Keplr browser wallet: what it does and how it works

Keplr is the wallet most people use for the Cosmos family: dozens of separate blockchains that can send tokens to one another. It has since added Ethereum-style networks, Starknet and Bitcoin staking.

Who makes it

Chainapsis, the company behind Keplr. A co-founder published a guide to using it in July 2020.

What you can do with it

Use Cosmos chains. Keplr holds tokens on Cosmos chains such as the Cosmos Hub, Osmosis and Celestia, and moves them between chains using IBC, the Cosmos system for cross-chain transfers. Lesson 33 explains why moving tokens between networks carries risk.

Stake and claim rewards. Staking is central to Cosmos chains, and Keplr makes it simple, including claiming rewards from several chains at once. On the Cosmos Hub, unstaking takes 21 days, and a validator that misbehaves can be slashed: 5% for signing twice and 0.01% for long downtime. Your staked tokens share that penalty. Lesson 8 explains staking and slashing.

Use other networks. Keplr also supports Ethereum-style networks, Starknet (since October 2024) and Bitcoin staking through the Babylon protocol. It does not support Solana.

Swap. Keplr has built-in swaps but publishes no fee schedule; independent tests found a margin of about 0.75%.

Use a Ledger. Keplr works with Ledger over USB, or Bluetooth for the Nano X.

What it is less good at

Outside Cosmos, its coverage is narrower than the big multichain wallets. Its swap fee is not published.

Keplr's main code was published under an open-source licence. In early October 2026, reviewers found that the repository was no longer public, and Chainapsis had not explained why. If open code matters to you, check its current status.

Is it safe?

Keplr is self-custody. The main risks are the usual ones for browser wallets (Lesson 37) plus the slashing risk on staked tokens. Install it only through keplr.app.

Who it suits

Anyone who holds or stakes tokens on Cosmos chains. It is the default choice there.

Setting it up safely

1. Install from the source. Go to keplr.app yourself, by typing the address, and follow its link to your browser's extension store. Do not use search ads or links from messages. On the store page, check the publisher name and the number of users.
2. Write the seed phrase on paper. Keplr shows it once when you create a wallet. Write every word in order and keep it offline. Lesson 30 shows how, and our free backup card helps.
3. Never type the phrase anywhere else. No genuine site, support agent or app update will ask for it.
4. Start small. Send a small amount first and check it arrives before moving more.
5. Review connections. From time to time, remove app connections and token approvals you no longer use.

How it compares

For Cosmos chains, Keplr has few direct rivals among the big wallets. MetaMask and Rabby do not support Cosmos chains, and Enkrypt covers the Polkadot family instead. If you hold Solana too, you need a second wallet such as Phantom.