to a stake pool, signing into a Cardano app, voting on governance, all one or two clicks away. The wallet's depth is its biggest strength: power users get tools (multi-account management, shared wallets, advanced staking) that minimalist wallets don't offer.
Documentation lives on a separate wiki at wiki.eternl.io rather than the main site, and there's no in-app changelog. Release notes appear in the wiki3. Tax and portfolio reports can be exported directly, with support also available through third-party services like Koinly4.
Users who'd prefer open-source code can compare Eternl with Lace or Yoroi, both of which publish their code publicly. For Cardano-focused users who want the most feature-rich web wallet experience and don't mind the closed-source trade-off, Eternl is one of the strongest choices in the category.
