-
D’CENT vs SafePal (2020) | Which Wireless Hardware Wallet Is Better?
D’CENT vs SafePal! In this comparison, we are going to do a head-to-head of two of the most competitive and popular new cryptocurrency hardware wallets in this edition of the hardware wallet roundups.
I am going to dive into which of these bluetooth hardware wallets is better and more secure. How big is your portfolio? Do you need mobile AND desktop support? Do you use any 3rd party wallets for integration? Do you need web-based access instead of a required download?
These are all questions you will need to consider when deciding which of these wallets will be best for you. At the end of the day, the coin support is one of the most important factors (besides security) when deciding which hardware wallet is best for you.
Ultimately, if it doesn’t support the coins you want to store offline, it won’t work for your particular situation. So keep that in mind as we dive into what I consider to be the most important factors when making a such an important decision, such as choosing a cryptocurrency hardware wallet.
SafePal: Overview
This device was originally created by Binance Labs division and wanted to have a unique approach to a hardware wallet that was cheap enough for the average user, but also supported the Binance chain and added support for their internal projects. This really is a unique entry level hardware wallet, that greatly differs in terms of design, functionality, and overall user experience.
SafePal: Security
This can be considered one of the most attractive features of the device as it’s only $39.99 for this hardware wallet. Yes, you read that right. But why is it so cheap? Well, even though it looks like a very sleek and expensive device, its is made of plastic coating and a very small camera module that is used to transact at a very low resolution.l It’s obvious that they built this as cheaply as they could, while still remaining secure.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but you also get what you pay for. One of the key features that sets this device apart from most other competing hardware wallets is the fact that there is NO:
- NFC
- BLUETOOTH
- USB
- CELLULAR
- EXTERNAL DEVICE CONNECTIONS
This gives it extra security, but it also makes it easier to use, as there are no extra devices necessary for this to operate, other than your smartphone. All you need right out of the box is a charger that supports USB-A to charge the device and a smartphone to download the Safepal App to setup and initialize the device.
SafePal: User Experience (UX)
This is the cheapest completely wireless hardware wallet on the market. It interacts only with your smartphone and the camera embedded into the device that allows you to transmit encrypted data via the QR code. This is truly a unique device.
This is a pretty solid introductory hardware wallet. It’s unique from it’s direct competitors and its simple and easy to use. As mentioned above, it has no connection weaknesses and cannot be hacked by any radio frequency or directly connected internet device. It’s truly a unique wireless hardware wallet that can be used on the go and is one of only a few hardware wallets that are “truly wireless” with no dependence on other devices. Oh, and did I mentioned it’s under $40?
SafePal: Coin Support
This is the one weak point of this product is the lack of coin support, as it only supports: Bitcoin, Ether (and ERC-20 Tokens), BNB, Litecoin, Dash, and Bitcoin Cash, DigiByte (DGB), NEO, and Zcash (ZEC) . However, they have mentioned that there is Ripple (XRP) and Tron (TRX) coming very shortly. They truly are attempting to add more coins, and over time, if they don’t raise their price, this option will be a slam dunk for most users.
Additionally, I will add that the Binance Chain Coins (BEP2) tokens are also supported as this is a Binance hardware wallet after all. Below Is a full list of coins currently supported.
D’CENT: Overview
The D’CENT is a mobile and bluetooth connected wireless hardware wallet device. With additional biometric security and the ease of use, this is a contender for the easiest to use mobile and wireless wallet. So how is it different than Ledger Nano X or other bluetooth devices? The Biometric security is a large differentiator here. It’s super convenient and makes it easy to sign and authenticate transactions on the go.
This means if you want to move your crypto from cold storage to a hot wallet, it can be done quickly and easily. A common scenario here would be if you are trying to pay a friend or you’re shopping and want to pay for a product in store very seamlessly. Let’s take a look at the security, features, and price below to go into a little more detail.
D’CENT: Security
The flagship feature of D’CENT is hands down the biometric security feature of the fingerprint sensor. There are some other hardware wallets that communicate with mobile, and can utilize Face ID or Touch ID for extra authentication with their mobile app, but this gives your authentication on the physical device as well. This is a unique and very secure feature that is not used by any other hardware wallet currently on the market.
The hardware wallet features a built-in fingerprint scanner that manages access to the hardware wallet. This security process improves the convenience for the users and enhances the security during access control. It also provides the wallet with fast transaction signing.
- Multi-IC architecture design
- Bank grade EAL 5+ Secure Element (This is the same security chip used in the Ledger Nano X)
- Secure OS embedded on microprocessor
D’CENT: User Experience (UX)
One of the main features I like here is the option to generate a valid QR code on the large OLED screen of this device as a way to send funds directly from your smartphone to your D’CENT wallet. This is super convenient and truly makes this a wireless and independent device that can be used on the go via the D’CENT app, which also includes a market price section and of course all of your wallets and current fiat amount stored within each one.
What’s also nice is you no longer need to backup and restore this device for firmware upgrades like you do with other devices (although you can, since this device can also support bluetooth and USB connectivity if you choose). This makes this a very convenient choice when considering the ease of use and security when choosing how to secure your private keys.
D’CENT: Coin Support
The coin support is varied. The D’CENT can store and support Bitcoin, Ethereum, ERC20 tokens, RSK, RRC20 (RSK tokens), Ripple (XRP), and MONACOIN. To many, this may not seem like it is very much, however, a majority of the major tokens are ERC-20 tokens and all can be supported natively on this device, which is good. I have not come across a hardware wallet yet that supports RSK and RRC20 tokens yet natively, so that definitely makes this an exclusive hardware wallet first for the D’CENT wallet!
D’CENT vs SafePal: Conclusion
Overall, these are two of the most interesting wallets out there. On the one hand, the SafePal is embracing the QR code level security of an entry level wallet, but is lacking in its overall coin support. I do expect this to change over time and expand their offerings as they begin to gain market share.
On the other hand, the D’CENT is the only hardware wallet that offers biometric securirty (by use of your thumbprint) as an extra layer of security for signing and authorizing transactions. This is nice in knowing that no one can process any transactions, even if they know your password and/or PIN code.
The D’CENT is also lacking (in comparison to other mainstream hardware wallets) in terms of coin support, but supports the RSK chain (Bitcoin Side-Chain) that is unique to this wallet and will still support all the main coins you get on every other hardware wallet.
At the end of the day, I would go with the SafePal. It’s currently under $40 and has air-gapped technology and is a completely wireless device that doesn’t require you to connect to a computer to manage your crypto assets. That’s not to say the D’CENT is bad, I just would rather spend less and get what some could construe as a better security model, even though its current coin support leaves much to be desired.
What do you think? Would you choose the D’CENT over the SafePal? Let us know down below in the comments!
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. This adds no cost to you but it helps me focus on giving as much value as possible in every single post by being compensated for recommending products that help people succeed.
-
Card Wallet Review (2020) | Coinfinity’s COLDEST Version Of A Hardware Wallet!
In this Card Wallet Review, I am going to dive into why this wallet if built for the coldest of cold who like to HODL!
Outside of exchanges, few cryptocurrency markets are as thriving as safekeeping. At this stage in Bitcoin’s life expectancy, trading crypto as well as keeping crypto appear to be the most prominent use situations for crypto –– in that order. Consequently, a flourishing aftermarket for crypto storage services has sprung up, both custodial as well as non-custodial, hot and cold, on the internet as well as offline.
Card Wallet from Coinfinity is the most recent product to go into the fray, offering a protected method for keeping BTC as well as ETH offline.
As the risks of keeping funds on the internet in custodial purses as well as exchanges have been highlighted with a wide variety of hacks as well as departure frauds, the freezer company has grown. From hardware purses looking like elegant thumb drives to gadgets disguised as calculators as well as charge card, the variety of methods to self-custody digital possessions seems unlimited.
So, What Is Card Wallet?
The just named Card Wallet by Coinfinity does precisely what it sounds like. On the surface, this plastic card appears like an incredibly low-tech method to store bitcoin core or ether, however its unprepossessing exterior is misleading. Peer a little closer at the credit scores card-shaped wallet as well as you’ll discover some fascinating details. There are all type of anti-counterfeiting steps at play on the Card Wallet’s service, including microprinting as well as constant color gradient methods, providing it a look much more similar to money.
The banknote-based style makes sense once you discover that Coinfinity –– Austria’s first Bitcoin business — developed this device in conjunction with the Austrian State Printing House. They’re best known for printing passports, a skill they’ve refined over the course of 200 years, and thus know a thing or two about anti-counterfeiting. The notion of forgery sounds strange in a crypto context.
After all, bitcoins are impossible to falsify. The reason why the Austrian State Printing House has gone to town on the anti-forgery techniques they’ve used is to prevent fake cards from entering circulation and to provide guarantees that the private key, which was generated offline, remains offline. The private key for the cryptocurrency address printed on the card is concealed beneath a hologram on the back. It’s accompanied by a warning not to scratch this area –– not even a little, just to test it –– as to do so would be to risk the security of your funds.
The Card Wallet is basically a modern version of the Casascius physical bitcoins that have become collector’s items today. The code printed beneath the Card Wallet’s seal can be thought of as Schrödingers key: until the moment it is observed through scratching off the protective covering, it effectively doesn’t exist. The manufacturer has no record of it.
As a result, you can send funds to the address printed on the front of the card, but you can’t retrieve them until you reveal that seal, and doing so will essentially penalize you to the tune of the $67 the Card Wallet retails for. Think of it as an extremely high BTC network fee, and use it as an incentive not to dip into the funds stored on the card, save for an emergency.
Of course, technically nothing is stored on the card: it simply holds the secret code needed to send the bitcoin from the address in which it is currently locked on the BTC network to a new address on the network. To all intents and purposes, though, Card Wallet might as well physically hold those coins, since without it to hand, you’ll never be able to move those coins again.
How Is Card Wallet Different Than A Normal Hardware Wallet Like Trezor Or Ledger?
Unlike a hardware wallet, there’s nothing to power up or plug in here, but that doesn’t mean that testing the Card Wallet is an entirely analog experience. There is, after all, the QR code printed on the wallet, which, when scanned, reads the BTC address printed along the center. In testing, I scan the code using the Bitcoin.com Wallet and am prompted to select the amount of BTC I wish to send.
When I drag the slider, the funds are released and that’s it: the first satoshis prepare to wing their way to my Card Wallet. When the time comes to move or sell that bitcoin, I will remove the security seal and import the private key that’s revealed underneath into a noncustodial wallet such as Electrum.
In theory, you could continue to use the wallet address securely, even with the seal scratched off, provided you destroyed the exposed private key. There would be little advantage to doing so, however, and it makes sense to view the wallet as compromised once the key has been revealed.
Is The Card Wallet Secure?
On the reverse of the card, there’s another QR code that can be scanned, marked Chainlockcode (CLC). This requires installation of a dedicated mobile app, which will display the balance of the card –– and of any other Card Wallets you wish to integrate into it –– allowing you to manage all your cards within one app without revealing their private keys.
Most people are unlikely to need this, since typing the wallet address into a block explorer achieves the same result, but if you’re a serial Card Wallet collector, it might prove useful While Coinfinity doesn’t support BCH at this time, bitcoin cash holders have the option of generating their own paper wallets, which can be printed at home.
Card Wallet: Final Verdict
This theoretically provides the same security guarantees, and with the wallet folded and sealed correctly, it is effectively tamper-proof, albeit without the same allure as Card Wallet’s impressive shiny hologram. Cold storing cryptocurrency isn’t about showing off, however, and the winning wallet is the one that keeps your funds the safest. Some bitcoiners will balk at paying $67, in the Card Wallet, for a cold storage solution they could roughly replicate at home for the cost of a sheet of printer paper.
Others will appreciate the imperviousness of the Coinfinity card, its convenient credit card shape, and its superior tamper-proof seal. As such, its value is really in the eyes of the beholder. For the same price you could pick up a basic hardware wallet, which will allow you to send, receive, and store a range of cryptocurrencies.
That said, there’s something magical about the seal on the Coinfinity that challenges you not to sully it, but rather to sporadically send funds to it, building up your nest egg over time.
What are your thoughts on Coinfinity’s Card Wallet– would you use it? Let us know in the comments section below.
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
