Bitcoin in the Palm of Your Hand — Crypto Hardware Wallets Review

A hardware wallet may just be the safest way to store cryptocurrency for boilerplate users. Nowadays, many different devices are trying to tackle the challenges of secure crypto asset storage. In this article, Cointelegraph will review some of the most well-known hardware wallets and compare their features.

The cryptocurrency wallets that will be covered in this article are Ledger'due south Nano X and Nano S, SatoshiLabs'southward Trezor One and Trezor Model T, ShapeShift'south KeepKey, and Coinkite's Coldcard and Opendime. It is likewise important to bespeak out that all the wallets tested in this article, other than the Ledger Nano S (which was already owned), accept been provided by the producers, free of accuse.

Ledger devices

Ledger's Nano S and Nano X are similar devices when it comes to their functionality. Both interact with the same software, run the same applications and back up the same cryptocurrencies, according to the firm'south official website.

The Nano X is different from all the other devices in this article because it is the only ane that is rechargeable and works wirelessly via Bluetooth. However, during the tests, the device's wireless connectivity was simply functional with the Ledger Live mobile application.

Ledger Live allows users to update the device and to manage a significant portion of the crypto assets supported past the device. The remainder of the avails are attainable through third-party software that is compatible with the hardware wallet.

Another advantage that the Nano 10 has over the Nano S is the larger and higher resolution screen. While no ane volition be watching movies on either device, the fact that an entire wallet address fits on the screen helps when checking where the assets are beingness sent.

The Nano Southward can hold fewer — under 10 in the tests — applications than the Nano 10, which is advertised to hold up to 100. Not having the app of a crypto asset installed precludes the ability to manage it, only uninstalling and reinstalling the application does not imply a loss of cryptocurrency. Consequently, the limitation in the number of installed apps of the Nano S results only in a pocket-sized inconvenience.

Both wallets can exist used on mobile devices, but the Nano S just works with a USB on-the-become cable. Third-political party mobile apps also support both the Nano X and S. The Nano 10 is bachelor on the official Ledger website for around $120, while the Nano S is just short of $lx.

Trezor devices

The SatoshiLabs's Trezor I and Trezor Model T hardware wallets, on the other hand, share fewer similarities than the Ledger devices. The Model T has a larger color touch screen than the One, a micro SD carte slot and a reversible USB C connector. Withal, both support most 1,000 crypto avails.

The micro SD bill of fare slot in the Model T allows for signing transactions in an offline environment and saving them onto the retentiveness card. The transactions could and so be transmitted to the network from a 2nd device that is continued to the internet. Notwithstanding, this functionality has not been added to the device nevertheless.

In order to operate Trezor, the hardware wallet needs to be connected to a calculator or a mobile device that runs dedicated software. This software can be Trezor's purpose-built Google Chrome browser extension or a third-political party, web-based wallet. Moreover, the device has all the expected functionalities, likewise as an intuitive user interface. Similar Ledger's devices, the Trezor hardware wallets are likewise supported by a long list of 3rd-political party software wallets.

SatoshiLabs also provides a mobile wallet that allows device initialization, recovery, label alter, pin modify, passphrase direction, firmware upgrade and a full device wipe. Mobile wallets, such as Mycelium or Walleth, let users to manage their crypto assets from a mobile device, although only via a cable.

Furthermore, the Trezor web-based wallet can also exist accessed through the Android version of Google Chrome when the wallet is connected to the mobile device. According to the visitor's website, the Trezor One is available for $55, while the Trezor T is just a footling short of $170. The Corazon Titanium Trezor Model T — sold by Grayness in a partnership with Trezor — costs about iv times more the standard version, which was too tested.

KeepKey

Although it'southward lesser-known but is still a major histrion on the market, the KeepKey surprises with its large black and white screen and premium feel. The materials used for the front of the device brand it difficult to clean and can exist hands scratched.

The device is significantly larger than the other ones in this list, and the number of digital assets supported is severely limited when compared with Trezor and Ledger hardware wallets. The KeepKey supports eight cryptocurrencies but besides allows users to manage all their Ethereum-based tokens compliant with the ERC-20 standard.

During the testing phase of the review, some bugs were encountered in the dedicated software. The application stopped during an effort to add an account, and it ran into multiple issues when unlocking the wallet.

Fortunately, no such bugs interfered when testing the beta version of the cryptocurrency direction and trading interface developed past ShapeShift. Information technology is worth pointing out that the ShapeShift service is not a KeepKey exclusive but is also supported in Ledger and Trezor devices.

Coldcard and Opendime

ColdCard is an open-source hardware wallet that closely resembles a estimator and targets more tech-savvy users. The Opendime, on the other manus, is closer to a existent-life version of the cyberpunk credit chips or a piggy bank than a traditional hardware wallet.

The Coldcard wallet only supports Bitcoin (BTC) and is the just wallet in this review that supports the Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions format. This feature allows users to sign transactions, save them onto the SD card, and circulate them at a later time — and co-sign them in the instance of a multi-signature wallet.

The Opendime wallet is a single-use device that needs to be physically altered in social club to spend the cryptocurrency. When it is outset activated by inserting the device into the computer'south USB port, the user has to input random data onto its bulldoze. The wallet then uses this data to generate a individual–public primal pair.

Once the device is initiated, users tin encounter their public keys and send cryptocurrencies to it. What users cannot practise is access the private key, which means they cannot move the coins.

In order to admission the private key, the device'southward possessor has to puncture the device in an indicated spot, permanently altering its electronic circuit. Later piercing the Opendime device, users gain access to the private central that can exist used to motility the cryptocurrency to a software wallet.

This device can be viewed as a way to transform a digital currency into a concrete currency. When accepting an Opendime as a means of payment, its balance can be verified while users tin can feel confident that no i will spend the remainder without accessing the device.

This unique device is the perfect pick for some atypical situations. However, the fact that physical access to the Opendime device automatically translates into access to the cryptocurrency precludes its use in virtually cases.

Coinkite only sells the Bitcoin version of the Opendime device, but the Litecoin Foundation has one for Litecoin (LTC) as well. Coinkite'southward official shop sells the Coldcard for a little nether $120 and the Opendime in packs of iii for but short of $45.

Views and beliefs expressed in the article are of the author, Cointelegraph does not endorse any of the products or projects mentioned.