Reliable Bitcoin Wallets (Hardware) - Part V

2017-05-25 00:00:00:

Our century belongs to the era of information technology. Innovative solutions could not stand aside when the popularity of the first cryptocurrency in the world was growing. Almost every advanced web user knows about the existence of electronic and digital money and special storages for them: stationary and online. The development of iron wallets has caused a resonance among crypto coin holders. It cannot be denied that the appearance of the device has increased the confidence of customers in the safety of crypto coins on the account. Lets take a look at the most reliable Bitcoin hardware wallets.

Hardware device security

Full protection of a digital wallet from fraudulent activities is one of the main reasons due to which interest in iron devices is increasing from year to year. As a rule, specialized wallets are made in the form of external units that are connected to PCs or mobile devices. The devices work offline and in real time. Some time ago, the issue of the security of crypto coins was raised. Despite the rather high level of protection of stationary wallets, which are considered one of the most reliable, cases of theft of electronic money did take place. The decision was made to develop a hardware Bitcoin wallet. In this regard, 5 years ago, K. Hep presented some basic requirements for the implementation of new ideas:

    Display reliability.
    Reliability of the touchscreen.
    Stability of work, even in case of flashing the device.
    Instant connection to the blockchain.
    Maximum protection of confidential data.

The clients virtual funds that are stored on the device are maximally protected. The risk of their theft, even in the case of infection with virus programs of a PC or tablet, is excluded. The fact is that when transferring Bitcoins, each transaction is signed with a secret key of a hardware wallet, for example, a Trezor wallet. This signature is then sent to a device that has access to the global web.

Advantages and disadvantages of devices

All hardware devices are made using different kinds of concepts. Some of them have already been implemented, while others are under development. Lets consider the generalized advantages of innovative digital wallets:

    Support for all types of repositories (online, desktop: heavy and light clients).
    The device supports almost all major operating systems for computers, including OS for smartphones and Internet tablets (iOS, Android).
    Ledger Wallet, Trezor, KeepKey have been modified to allow the use of any digital money (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin and others).
    Comfortable use.
    Maximum security for private keys.

Hardware wallet is a new way to store crypto coins. As a rule, it is made in the form of a compact device that easily fits into the pocket of its holder. If the device is lost, there may be some problems in restoring access to their own crypto-coins. However, the experts took care of this and provided for the ability to backup and restore data, including in the KeepKey wallet. We recommend that you copy such copies to a removable storage device. The only negative criterion is the price of the device, which can be several hundred dollars. As it turned out, no significant shortcomings in innovative devices have been identified.

Trezor is a well-known device

The Trezor device from the Czech company SatoishiLabs was released in 2013. The device is quite popular among the types of hardware wallets available. The specialists were headed by M. Palatinus. He gained notoriety as a team mining slush developer by pooling members. A review of the Bitcoin hardware wallet reveals that it is made in such cases as: aluminum or plastic. The device is presented in the form of an aggregate with push-button control or an OLED screen, which is intended to confirm payments. The iron wallet is made on the basis of an open architecture, while being very compact and convenient to use.

At the first application, you will need to come up with and enter a PIN code that will be used when transferring Bitcoins to another clients account. When a password is set, a grid with numbers from 1 to 9 appears on the screen. The numbers are arranged in a chaotic order on the screen of the hardware Bitcoin wallet. A similar grid is displayed on the computer monitor, but instead of numbers, there will be question marks on it. This property is a kind of protection against cyber fraudsters. To enter a password, you must click on the cell with a question corresponding to the location of the cell with the desired number in Trezor.

If the client enters the wrong password, then the time for starting the device will double. In order to have round-the-clock access to a wallet, even if it is lost, you need to configure special data for its recovery. Information for uninterrupted access to the Trezor wallet, presented as a string of random phrases in English. These words must be kept in a safe place, preferably on paper. The safety of personal funds depends on the safety of this code. On MyTrezor.com you can check your virtual account balance. It should be noted that the site is presented in the English version, therefore it can cause difficulties when working for citizens who do not speak this language.

You can connect to the service using a USB port. The inviolability of information does not depend on the state of the host device, including the Ledger Wallet. This means that in the event of a gadget breakdown, the user does not have to worry about the safety of the crypto coins. The developers are constantly improving the reliability of the system and the safety of their own product. The device can be purchased on the Internet. Delivery to any corner of the world is free.

Ledger Wallet is the most secure device

This iron wallet was released in 2014. The developers were BTChip, HW-1 and Chronocoin. The device is made using the EAL 5+ standard, which is embedded in plastic and smart cards to increase information security. This technology gives it maximum security for storing Bitcoins, just like KeepKey. The smart chip encrypts transactions as they go and arrives in the wallet, and then signs them. The user can be sure of the safety of crypto coins when entering a personal wallet from someone elses computer. A special application from Google Chrome allows the coin holder to understand the control of the hardware device. Bitcoins can be stored on a deposit provided by the developer companies.

When using for the first time, you need to connect the wallet to the USB port of your PC and set the PIN. Upon purchase, the Bitcoin wallet comes with instructions for review and study, as well as a 24-word passphrase. The secret code is required to restore access to the wallet. It can be used to create the public address and private keys that go into the Merkle Tree structure. This feature helps to recreate all generated secret keys, transaction history and overall account balance.

You can store multiple Bitcoin wallets in Ledger Wallet. Also, to use the device, you will need 2 plastic cards that are included in its kit. To send Bitcoins to the addressee, you must enter the recipients address and the transfer amount. Then enter the password for one of the hardware Bitcoin wallet cards. Their use prevents hackers from intercepting cryptocoins during the payment process. All confidential data is processed in the secure Ledger OS system, exclusively inside the iron wallet. The software is available for all popular computer and mobile operating systems.

KeepKey is the sleekest wallet

The KeepKey hardware wallet firmware is a fork of the Trezor device. As with any iron wallet, transfers are signed offline, which allows crypto coins to be protected. Here, as in the Trezor wallet, there is a 12-word secret phrase, thanks to which you can restore lost access to the wallet.

However, KeepKey also has some advantages over the parent version. For example, the device team has developed an extension for the Chrome browser. With its help, you can send and receive coins from anywhere in the world. The device icon, by default, is displayed on the browser toolbar. This extension is only available for working with Bitcoins, and it is planned to connect many cryptocurrencies to it soon. The device is compatible with other versions of stationary wallets.

All information about executed transactions is displayed on an OLED display. The developers are confident that KeepKey will compete with Ledger Wallet and Trezor. The hardware wallet is equipped with an ARM Cortex processor, a random number generator and a USB port. The wallet connects to any Bitcoin application on a PC, creates and stores passwords, and also controls the process of creating electronic signatures. The hardware device runs on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

And finally, before deciding to buy a hardware wallet, you need to study all the positive and negative sides of the device. All presented devices are considered to be the most popular among crypto coin holders. Therefore, the choice can be stopped on Trezor, Ledger Wallet or KeepKey, which has incorporated the best aspects of both devices.