Best open source hardware wallets for BTC?

[Abiky]

The real deal-breaker isn't whether wallet is open-source or not (at least for me) but the clear vision of the company that builds that wallet. Ledger is a company with very cynical attitude towards their own customers and they are very money-oriented instead of being a privacy-oriented company.
At some point, the same applies to Trezor. While they are open-source, it doesn't mean their wallet is secure because their devices suffer from unfixable seed extraction vulnerabilities and at the same time, the problem lies within company too. This company is very pro-government, has partnered with Wasabi and Blockchain Analysis companies.

...

Most companies side with the government out of fear from getting their business shut down in an instant. They also do it because of the money. I'd trust a wallet that's made by a non-profit organization or a single person (but open source), than a closed source wallet made by a company with shady practices. I'm not saying that closed source is bad, but rather risky since you won't be able to know the inner workings of your wallet.

With open source code, anyone can fix issues/vulnerabilities and make the wallet stronger. Just like how it's the case with Bitcoin today. I'd steer clear from any Ledger products, and choose an open source alternative instead. Who knows if the company's days are numbered? Just my thoughts

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[Pmalek]

I'd steer clear from any Ledger products, and choose an open source alternative instead. Who knows if the company's days are numbered? Just my thoughts

I don't think they are. If Ledger is good at one thing, that's marketing and advertising their products and services. They did a lousy job with the PR for Ledger Recover the first time. I think they will hang back, gather their thoughts, and try again once the storm passes.

We are forgetting that many ideas shared by members of this forum is not what the regular crypto user thinks. The average person isn't going to run their own node, stay clear of centralized exchanges, never submit KYC, or worry too much about privacy-invasive software and services. I don't think they will see the dangers in sharing their seeds with multiple online partners either if you package it and sell it to them in a nice wrapping.

Ledger will probably lose a percentage of their current userbase because people have found out their hardware wallets aren't as safe as they trusted Ledger they would be. In the long run, they might make up for it with new users, like the millions of mothers  looking to purchase hardware wallets where there is a system in place to correct their mistakes.   

[Abiky]

I don't think they are. If Ledger is good at one thing, that's marketing and advertising their products and services. They did a lousy job with the PR for Ledger Recover the first time. I think they will hang back, gather their thoughts, and try again once the storm passes.

We are forgetting that many ideas shared by members of this forum is not what the regular crypto user thinks. The average person isn't going to run their own node, stay clear of centralized exchanges, never submit KYC, or worry too much about privacy-invasive software and services. I don't think they will see the dangers in sharing their seeds with multiple online partners either if you package it and sell it to them in a nice wrapping.

Ledger will probably lose a percentage of their current userbase because people have found out their hardware wallets aren't as safe as they trusted Ledger they would be. In the long run, they might make up for it with new users, like the millions of mothers  looking to purchase hardware wallets where there is a system in place to correct their mistakes.   

I guess you're right. The vast majority of crypto users want convenience on top of privacy/security/decentralization. While Ledger will lose customers because of its recovery service, it won't be much of a big deal compared to the rest of the people who really don't care about anything. For crypto veterans like myself, we would look into other alternatives that respects the true values of crypto/Blockchain tech. I'm glad there are plenty of open source alternatives on the market. This would make crypto stronger in the long run. Would you imagine hardware wallet companies being compromised by the government in the future? If there were no open source wallets, no one would be able to use a hardware wallet without giving away their privacy and freedom. I hope Ledger learns its lesson and decides to abandon plans to launch the recovery service. Maybe it will turn into an open source hardware wallet company in the long run? 

[Pmalek]

I've been using a Ledger Nano for years but not being open source is a deal breaker for me.

Not to be harsh, but if closed-source is a deal-breaker, what have you been waiting for in all your years of using Ledger? The wallet was closed-source back then and still is now. The question is how has that affected your use of it? The real deal-breaker and reason to abandon Ledger is their upcoming Ledger Recover feature. I agree with that.

...the secure element in all their wallets are all close source.

Secure Elements are generally closed-source, in Ledger and elsewhere. Even Passport I think is using a closed-source SE, the same one used by other brands like Coldcard.

A HW device can remain safe if it is not assembled / created by the hands of such companies as Ledger or Trezor. I am inclined to believe that sooner or later any manufacturer of hardware wallets may come under pressure from states, and even ideological companies (supporters of the ideas of the cryptocommunity) will be forced to surrender. Therefore, I believe that the safest HW wallet will be the device that you assemble with your own hands. The BTC-community needs to look in this direction and develop such an opportunity, when even an ordinary user without special technical skills can assemble such a device as a designer. Assembled the physical part, installed the firmware, connected it to electrum and use it.

Decentralized hardware wallets must also be decentralized, otherwise all this decentralization becomes meaningless. Bitcoin in your wallet should not depend on HW manufacturers anyone.

There is nothing wrong with your post except most people aren't interested in assembling their own devices. And they shouldn't have to do that to interact with cryptocurrencies. If that becomes a norm, then we can call it a day. Crypto has no future in that scenario.   

[Charles-Tim]

Secure Elements are generally closed-source, in Ledger and elsewhere. Even Passport I think is using a closed-source SE, the same one used by other brands like Coldcard.

Coldcard secure element is close source, that means the hardware wallet is close source, just like Legder Nano.

According to what I found out about Passport, it is regarded as open source, even by some members on this forum.

Open Source

The best security is through openness, not secrecy. Passport is proudly open source – all software, electrical, and mechanical components are open and auditable. There is no hidden code or restricted information. You can even build a Passport yourself, from scratch!

Our hardware is open sourced via CERN’s Open Hardware License and our firmware via GPL. This means that Passport meets the legal definition for open source hardware. You can view the electronics here and firmware here. Mechanical designs will be posted soon.

I am not a programming, but I will like someone that knows about it like o_e_l_e_o to comment about it here. But if everything I have found out about the wallet is true, the secure element should be open source.

[o_e_l_e_o]

I am not a programming, but I will like someone that knows about it like o_e_l_e_o to comment about it here. But if everything I have found out about the wallet is true, the secure element should be open source.

The source for everything to do with a Passport is viewable on their GitHub.

The physical Passport assembly can viewed here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-assembly
The hardware for the three boards within a Passport can be viewed here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-electronics
And finally the firmware: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-firmware

For Passport Version 2, the physical and hardware files are here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport2-hardware
And the firmware is here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport2

The companion app Envoy is here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/envoy

[m2017]

~snip

A HW device can remain safe if it is not assembled / created by the hands of such companies as Ledger or Trezor. I am inclined to believe that sooner or later any manufacturer of hardware wallets may come under pressure from states, and even ideological companies (supporters of the ideas of the cryptocommunity) will be forced to surrender. Therefore, I believe that the safest HW wallet will be the device that you assemble with your own hands. The BTC-community needs to look in this direction and develop such an opportunity, when even an ordinary user without special technical skills can assemble such a device as a designer. Assembled the physical part, installed the firmware, connected it to electrum and use it.

Decentralized hardware wallets must also be decentralized, otherwise all this decentralization becomes meaningless. Bitcoin in your wallet should not depend on HW manufacturers anyone.

There is nothing wrong with your post except most people aren't interested in assembling their own devices. And they shouldn't have to do that to interact with cryptocurrencies. If that becomes a norm, then we can call it a day. Crypto has no future in that scenario.   

Yes, I understand your point of view. For the mass user, simple and easily understandable solutions are needed, which, in general, crypto community received as a result. Any hardware wallet is able to master the average user. But as it turns out, the side effects of these devices have been dependence on manufacturers who can do whatever they want with their products, even if it allows them to neglect the interests of their customers and may jeopardize the safety of their crypto assets.

Why do you think that cryptocurrencies have no future in this scenario? Because it won't allow the crypto to go mainstream and become just a niche product that only geeks can master. It seems that this stage is already in the past.

[phantailaptopbl]

I am not a programming, but I will like someone that knows about it like o_e_l_e_o to comment about it here. But if everything I have found out about the wallet is true, the secure element should be open source.

The source for everything to do with a Passport is viewable on their GitHub.

The physical Passport assembly can viewed here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-assembly
The hardware for the three boards within a Passport can be viewed here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-electronics
And finally the firmware: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport-firmware

For Passport Version 2, the physical and hardware files are here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport2-hardware
And the firmware is here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/passport2

The companion app Envoy is here: https://github.com/Foundation-Devices/envoy

Your telling is correct only i think so , most of crypto users are having privacy and security and compare to this all like Convenience only and ledger or losses to this reason the costumers and truthfully not carrying person comparing and this is not a big issue and like me crypto currency experience person , crypto black chain technology having truth value and seen some different routes .  

[Pmalek]

According to what I found out about Passport, it is regarded as open source, even by some members on this forum.

How is it then that Trezor is working on developing the first open-source secure element chip if Passport is already using one? To be more precise, Trezor was talking about as open-source as possible.

Why do you think that cryptocurrencies have no future in this scenario?

Like everything in life, most people prefer to pay for the finished products. When you buy a new TV, you won't build and piece together the components yourself. If Sony sold PlayStations like Legos that you had to build yourself, it would be at the bottom of a gamer's wish list. Everything crypto needs to be simplified, so those who know almost nothing can quickly get the hang of it. If everyone has to build their own wallets in the future, this rocket will never take off.

[coolcoinz]

Ledger is a good hardware wallet.

But it's not. With the whole obscurity about how they encryp your seedphrase to be able to recover your private keys should you get a new ledger device, it's best to go for the better, more transparent alternatives.

This is also not the first time ledger wallet has come under scrutiny, there have bee data breaches in the past that exposed its users to personalized scams. They also did not reveal the hack early enough but waited about a month before reporting on the hack, not giving their users a heads up to change their personal details on other platforms.

Let's not make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. The data breaches were related to customers who purchased their devices directly from ledger and all the breach revealed was their shipping addresses, so it wasn't such a big deal. If you were actively using online stores for the last 10 years, your address is being included in hacked databases sold on deep web anyway. Many people, including me, bought our ledgers from resellers, and we were not affected by that.

I agree that their recent update is unnecessary and in breach of the basic rules of self custody, so I recommend not updating your ledger if you have one and slowly thinking of a new wallet, because one day that update may become mandatory and then you'll become vulnerable. Still with that last update ledger is safer than your average exchange.

As for wallets, I recomend blockstream jade or keystone. Keystone is easier to use but more bulky and supports a number of shitcoins, so if you're not into that and support bitcoin only wallets choose jade. Both have qr scanners and run on batteries, so they're much better than ledger nano.

[Pmalek]

The data breaches were related to customers who purchased their devices directly from ledger and all the breach revealed was their shipping addresses, so it wasn't such a big deal.

Not exactly, it also revealed email addresses, phone numbers, and possibly other personal data you enter into the form when you make purchases.

If you were actively using online stores for the last 10 years, your address is being included in hacked databases sold on deep web anyway.

It's not the same thing. If you bought books online, PC games, a carpet, sunglasses... and that information got leaked, it's not as serious as everyone knowing you bought a hardware wallet and that you are potentially holding larger sums of crypto you consider worth storing on such a device.

Consider what is more dangerous in the wrong hands.
A hacked database of anyone who has ever opened a bank account in bank A or a hacked database of the top 10 deposit holders in the same bank? Names, addresses, etc.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

I am not very much familiar with hardware wallets, but I've always believe ledger and trezor were the best of them all until recently when alot got revealed about ledger, and then, the issue of them not being open source came up, Trezor  on the other hand have been doing quite well but several people believe they have some kind of privacy  issue which originated from Wasabi's coinjoin services integrated into the wallet..

Right now, I can't point to a particular hardware wallet I can vouch for as open source, but one which I am personally looking forward to using is Arculus from chainge finance, Arculus is a hardware which I believe have not started shipping out, but from all I've read about it, it may likely be a great choice, though like I said , I've not confirmed if the wallet is open source or not.

[Abiky]

Not to be harsh, but if closed-source is a deal-breaker, what have you been waiting for in all your years of using Ledger? The wallet was closed-source back then and still is now. The question is how has that affected your use of it? The real deal-breaker and reason to abandon Ledger is their upcoming Ledger Recover feature. I agree with that.

I didn't care back then because I've trusted the company. But that wasn't the case until I've discovered they were about to launch the recovery service. That made me vary of their methods to secure the private key or seed within the devide. It left me no other choice but to look for open source alternatives. With governments getting their hands into the crypto industry lately, we should be prepared for the worst. They may compromise the company making the hardware wallet, but if the device is open source, their efforts will be futile in the long run.

I've been considering getting myself a "Passport", but it seems that I'm only limited to Bitcoin. Not only that, but it's also more expensive than the Ledger Nano S. I guess you get what you pay for. Let's see what will happen with Ledger in the long run as competition grows in the industry. Maybe it will survive with a newly-fond crypto userbase?

[The Cryptovator]

I have been using a Ledger device to store my cryptocurrency for quite some time. However, as I consider storing a significant amount of funds, concerns have started to arise. The fact that Ledger's code is not open source raises doubts about what might be hidden within it. Consequently, my sense of security with the Ledger device has diminished. As a solution, I am now contemplating acquiring a Trezor wallet, which has a reputable standing and is open source. With an open-source wallet like Trezor, there are no hidden vulnerabilities that could be exploited to steal our cryptocurrencies. Therefore, I have made the decision to transfer my crypto holdings from Ledger to the Trezor wallet in the near future.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Ledger will probably lose a percentage of their current userbase because people have found out their hardware wallets aren't as safe as they trusted Ledger they would be.  

No doubt about that--but I don't suspect that Ledger is ever going to release the numbers since they're not a public company and thus don't have to.  Nor are they likely to further damage their brand by announcing a drop in sales or in users.  But man, I really would like to know how much this debacle is (or is going to) hitting them as far as profits go.

And to Abiky I'd say with respect to HW wallets, closed-source code is a bad thing as Ledger has proven.  Such code might be acceptable in other things, but not when it comes to crypto--at least not as far as I can see.

From everything I've read since this went down with Ledger, the best HW wallet brands for bitcoin are BitBox, Blockstream Jade, and Keystone.  Some folks have mentioned others, but I'm pretty sure that's because they were paid sponsorships on Youtube.  I'm pretty turned off by Ledger and HW wallets in general now, so I don't think I'll be buying any new ones (except perhaps as collectibles).

[timoshani]

I am not very much familiar with hardware wallets, but I've always believe ledger and trezor were the best of them all until recently when alot got revealed about ledger, and then, the issue of them not being open source came up, Trezor  on the other hand have been doing quite well but several people believe they have some kind of privacy  issue which originated from Wasabi's coinjoin services integrated into the wallet..

Right now, I can't point to a particular hardware wallet I can vouch for as open source, but one which I am personally looking forward to using is Arculus from chainge finance, Arculus is a hardware which I believe have not started shipping out, but from all I've read about it, it may likely be a great choice, though like I said , I've not confirmed if the wallet is open source or not.

In my experience, the hardware is not useful because such type of wallet need big PC resources and the level of security is not more than online wallets. And if PC has an Internet connection, the security levels are reduced significantly.

[o_e_l_e_o]

As a solution, I am now contemplating acquiring a Trezor wallet, which has a reputable standing and is open source.

Trezor are anything but reputable. They supported AOPP, and they actively fund blockchain analysis, mass surveillance, and government sanctioned censorship via their partnership with Wasabi. There is zero chance I would trust a hardware wallet from a company who are pro-government, pro-censorship, pro-surveillance, and anti-fungibility.

With an open-source wallet like Trezor, there are no hidden vulnerabilities that could be exploited to steal our cryptocurrencies.

There are instead publicly known and unfixable vulnerabilities, which Trezor deliberately sweep under the rug and make no mention of in their set up guides, putting all new users at risk.

Trezor is a poor replacement.

[Blitzboy]

I don't think they are. If Ledger is good at one thing, that's marketing and advertising their products and services. They did a lousy job with the PR for Ledger Recover the first time. I think they will hang back, gather their thoughts, and try again once the storm passes.

We are forgetting that many ideas shared by members of this forum is not what the regular crypto user thinks. The average person isn't going to run their own node, stay clear of centralized exchanges, never submit KYC, or worry too much about privacy-invasive software and services. I don't think they will see the dangers in sharing their seeds with multiple online partners either if you package it and sell it to them in a nice wrapping.

Ledger will probably lose a percentage of their current userbase because people have found out their hardware wallets aren't as safe as they trusted Ledger they would be. In the long run, they might make up for it with new users, like the millions of mothers  looking to purchase hardware wallets where there is a system in place to correct their mistakes.   

I guess you're right. The vast majority of crypto users want convenience on top of privacy/security/decentralization. While Ledger will lose customers because of its recovery service, it won't be much of a big deal compared to the rest of the people who really don't care about anything. For crypto veterans like myself, we would look into other alternatives that respects the true values of crypto/Blockchain tech. I'm glad there are plenty of open source alternatives on the market. This would make crypto stronger in the long run. Would you imagine hardware wallet companies being compromised by the government in the future? If there were no open source wallets, no one would be able to use a hardware wallet without giving away their privacy and freedom. I hope Ledger learns its lesson and decides to abandon plans to launch the recovery service. Maybe it will turn into an open source hardware wallet company in the long run? 

Interesting! Still, I’d argue that the crypto is diverse enough to accommodate a spectrum of user needs and preferences. While I acknowledge the flaws in Ledger's approach, isn't there room for a more varied ecosystem? Crypto veterans like us are likely to prefer open-source, non-custodial wallets for optimal security and control. However, there's a substantial chunk of crypto users who prefer a degree of convenience and user-friendliness, even at the expense of some privacy and control. Isn't the key here diversity? The more significant issue I see here is user education. Many newbies are unaware of the potential privacy risks associated with certain practices. Rather than demonizing Ledger, perhaps our energy should be focused on enlightening these users? Remember, a well-informed user is less likely to fall prey to pitfalls, right?

[karabiber]

I am not very much familiar with hardware wallets, but I've always believe ledger and trezor were the best of them all until recently when alot got revealed about ledger, and then, the issue of them not being open source came up, Trezor  on the other hand have been doing quite well but several people believe they have some kind of privacy  issue which originated from Wasabi's coinjoin services integrated into the wallet..

Right now, I can't point to a particular hardware wallet I can vouch for as open source, but one which I am personally looking forward to using is Arculus from chainge finance, Arculus is a hardware which I believe have not started shipping out, but from all I've read about it, it may likely be a great choice, though like I said , I've not confirmed if the wallet is open source or not.

When choosing a Bitcoin wallet you need to consider the right criteria. The first of these is undoubtedly security. It is very critical to research the wallet in order to recognize the wallet you intend to open an account with and to check whether it has been hacked in its history. If you do not want to take risks, it is very important to choose a more established and proven platform in its field.

My choice would be Electrum. Thanks to its open source software, it is among the reliable wallets. Investors who open an account on the platform have the right to determine their own security level. You can create a multi signature wallet with a 2 factor authentication system. The reason for my preference emerged very shortly after the establishment of Bitcoin and has survived to the present day with almost no changes. But it only works for Bitcoin. If you are not interested in other cryptocurrencies, you can choose this wallet for its security measures and convenient use.

[mr.mister]

Does anyone know of any good hardware wallets that are open source? I've been using a Ledger Nano for years but not being open source is a deal breaker for me. With the Ledger Recover feature meant to help restore people's private keys/seeds by complying with KYC, the hardware wallet could be compromised as we know it. If it's not open source, it cannot be trusted.

Any suggestions and/or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Just to make things clear, Ledger wallet's firmware is not yet open source, and somewhat controversial after the announcement of the ledger recover product.

If you just want to store btc, then the Coldcard MK4 is your best option.