Sparrow
Sparrow Wallet (Craig Raw)
Data verified on unchanged since the sources
Worth it if you hold Bitcoin and want control over privacy and UTXOs: coin control, labelling, built-in Tor and a connection to your own node or a private Electrum server.
Avoid it if you want a mobile app or manage other chains: Sparrow is desktop-only and Bitcoin-only, with a steep learning curve for beginners.
Sparrow is a desktop Bitcoin wallet (Windows, macOS, Linux) aimed at the power user, focused on security, privacy and control. It offers full coin control, transaction and output labelling, a transaction editor that doubles as a block explorer, and support for nearly all hardware wallets via USB or air-gapped (PSBT) modes. It can connect to your own Bitcoin Core node or a private Electrum server and route all traffic over Tor, avoiding reliance on third-party servers. It is Bitcoin-only and open-source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Data & conditions
| Fund custody | Self-custody (funds in your control) |
|---|---|
| Type | Software (hot wallet) |
| Source code | Open-source |
| Recovery | Seed phrase 12/24 parole (BIP-39) |
| Bitcoin-only | Yes |
| Supported chains | Bitcoin |
| Built-in swap | No |
| Built-in staking | No |
| dApp browser | No |
| WalletConnect | No |
| Hardware wallet support | Yes |
| Segment | B2C |
| MiCA / License status | Nessuna (wallet self-custody non-custodial) |
Strengths
- Advanced coin control and privacy (labelling, BIP47 PayNyms, built-in Tor); connect to your own node; broad hardware wallet support including air-gapped.
- Self-custody: funds stay in your wallet — the platform cannot touch them.
- No KYC: usable without identity verification.
- Open-source, verifiable code.
- Accessible over Tor (.onion).
- Self-hostable: you can run your own instance or node.
Weaknesses
- Desktop-only and Bitcoin-only; steep learning curve for beginners; no official mobile app.
- No notable sovereignty drawback documented.
Verdict
Score 4.6/5, outstanding profile. In its favour: advanced coin control and privacy (labelling, BIP47 PayNyms, built-in Tor); connect to your own node; broad hardware wallet support including air-gapped. The trade-off to weigh: desktop-only and Bitcoin-only; steep learning curve for beginners; no official mobile app.
On the Sovereignty lens the score is 4.9/5 (outstanding): the strength is fund control (5.0/5), while censorship resistance (4.8/5) is the weak link.
Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.
"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.
Reputation
What happened to people who used Sparrow, and what users say. External signals: they do not feed the promp.it rating.
Incidents & regulatory actions
No known incidentSearch across public sources: no known hack, withdrawal freeze or regulatory action as of the verification date.
verified on
FAQ
Is Sparrow custodial?
No. Sparrow is a non-custodial self-custody wallet: private keys stay on your computer, protected by a BIP-39 seed phrase. No company has access to your funds.
Can I use Sparrow with my own Bitcoin node?
Yes. Sparrow can connect to your own Bitcoin Core node or a private Electrum server, as well as public servers. It can route traffic over Tor for added privacy.
Does Sparrow support hardware wallets?
Yes, it supports most hardware wallets (Coldcard, Trezor, Ledger, BitBox02, Passport, SeedSigner, Jade) both via USB and air-gapped through PSBT.
Sources
- Official service page Funzioni · Connessione · Tor · Bitcoin only Data verified on Jun 20, 2026
- github.com Sovranita.open source · Licenza · Hardware wallet Data verified on Jun 20, 2026