So, what's the problem: I live in Greece and no matter my continual search, the only hardware wallets that I can purchase from a store are two: Ledger and
BitBox01. Which leaves me with BitBox01 as it's open-source and reputable.
~snip~
And, by the way, is there anyone who still uses BitBox01?
Wait, what, the BitBox01 is still being sold?
Yes, it is open-source, yes, I tried it, yes, it's a fine device for the price and the build quality is better than the 02.
But I wouldn't recommend it in 2022. Due to the lack of a screen, you cannot verify the recipient's address, and that's quite the deal-breaker for me today. There was some sort of companion app (not sure if it still exists? ... that's why I don't like companion apps - they have an expiry date sooner or later) that can show you the recipient address, but I'm not sure that it's as secure and good as having a screen directly connected to the electronics.
I'd currently mostly recommend Passport and BitBox02; if you have a local vendor for the 01, he might more easily be able to procure you a 02 instead of a Passport that would also need to be imported from across the pond.
Otherwise, for ordering online, if you can get a PO box under a fake name, ordering the Passport v2 could be an option. You could even wait a few more weeks until I get mine and can provide a review of it first.
Something tells me that it's a bad idea. Perhaps I should forget about the hardware wallet as I'm left with no choice. Your thoughts.
Instead of going without HW, I'd rather build a
SeedSigner from off-the-shelf components (can be ordered or bought in store) and
remove the antenna.
<snip>
Thanks for that link, it helped me understand what AOPP is a little better. What I don't understand is what it has to do with BitBox being a decent HW wallet or not. Are they (or Shift Crypto) keeping records of who's purchased them or something? Even if they are, that doesn't even sound like what the AOPP thing is all about. I'm still a bit confused (but that's a normal state for me anyhow).
AOPP has no effect on the quality of the wallet. Shift is a Switzerland-based company and due to regulations they have no influence on, Swiss users (who seem to be their main customer base) need to sign a message with their receiving address when using a centralized exchange. Shift Crypto then brought forward the idea of AOPP to facilitate / automate the process so the users don't have to do the process manually.
I do get that it's a step of 'giving an inch' (
and then they take a mile), but it has no influence on the wallet itself, as I said. Just good to know in case it's a moral issue for you to support a company who presumably aids in reducing users' privacy.
The information the wallet sends to the exchange is a signed message. This message can contain whatever details the exchange considers enough to fulfill their compliance obligations, but only data the exchange already knows, since it is the one who crafts the message.
Yes, it's just a legal thing, that without signing, you could e.g. provide someone else's address, but after the legal changes, since you
sign, you really testify that that address is yours. Something like this.
~
Well, the whole project is open-source, and it should be relatively easy to modify the code in a way that larger screens just have black bars on either side. I could have a crack at it if you really can't find something in Zero form-factor with the right pixel count. It would likely be a little back-and-forth in DM since I don't have the hardware on hand.
Actually, if you get pure displays, not as
HAT, you will lose the buttons that are needed for it to function and it will also not all snap together as intended.
Here is the full documentation of the HAT:
https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/1.3inch_LCD_HATWaveshare products are often found on Amazon and since it's off-the-shelf stuff, you don't need to use a PO box when ordering online.
