Foundation Passport Official Thread

[o_e_l_e_o]

Ledger have this option of permanently attaching a passphrase to a secondary PIN, so you don't have to enter the passphrase each time. When I had a Ledger device, I deliberately did not use this feature for the reasons given above. I don't want my passphrase to be stored on a hardware wallet at all. If it is stored on the hardware wallet, then there always exists the possibility that it can be extracted from the hardware wallet. Yes it's a small inconvenience to enter it every time I need to use the wallet, but I put up with much bigger inconveniences in the name of security.

I also have multiple different passphrases, and so attaching only one of these to a secondary PIN doesn't solve the issue for any of my other passphrased wallets.

Especially if you don't back up your Passphrase, you really want to make sure to memorize it well. There's actually no better memorization technique than frequent repetition.

All my passphrases are firmly committed to memory, but I still have paper back ups of them all. Doesn't matter how well you have memorized something - a brain injury can make you forget your own name.

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[satscraper]

I don't want my passphrase to be stored on a hardware wallet at all. If it is stored on the hardware wallet, then there always exists the possibility that it can be extracted from the hardware wallet. Y

Amused.

How it can be extracted if the wallet is in my hands only.

I think to extract it from nonvolatile memory of secure element it has to be in the hands  of the highly skilled reverse engineers (they can be counted on the fingers of one hand) equipped with highly sophisticated equipment, and I'm not sure if such equipment even exists.


So all such type concerns which have flooded Internet  are unwarranted.


Even if it happens that wallet will be steeled or lost there will  a time to move the funds into safer place.

P.S. I have both ledger nano s and s+ and recently have acquired Passport.  At least it will be useful to implement based solely on HW multi-signature option for storing my funds.

brain injury can make you forget your own name.

in this case you will also forget what  your paper backups are for

 

[o_e_l_e_o]

How it can be extracted if the wallet is in my hands only.

No one is immune to theft. Assuming you are is a mistake.

I think to extract it from nonvolatile memory of secure element it has to be in the hands  of the highly skilled reverse engineers (they can be counted on the fingers of one hand) equipped with highly sophisticated equipment, and I'm not sure if such equipment even exists.

In a perfect world, maybe, but we don't live in a perfect world. Everyone was sure Trezors were perfectly safe, until it was demonstrated that it is possible to extract a seed phrase from a Trezor in under 15 minutes with some fairly basic equipment. The only way to be sure that data can't be extracted is for it not to be there in the first place.

in this case you will also forget what  your paper backups are for

Maybe, but it'll be pretty easy to figure out when my relatives or I find a hardware wallet in my house. Commit it to memory only and the coins are lost forever.

[satscraper]

[Everyone was sure Trezors were perfectly safe, until it was demonstrated that it is possible to extract a seed phrase from a Trezor in under 15 minutes with some fairly basic equipment. T

Maybe everyone except me. I have never though that model T is secure. It lacks secure element.

Those HW that have secure element are quite different thing.

Maybe, but it'll be pretty easy to figure out when my relatives or I find a hardware wallet in my house. Commit it to memory only and the coins are lost forever.

Sure, it is better to have paper based backup, just for the case.

[Pmalek]

Maybe everyone except me. I have never though that model T is secure. It lacks secure element.

Those HW that have secure element are quite different thing.

Keep in mind that secure elements come with no disclosure agreements. If the company's security department finds or knows about a possible vulnerability, they aren't allowed to go public about it. For all we know, there could be a way to attack these chips with physical access (most probably not remotely), but someone would have to come out and say it. They won't and can't because they are bound by NDAs. A valid question would be, why is there a need for an NDA if everything is as secure and safe as advertised?

[n0nce]

The latest version of Passport firmware, v2.1.0, has been released!

Please note that this is our largest release in some time and also brings Founder's Edition up to date with Batch 2 devices, unifying our firmware. As this is such a large update, we'd love for you all to test it as much as you can before we announce it more widely.

Highlights of this release:

- Backporting v2.1.0 firmware to Founder’s Edition
- Sending to Taproot addresses
- A new Key Manager Extension for BIP 85 and Nostr key support and export
- BIP 85 SeedQR exports

For the full release notes, browse Github or read our blog post below:

https://foundationdevices.com/2023/05/passport-version-2-1-0-is-now-live/

NOTE: Since we are now releasing both firmware files from the same repo, the file naming has changed slightly. "Batch 2" devices use the same naming scheme for firmware as before:

Code:

v2.1.0-passport.bin

but Founder's Edition is now named explicitly to avoid confusion:

Code:

v2.1.0-founders-passport.bin

First impressions of the passport2 firmware (v2.1.0 release version) on the Founders Edition hardware:

• Large dark UI areas and color gradients don't work really well in monochrome (maybe I just need to get used to it). I'd appreciate a 'light mode' at least as a software option, or maybe just as default.
• QR code recognition is blazing fast, no complaints there. QR code enters the picture and it's immediately picked up.
• Whole user interface feels faster, snappier than before!

[satscraper]

After applying my passphrase to SEED the message "Fingeprint correct?"  followed by fingeprint itself in the form of XXXXXXXX is shown on the screen of Passport.

How can I know this?  I suppose there is a need for preliminary info on that fingeprint to answer if it is correct or not. Where can I get that info?

Besides, in the current implementation  the first characters of the  long passphrase that doesn't fit the width of the screen are moving to the left and leave the screen, so that it is not possible to check what you have put in without using navigation joystick-button. I think it would be more reasonable to continue such long passphrase on new rows to make it  all visible at once.

[o_e_l_e_o]

How can I know this?  I suppose there is a need for preliminary info on that fingeprint to answer if it is correct or not. Where can I get that info?

You make a note of it (if you want) when you first enter the passphrase. You then compare the fingerprint with what you've written down when you enter your passphrase in the future to confirm that you have indeed entered your passphrase correctly and not made a typo anywhere.

[foundationdvcs]

First impressions of the passport2 firmware (v2.1.0 release version) on the Founders Edition hardware:

• Large dark UI areas and color gradients don't work really well in monochrome (maybe I just need to get used to it). I'd appreciate a 'light mode' at least as a software option, or maybe just as default.
• QR code recognition is blazing fast, no complaints there. QR code enters the picture and it's immediately picked up.
• Whole user interface feels faster, snappier than before!

That's fantastic to hear! We're so glad we can finally bring all of our awesome Founder's Edition users up to date with this, so it's amazing to hear that it's working well from the first release 

I'll definitely pass on the thoughts around a light mode to the team as well.

[foundationdvcs]

It’s time we bring freedom tech and self-custody to more people with Passport.

https://foundationdevices.com/passport

We’re reducing Passport’s price to $199, making it more accessible than ever to secure your Bitcoin with beautifully designed hardware that is open-source and easy-to-use.

As we ramp up manufacturing and lower our costs, we’re passing those savings directly to you.

As a result we’ll be ending discounts moving forward; you’ll always get the best price on Passport up-front, no coupon codes necessary.

If you bought Passport in the last 90 days, we’re happy to offer you a $50 gift card as a thank you:

https://foundationdevices.com/price-reduction/

As a reminder, Passport comes with everything you need to get started, including a replaceable and rechargeable battery, an industrial-grade 8GB microSD card, microSD adapters for Android and iPhone, and a USB-C cable for charging.

Simply open the box and get started at $199.

[RickDeckard]

It’s time we bring freedom tech and self-custody to more people with Passport.

https://foundationdevices.com/passport

We’re reducing Passport’s price to $199, making it more accessible than ever to secure your Bitcoin with beautifully designed hardware that is open-source and easy-to-use.

As we ramp up manufacturing and lower our costs, we’re passing those savings directly to you.

As a result we’ll be ending discounts moving forward; you’ll always get the best price on Passport up-front, no coupon codes necessary.

If you bought Passport in the last 90 days, we’re happy to offer you a $50 gift card as a thank you:

https://foundationdevices.com/price-reduction/

Incredible news! A $60 price drop really puts this device in a very competitive price (iirc $199 was the preselling price). Considering the burning house that Ledger is currently facing[1] I wouldn't be surprised that you guys get some orders in the coming days due to this. Was the manufacturing costs the sole reason that you were able to reduce the price or there were other factors as well?
[1]https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5452900.0

[foundationdvcs]

It’s time we bring freedom tech and self-custody to more people with Passport.

https://foundationdevices.com/passport

We’re reducing Passport’s price to $199, making it more accessible than ever to secure your Bitcoin with beautifully designed hardware that is open-source and easy-to-use.

As we ramp up manufacturing and lower our costs, we’re passing those savings directly to you.

As a result we’ll be ending discounts moving forward; you’ll always get the best price on Passport up-front, no coupon codes necessary.

If you bought Passport in the last 90 days, we’re happy to offer you a $50 gift card as a thank you:

https://foundationdevices.com/price-reduction/

Incredible news! A $60 price drop really puts this device in a very competitive price (iirc $199 was the preselling price). Considering the burning house that Ledger is currently facing[1] I wouldn't be surprised that you guys get some orders in the coming days due to this. Was the manufacturing costs the sole reason that you were able to reduce the price or there were other factors as well?
[1]https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5452900.0

Especially considering you get everything you need in the box no matter what, no need for extra accessories, batteries, microSD cards etc. -- it's all included for every buyer.

Ramping up manufacturing was definitely the core reason here as we can bring down costs due to better economies of scale. We also wanted to move away from discounts and sales and focus on just providing the best price we can overall to every buyer, regardless of how they find us or when they want to purchase, no need to wait for Black Friday or similar!

[RickDeckard]

(...)
Ramping up manufacturing was definitely the core reason here as we can bring down costs due to better economies of scale. We also wanted to move away from discounts and sales and focus on just providing the best price we can overall to every buyer, regardless of how they find us or when they want to purchase, no need to wait for Black Friday or similar!

Those are really great news considering the current time we experience where both Trezor and Ledger fallen from grace. Really looking forward to see this price impact on your resellers (which I suppose will take their time considering that they have to clear the units that they have acquired at the prior price point).

[dkbit98]

As a reminder, Passport comes with everything you need to get started, including a replaceable and rechargeable battery, an industrial-grade 8GB microSD card, microSD adapters for Android and iPhone, and a USB-C cable for charging.

Nice move with this discount that landed perfectly during ledger collapse  
$199 is perfect price, cheaper and better than Trezor T and most other hardware wallets.
That being said, we still want a cheaper version, something like Passport A, similar like there are Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A smartphones

I was wondering about Nokia batteries compatibility and I remember you guys said they should be compatible with old Nokia batteries.
There was a guy who tried doing this and old Nokia battery was not fitting the case of Passport, even if they look almost identical in size.
This is not a big deal, but I would like to be able to have few spare batteries I can easily swap anytime... so everyone make sure to have correct BL-5C battery ^{(not similar BL-5CB model)}

 

[n0nce]

As a reminder, Passport comes with everything you need to get started, including a replaceable and rechargeable battery, an industrial-grade 8GB microSD card, microSD adapters for Android and iPhone, and a USB-C cable for charging.

Nice move with this discount that landed perfectly during ledger collapse  
$199 is perfect price, cheaper and better than Trezor T and most other hardware wallets.
That being said, we still want a cheaper version, something like Passport A, similar like there are Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A smartphones

Especially since the firmware was back-ported to the older hardware, maybe an option would be a cheap all-plastic shell around Founders Edition internals?
Similar as Apple did it back in the day with the iPhone 5C (released alongside the 5S, with iPhone 5 internals and cheap, but nice and colorful shell).



Of course, this only works if we assume that the hardware is significantly cheaper than Batch 2 hardware and that the quite premium looking and feeling shell of the FE is relatively expensive to manufacture. I believe having read somewhere that they cast metal parts in the U.S.

I was wondering about Nokia batteries compatibility and I remember you guys said they should be compatible with old Nokia batteries.
There was a guy who tried doing this and old Nokia battery was not fitting the case of Passport, even if they look almost identical in size.
This is not a big deal, but I would like to be able to have few spare batteries I can easily swap anytime... so everyone make sure to have correct BL-5C battery ^{(not similar BL-5CB model)}

 

Actual BL-5C do fit though, right? I will look for one and reply to this if I'm successful.

[satscraper]

Actual BL-5C do fit though, right? I will look for one and reply to this if I'm successful.

BL-5C fits Passport 2 perfectly. Just have checked it.

[dkbit98]

Actual BL-5C do fit though, right? I will look for one and reply to this if I'm successful.

Yes it fits perfectly.
Original Nokia battery BL-5C have slight variations for mobile phones with different size and power between BL-5C, BL-5CA and BL-5CB.

Battery capacity is also different:
- BL-5C is 970 mAh
- BL-5CA is 700 mAh
- BL-5CB is 800 mAh

This means that BL-5C that is supported by Passport will give a longer battery time and will fit perfectly.

[Lucius]

@foundationdvcs, it would be good to check the links of your resellers now that many have decided to find a replacement for Ledger&Trezor. I was happy when I saw that one of the IT stores in my country sells you HW, but such a product does not exist in their store (unfortunately) - link. Also, the prices at other shops (EU) are still unchanged, even the prices are over 300 EUR.


Question for those who ordered directly from the US to the EU, how much extra did you pay for shipping costs, customs, VAT?

[RickDeckard]

@foundationdvcs, it would be good to check the links of your resellers now that many have decided to find a replacement for Ledger&Trezor. I was happy when I saw that one of the IT stores in my country sells you HW, but such a product does not exist in their store (unfortunately) - link. Also, the prices at other shops (EU) are still unchanged, even the prices are over 300 EUR.

The only reseller that I saw reflecting the latest price was Bitcoin Brabant[1] (sold all their units[2] and are now waiting for more[3]). They also add additional tamper bags for your shipment and delete your data as soon as your order ship, which is great for privacy[4]. Sadly it seems that some resellers in EU are hit or miss - either they only have the Foundation batch (with the initial price), no stock at all from neither devices, or the Batch 2 original price (some with no stock as well). Bitcoin Brabant seems to be the one leading the race in having more stock soon[3] and being a reliable reseller.
[1]https://bitcoinbrabant.com/product/foundation-passport/
[2]https://nitter.it/BitcoinBrabant/status/1658837864724013063
[3]https://nitter.it/BitcoinBrabant/status/1659764123616378881
[4]https://nitter.it/BitcoinBrabant/status/1658294784228728838

[satscraper]

@foundationdvcs, Passport uses Avalanche diode as a  source for its TRNG.

In this regard, I'm curious to know if this diode is in continuous operation so that SEED is generated exclusively from entropy it provided or Avalanche's noise  is used to generate initial entropy that subsequently feeds BRNG with relevant SEED being generated?

This means that BL-5C that is supported by Passport will give a longer battery time and will fit perfectly.

Yeah, and besides, such compatibility  allows to replace original Passport battery at crossing customs borders and disguise a bit  the real thing.