Phantom is a decentralized multi-chain wallet that provides users with a secure way to store, stake, swap, and manage their NFTs across chains such as Solana, Ethereum, Polygon and Bitcoin. Established in 2021, Phantom was created by Brandon Millman, Chris Kalani, and Francesco Agosti to create an easy-to-use interface that allows new users to enter into the world of cryptocurrencies. Users can onboard anonymously and access to the Phantom wallet. The wallet will allow users to easily move funds from one chain to another. The company will be headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA. Phantom is also backed by some of the most reputable investors in the industry including, Paradigm, Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital and Jump Capital. Phantom currently serves over 15 million monthly active users within the web3 ecosystem.
Phantom was founded by Brandon Millman, Chris Kalani, and Francesco Agosti in January 2021. The founders’ vision was to make using cryptocurrencies as easy as possible.
In February 2021, Phantom launched its beta version of its wallet with 40,000 active testers. Phantom then launched swaps, which quickly reached over $1 billion in trading volume.
In March 2021, Phantom raised $9 million in Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz to further develop its core wallet platform.
In November 2021, Phantom raised an additional $109 million in funding from Paradigm, a16z, and Jump Capital to build out its multi-chain wallet features and expand its development team.
In August 2022, Phantom raised an additional $150 million in funding from co-leading investors, Sequoia Capital and Paradigm. At the time of this investment, Phantom’s valuation had grown to $3 billion.
In addition to expanding its wallet features and growing its user base, Phantom also added the ability for users to create usernames and profiles along with other social tools that have allowed users to interact with each other directly within the wallet. Since adding these features, Phantom now has over 15 million registered users.
| Service | Cost | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Wallet Usage | $0 | Self-custodial wallet for Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Bitcoin. No subscription fees for basic storage, sending, receiving. | Phantom Chrome Web Store |
| Token Swaps | 0.85% fee on select pairs | Plus network gas fees (SOL/ETH). Cross-chain swaps may include bridge/liquidity provider fees. Fees displayed before confirmation. | ChangeNOW Guide |
| Crypto Purchases | Varies by provider | Buy via credit/debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, etc. through partners like MoonPay, Binance. Rates compared in-app for best price. | YouTube Tutorial |
| NFT Trading & Staking | Network fees only | List, pin, burn, stake tokens directly in wallet. No Phantom fees beyond network costs. | Phantom Chrome Web Store |
| Feature | Phantom | Solflare | Ledger | Trust Wallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Chain Support | Yes (Solana, ETH, Polygon, Base, Bitcoin) | Solana primary | Hardware multi-chain | Multi-chain mobile |
| Hot Wallet | Yes (Desktop/Mobile) | Yes | No (Cold) | Yes |
| Built-in Swaps | Yes (0.85% select pairs) | Yes | Via apps | Yes |
| NFT Management | Yes (pin, burn, list) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buy Crypto In-App | Yes (7+ providers) | Yes | No | Yes |
| Free Tier | Full features free | Full features free | Hardware purchase | Full features free |
| Desktop Support | Browser extension | Web/Desktop | USB | Mobile only |
| Mobile App | Yes | Yes | Companion app | Yes |
| Hardware Integration | Ledger support | Ledger/Trezor | Self | Limited |
| Security Certifications | N/A (self-custodial) | — | EAL5+ |
While both Phantom and Solflare are leading wallets for DeFi and NFT transactions, they serve different use cases. Solflare is primarily used for Solana native features and staking, while Phantom is focused on multi-chain support and providing user-friendly swaps between assets on multiple chains. While Phantom and Solflare may offer similar functionality, the two companies focus on slightly different areas of blockchain technology. Phantom is more focused on creating a seamless experience when moving between multiple blockchain chains and swapping assets in real-time. Solflare, on the other hand, is more focused on Solana specific native applications and staking. Solflare does offer more advanced tools than Phantom specifically related to Solana and its ecosystem of native dApps. However, Phantom has developed a more extensive mobile/desktop ecosystem integration allowing users to seamlessly switch between devices.
Phantom is an app that supports multi-chain users; Solflare is an app that supports Solana power users.
Both Phantom and Trust are mobile-first hot wallets with wide chain support. Phantom is better suited for Solana NFT/DeFi UX and in-app purchases, while Trust has a more comprehensive dApp browser capability and is backed by Binance. Pricing is identical (Free Core).
Phantom is an app that is primarily used within the Solana ecosystem; Trust is a general multi-chain mobile app.
Phantom is more about the convenience of being able to easily transfer assets from one chain to another via a mobile or desktop device. Ledger is more about the security of having your private keys stored off-line via a physical device. The Ledger hardware wallet provides users with an additional layer of security that Phantom does not natively provide. However, users who choose to use the Ledger hardware wallet will need to separately purchase it (approximately $50-$150).
Users can either use Phantom as their primary app for daily activities or pair it with a Ledger for higher value investments.
Phantom is the dominant app in the Solana space; MetaMask owns the Ethereum ecosystem. While Phantom’s swap fees are 0.85%, which is competitive with other apps, MetaMask has to rely on third-party decentralized exchanges. The experience of using Phantom appears to be more polished than its competitors when it comes to NFTs.
Users should utilize Phantom for Solana and MetaMask for Ethereum-based DeFi.
To reach Phantom Support, you simply need to click on the "live chat" button located in the bottom right-hand corner of the page at help.phantom.com and select "start a new conversation." Then, just tell the chatbot that you would like to "talk to an agent," and a real person will assist you. Alternatively, you can search the Help Center for self-help articles about how to troubleshoot common problems.
Never. Phantom Support will never ask for your secret recovery phrase, your private keys or any other sensitive information about your wallet. If anyone who claims to be Phantom Support asks you for this information, do not give them anything and report them immediately. Always use the official links provided on the Phantom website at help.phantom.com.
To find out how to protect yourself against scams and phishing attacks, go to help.phantom.com, open up the chatbot, and enter "help with scams" into the chatbox. The chatbot will then provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to protect your wallet from these types of attacks. In addition, Phantom has many online resources that you can refer to on how to protect yourself from scams and hacking attempts.
For developers looking for complete documentation about the Phantom wallet, please visit docs.phantom.com. Additionally, you can post questions about the Phantom wallet on the Solana Stack Exchange forum, where other developers and users will be happy to try to assist you. Finally, you can submit a request for assistance directly to Phantom Support through the chatbot on help.phantom.com.
No. Phantom does not have a customer service email or phone number. All customer service inquiries should be submitted through the chatbot on the help.phantom.com website.
If you have previously submitted a request for assistance through help.phantom.com, it is possible that the Phantom Support team may send you an email from a verified domain name, such as phantom@updates.phantom.com. Also, the Phantom marketing and product development teams only send you updates via email if you have specifically opted-in to receive those communications.
Phantom offers multichannel support mainly via a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence and its help center at help.phantom.com, which escalates to human representatives when needed. Phantom stresses that it communicates only over official channels and has stated it would never ask for sensitive information. Common to wallet operation functions such as swaps, transfers, importing wallets, and interacting with decentralized applications (dapps), are included in the support documents provided to users, while a separate document exists for developers.
Good — comprehensive information from official Phantom support pages (help.phantom.com), multiple video tutorials from verified creators (June 2024 - February 2025), and official security guidelines. Information is current and consistent across sources.
Multi-chain support with EVM-compatible networks and Solana native
Users have full control of their private keys.
A standard 12-word recovery phrase is used.
An aggregator of decentralized exchanges (DEX) is built into the Phantom software.
Users may manage, view, and send NFTs as well as burn spam NFTs.
Native Solana staking is also part of the Phantom application.
Smart session management allows users to connect to other DeFi protocol applications.
Users are able to purchase cryptocurrency within the Phantom application.
Supported networks exist between the user and the application.
| Service | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Token Swaps | Variable (DEX agg) | Aggregated from multiple DEXs, network gas applies |
| Cross-Chain Swaps | Variable | Depends on networks and providers |
| Send Transactions | Network Gas Only | No additional wallet fee |
| Staking | Network Gas Only | Solana native |
Fees depend on network congestion; wallet adds no markup beyond aggregation
