Using the Keplr Wallet

Artifact Staking
7 min readSep 2, 2021

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Keplr is a simple, open-source browser extension crypto currency wallet for the Cosmos interchain ecosystem. It is one of the most flexible and versatile wallets on all Cosmos-SDK based blockchains. This tutorial will walk you through the installation and basic use of Keplr.

Keplr Installation

The first step is to install the Keplr browser extension for Chrome/Brave, once you click on the link click on the Add button.

Click the Add Extension button.

Click on the puzzle piece icon on the top right corner of your browser and then select Keplr.

You will now be given a choice to create a new account, import an existing account, or import from a ledger device.

Create a new account

If you do not currently have a wallet on the Cosmos blockchain then you need to create a new one. Click on the Create new account button and you will see a screen that shows a twelve word mnemonic seed. This seed acts as the master key to your wallet and you can use it to restore your wallet at any time.

Write down your seed phrase with a pen and paper and keep it somewhere safe. If you lose your seed phrase you will never be able to restore your wallet and any crypto currency on your wallet will be irrecoverable. It is absolutely critical that you keep your seed phrase secret and safe. You are your own bank now, no one can help you if you loose your seed phrase.

Give your account a nickname and enter a password for your wallet.

Once you have set your password, click on the Next button. You will then be asked to confirm your seed phrase by clicking on the words in the correct order. Click on the Register button once you have finished and you will be able to use your new wallet.

Import Existing Account

If you already have a Cosmos wallet you can import it into Keplr by entering your seed phrase. Click on the the Import existing account button and you will be asked to enter your seed phrase. Give your account a nickname and enter a password for your wallet. Click the Next button and the import will be complete.

Import ledger

If you use a Ledger hardware wallet you can import it into Keplr. At this point in time Ledger is the only hardware wallet that is supported by Keplr. Click on the Import ledger button, and give your account a nickname and enter a password for your wallet.

Once you click on the Next button a browser window will pop up and ask you to connect your Ledger. If you do not see this popup make sure that you have enabled popups on your browser. Connect your Ledger and then open the Cosmos app on your Ledger.

Now click on the Nextbutton and then allow your Ledger to connect by clicking on the Ledger and clicking the Connectbutton.

If you do not have the Cosmos app installed on your Ledger you will need to connect it to Ledger Live and install the app.

How to use Keplr

There are four main functions that you need to familiarize yourself with in order to use Keplr effectively. To use any of these functions you will first need to open Keplr and enter your password (not your seed phrase).

Send Crypto

Click on the Send button and then enter the Recipient wallet address into the first box. If you anticipate sending to this address more than once, you can add the address to your address book by clicking on the Address Icon to the right.

Enter the amount of coins that want to send to the recipient. You can click on the Balance amount if you want to send your entire balance. Now select your Fee. The lower the fee the longer the transaction will take.

Cosmos is a very fast blockchain, we recommend that you set your fee to Low as often as possible. Your transfer will usually complete in under 5 minutes.

Once you have set up your transaction, scroll down and click on the Send button.

Depending on how you set up your wallet you will be prompted to either enter your password or connect and sign with your Ledger. The transaction will not complete unless you properly authenticate.

Deposit Crypto

Click on the Deposit button and you will see your wallet address and QR code that you can scan. You can copy your wallet address by clicking on the address. Your wallet balance will automatically update once the transaction is complete, there is no need to refresh your browser.

Stake

Click on the Stake button and you will be directed to the Keplr website. Select the validator that you want to stake with and click on their Manage button. Click on the Delegate button and enter the amount that you want to delegate, then click on the Delegate button again.

Claim Rewards

Click on the Claim button then select your Fee setting. Again, Low fee will work just fine. Click on the Approve button and then authenticate with your password or connect and sign with your Ledger.

Redelegate (Switch Validators)

If you want to move your delegation from one validator to another validator, click on the Stake button. Then click on the Manage button on the validator that you want to move from. Click on the down arrow and select Redelegate. Select the validator that you want to move to and then enter the amount that you want to redelegate.

Undelegate

In order to pull your crypto currency out of staking completely, click on the Stake button. Then click on the Manage button on the validator you want to undelegate from. Click on the Undelegate button and then enter the amount that you want to undelegate.

When undelegating you must typically wait for the entire duration of the unbonding period before receiving your coins. Once the unbonding period begins you will :

  1. Not receive staking rewards
  2. Not be able to cancel the unbonding
  3. Need to wait a specific number of days to receive your undelegated coins

Now What?

You can now hold Cosmos SDK coins in your Keplr wallet. Consider staking them in order to earn additional coins!

Check out our Osmosis Staking guide.

FAQ

I forgot my Keplr password, what should I do?

If you forget the Keplr password and you still have the seed phrase, just remove Keplr from your browser extensions and then reinstall Keplr and restore your wallet from your seed phrase. You can then enter a new password.

I lost my mnemonic seed phrase, but I still have access to Keplr. What should I do?

If you lost your seed phrase and are lucky enough to still have access to your Keplr wallet, you are in great shape! Just click on the person icon at the top right of Keplr and then click on the three dots to the right of your wallet. Click on View Mnemonic Seed and enter your password. You now have a second chance to recover your seed phrase!

If you can not remember your password then there is no way to recover your seed phrase. Keep guessing that password.

I lost my mnemonic seed phrase, and I no longer have access to Keplr. How can I recover my wallet?

We are so sorry to say this, but there is no way to recover your wallet if you have lost your seed phrase. All of the crypto on that wallet is unrecoverable.

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