Hardware Wallets were mentioned in our FAQ as one of the ways to store your cryptocurrencies. Kaiserex is highly recommending its Clients to store their cryptocurrencies on their own. Hence, we will elaborate on cold wallets in this post.
Hardware Wallets
A hardware wallet is a physical electronic device which securely holds your cryptocurrencies and private keys offline. Even if we plug our hardware wallet into a malware-infected computer the device will remain fully protected. The main reason why it is so difficult to hack Hardware Wallets is that it requires the manual pressing of their buttons (manual input) to confirm the transactions.
The crucial feature for Highly Secured Hardware Wallets would be:
- Having a system to securely store private keys and process the transactions (secure micro-controller, secure element, hardware security module, etc). The purpose of these security measurements is to protect the most sensitive information such as private keys in a scenarios when physical attacks take place, it cannot be extracted in plain text.
- All the guidance in depth if malicious actions such as robbery or other attacks are executed.
- A trustworthy dashboard to see all the transactions in detail and ability to confirm or deny the transaction.
Ledger Nano S (99.99 EUR)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Zcash (ZEC)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Dash (DASH)
- Stratis (STRAT)
- Komodo (KMD)
- Ark (ARK)
- Expanse (EXP)
- Vertcoin (VTC)
- Viacoin (VIA)
- Neo (NEO)
- Stealth (XST)
- Stellar (XLM)
- Hcash (HSR)
- Digibyte (DGB)
- QTUM (QTUM)
- Peercoin (PPC)
- PivX (PIVX)
- PosW (POSW)
- Bitcoin Private (BTCP)
- Horizen (ZEN)
- Woleet
- Nano (NANO)
- Nimiq (NIM)
- Zcoin (XZC)
- Tron (TRX)
- POA Network (POA)
- Wanchain (WAN)
- Venchain (VET)
- Ontology (ONT)
- Kowala (KUSD)
- Icon (ICX)
- Particl (PART)
- Rootstock (RSK)
- Hycon (HYC)
- Waves (WAVES)
- Rise (RISE)
- FIC Network (eFIC)
- Pirl (PIRL)
- EOS (EOS)
- Akroma (AKA)
- Ethersocial (ESN)
- Ether-1 (ETHO)
- Callisto (CLO)
- Atheios (ATH)
- Banano (BAN)
- GoChain (GO)
- Aion (AION)
- ERC20 token
Full list can be found on Ledger’s website.
Ledger Nano S is the currently the most popular hardware wallet on the market and was created by Ledger. Ledger Nano S is capable to support over a 40 different cryptocurrencies. The smartcard chip is used in this device and is the same as on your passport or a credit card. Each transaction requires a four digit PIN code which has to be input via the device buttons, this makes it malware proof. The size of device is very handy and it is covered in stainless steel. To back up and restore your wallet you simply have to use the recovery phrase.
Ledger Blue Wallet (279.99 EUR)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Dash (DASH)
- Stratis (STRAT)
- Komodo (KMD)
- Expanse (EXP)
- Vertcoin (VTC)
- Viacoin (VIA)
- Neo (NEO)
- Stealth (XST)
- Stellar (XLM)
- Hcash (HSR)
- Digibyte (DGB)
- QTUM (QTUM)
- Peercoin (PPC)
- PivX (PIVX)
- PosW (POSW)
- Zcoin (XZC)
- Tron (TRX)
- POA Network (POA)
- Ontology (ONT)
- Hycon (HYC)
- Pirl (PIRL)
- Akroma (AKA)
- Ethersocial (ESN)
- Ether-1 (ETHO)
- Callisto (CLO)
- Atheios (ATH)
- GoChain (GO)
- ERC20 token
Full list can be found on Ledger’s website.
Ledger Blue is another product produced by Ledger. The main difference between Ledger Nano S and Ledger Blue is that the latter has a much more user-friendly interface and makes managing your transaction a much easier process. To this day it can support 30 cryptocurrencies. Ledger is always full on the security part so, it is not surprising that it allows you to add new cryptocurrencies or apps without causing any danger to a master key. You can use any USB or Bluetooth device to manage your cryptocurrencies with Ledger Blue.
Trezor One (89.00 EUR +VAT)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Bytom (BTM)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Edgeless (EDG)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Expanse (EXP)
- Dash (DASH)
- Decred (DCR)
- Digibyte (DGB)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Bitcoin Pirvate (BTCP)
- Zcash (ZEC)
- Zcoin (XZC)
- Namecoin (NMC)
- NEM (NEM)
- Lisk (LSK)
- Vertcoin (VTC)
- Monacoin (MONA)
- Qtum (QTUM)
- Tron (TRX)
- ERC20 tokens
and many more. The full list can be find on Trezor’s website.
Trezor One was one of the first hardware wallets created and all the rights to producing it has SatoshiLabs. Trezor is definitely the most advance in the quantity of cryptocurrencies supported (600+ cryptocurrencies), therefore, if you are planning to hold less popular coins it might be the best wallet to choose. Trezor One has integrated features such as firmware verification, PIN, optional passphrase protection, show on Trezor. This cold wallet is small and light as it is made of plastic.
Trezor Model T (149.00 EUR +VAT)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Bytom (BTM)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Edgeless (EDG)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Expanse (EXP)
- Dash (DASH)
- Digibyte (DGB)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Bitcoin Pirvate (BTCP)
- Zcash (ZEC)
- Zcoin (XZC)
- Namecoin (NMC)
- NEM (NEM)
- Lisk (LSK)
- Vertcoin (VTC)
- Monacoin (MONA)
- Qtum (QTUM)
- Tron (TRX)
- ERC20 tokens
and many more. The full list can be find on Trezor’s website.
Trezor Model T is the newest product of SatoshiLabs. It also supports 600+ cryptocurrencies and has features such as firmware verification, PIN authentification, BIP39 passphrase protection. It prevent malicious actions to be taken against the wallet as it is connected to the USB device only once the PIN entry and display of the recovery seed and passphrases is performed on the touch screen of the the device.
Kasse HK1000 (89.00 USD)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Dash (DASH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- ZCash (ZEC)
- Qtum (QTUM)
Kasse HK1000 was developed by Hyundai Pay. Currently, this hardware wallet can be used with any of the BIP39 wallets. The main security features are: 1) a secondary secure chip which protects the private keys and is secured by a user-generated pin; 2) a certified dual-chip hardware configuration which stores your private keys and features a random number generator. The app is only compatible with Windows or Mac OS. To backup and restore Kasse H1000 cold wallet you will need 12-24 Word Seed and Passphrase.
Digital Bitbox (59.00 EUR)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- ERC20 tokens
Digital Bitbox was created by Shift Devices AG and one of the creators is a Bitcoin Core developer Jonas Schnelli. Developers really prioritize the security so, they integrated features such as a native software app, FIDO Universal Second Factor and a plausible deniability. The latter feature prevents from any forcible action that might be taken, for instance, if a government or criminals try to get in your wallet through force you just need to enter a wrong password and the different, but valid wallet will be entered. All the secret keys and passwords are stored on a separate high-security chip. A user has an option to increase its privacy protection even more as it is Tor and Tails OS compatible. The material used for Bitbox is the same material used for bulletproof glass so, it is not surprising that chip has a 50 year lifespan. Additionally, this device does not require any cable to be used.
Bitcoin Stick OpenDime (37.50 EUR)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
OpenDime is a unique hardware wallet created by Coinkite Inc. It is designed to support Bitcoin only and solve its cons such as transaction fees, long transaction times, etc. You can either unseal it to spend it or pass it along to other just like a dollar bill. This is a perfect option for people who say they cannot “touch” Bitcoin and that is why they cannot trust it. Transactions are made off-chain so, they are completely untraceable. The private key is generated at the time of set up so, the only person who knows it is the one who finally “unsealed” the stick. To access the OpenDime USB stick you can use your computer, laptop or a phone.
BitLox Ultimate (148.00 USD)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
BitLox Ultimate was created by BitLox Limited. You can store up to 100 wallets (each containing an unlimited addresses) and up to 50 of them can be completely hidden. Access via Tor network makes this cold wallet secure and anonymous. The whole device is encased in titanium which makes it practically indestructible. BitLox Ultimate comes with a 5-year warranty.
Secalot (50.00 EUR)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- ERC20 tokens
Secalot is a creation of Matvey Mukha. Secalot has integrated security features such as universal second factor, openPGP Smart Card and One-Time-Password Generator. All cryptographic keys are stores in the device without ability to be read out. However, this hardware wallet might involve a bit more risk than the ones we mentioned before as the PIN authorization has to be made via the keyboard of your PC on Windows, Linux or Mac, also, the devices are not sent with seal or the programmed firmware.
CoolWallet S (189.00 USD)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- ERC20 tokens
CoolWallet S was created by a company called CoolBitX. The size of this cold wallet is the same as a credit card’s and it is waterproof. CoolWallet S connects to any device via bluetooth so, there is no need to use a USB compatible devices. The 2nd factor authentication must be used with your smartphone or a tablet. The company states that private key never leaves CoolWallet S and is generated according to BIP32 rules which is derived by your seed, while the master private key is safely stored in a certified secure element. To backup and recover you wallet use your seed recovery card. In addition to all of this, it comes with the warranty for 12 months.
HooFoo Wallet (289 USD)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- CyberMiles (CMT)
- Arcblock (ABT)
- Binance Coin (BNB)
- Status (SNT)
- ICON (ICX)
- OmiseGO (OMG)
- DxChain (DX)
HooFoo Wallet is a mobile app and hardware combination wallet for iOS devices and was created by HooFoo Inc. So far HooFoo supports 9 cryptocurrencies. HooFoo wallet wanted to make more resistance to the viruses so, instead of having a USB port it signs the transaction offline using encrypted QR-code. HooFoo’s box can be used as a wireless charging stand and stores your private keys. However, we are pretty skeptical about this project as a lot of information about it is still missing and also we do not think that bluetooth connection makes a hardware wallet “virtually hack proof”.
KeepKey Wallet (129.00 USD)
Supports:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Dash (DASH)
- Doge (DOGE)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- 0x (ZRX)
- Aragon (ANT)
- Augur (REP)
- Basic Attention Token (BAT)
- Bancor (BNT)
- Binance (BNB)
- Civic (CVC)
- Decentraland (MANA)
- DigixDAO (DGD)
- DIstrict0x (DNT)
- Edgeless (EDG)
- FirstBlood (1ST)
- FunFair (FUN)
- Gnosis (GNO)
- Golem (GNT)
- ICONOMI (ICN)
- iExec (RLC)
- Matchpool (GUP)
- Melon (MLN)
- Metal (MTL)
- Numeraire (NMR)
- OmiseGo (OMG)
- Polymath (POLY)
- Ripio Credit Network (RCN)
- SALT (SALT)
- SingularDTV (SNGLS)
- Status (SNT)
- Storj (STORJ)
- SwarmCity (SWT)
- TenX (PAY)
- Tether (USDT)
- WeTrust (TRST)
- Wings (WINGS)
- Zilliqa (ZIL)
KeepKey Wallet is a creation of KeepKey LLC. This hardware currently supports more than 30 cryptocurrencies which you can exchange directly on the device using ShapeShift. The security level is at its highest as it is using a certified STM32F205RGT6 MCU, the private keys are never exposed to your computer, option to use passphrase, a warning at boot time if a firmware is not original. Private keys are stored in a flash memory and it is protected by the micro-controller. This device has a digital screen and metal body. KeepKey cold wallet comes with a one year guarantee.