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Sugi Card Review (2020) | New NFC Hardware Wallet Contender?
What Is The Sugi Card?
The Sugi wallet is a new type of hardware wallet developed by European fintech company, Sofitto, by the former technical lead of the Mycelium wallet. This is a unique wallet designed for crypto storage, as it is a near field communication (NFC) card hardware wallet protected by a PIN. Like other hardware wallets, the private keys are always kept on the device which lacks any kind on internet connectivity to ensure its security against hacking attempts.
But Sugi allows you to spend and deposit crypto just as easy as you were using a bank card. But unlike other bank cards, Sugi does not have access to your funds in any way. Sugi supports the following cryptos: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC) and ERC20-based tokens.
How Much Does The Sugi Card Cost?
The company has revealed that it intends to add more cryptocurrencies to the list in the near future. Sugi also mentioned that it plans to incorporate fiat currency functionality by establishing partnerships with banks in Europe. Appearance: The Sugi wallet looks just a regular payment card which has the wallet’s logo imprinted on it. System compatibility The card only works with mobile devices that have the Sugi App installed.
The app is compatible with iOS and Android systems. The Sugi Card wallet is available for purchase in three plans. The Newbie plan enables you to buy the Sugi Card for EUR 59,90. The Pro plan offers ONE Sugi Card which can be personalized by embossing a chosen name or nickname, and it comes at the price of EUR 69,90.
The Expert plan offers two customized Sugi Cards for EUR 119,90.
How Does the Sugi Wallet Work?
The card is used in tandem with the Sugi mobile app, in order to authenticate payments when you tap the card on your mobile device.From this perspective, it is more advantageous than a regular USB hardware wallet, which requires a PC or laptop to be plugged into. And seeing that most of us keep their phones near at all times, it is a convenient way of verifying and managing crypto funds on the go.Its design makes it very easy to use for anyone. Unlike other cards that require a complex and lengthy setup, with Sugi you just need to know how to tap a card and you’re done.
Making payments using the Sugi card In order to make a payment, you have to follow the steps presented below:
- Open the app.
- Enter your Sugi PIN.
- Tap the card to your phone.
- Adding cryptocurrency to Sugi wallet to deposit cryptocurrencies into your wallet, you first send them to the Sugi mobile wallet app like any other mobile wallet.
- To view your Sugi address, access the app.
How does It compare to the competition? Let’s check it out below!
How safe is Sugi wallet? Sugi implements top notch security which is on par with other hardware wallets, being more secure than a regular mobile wallet.
Who Makes The Sugi Card?
Behind its development are several members from the Mycelium team, a secure bitcoin wallet that was created by the most experienced developers in the cryptocurrency industry, which have been activating since 2009. The keys are stored offline in the PIN-protected card. To make transactions you will need to have both the card and the app. The wallet complies to the highest security standards in the European Union (ISO/IEC 14443). Sugi cards also generate a backup phrase that can be used to restore access to funds if the card is lost or damaged.
The wallet does not actually have access to your funds or keys, but recovers them through a secret sharing scheme.A secret sharing scheme is a system that breaks down information and divides it to multiple parties in a manner in which no single party can access the funds without having all the keys. Summary The Sugi card is an extremely easy to use crypto wallet that incorporates NFC to communicate with your mobile device. It combines the robust security of a hardware wallet with the convenience of a mobile wallet, making it perfect for traders that are always on the go but are worried about security.
Sugi Card Review: Final Verdict
The Sugi Hardware Wallet is an extremely easy to use crypto wallet that incorporates NFC to communicate with your mobile device. It combines the robust security of a hardware wallet with the convenience of a mobile wallet, making it perfect for traders that are always on the go but are worried about security.
PROS: The only NFC card as a hardware wallet Transactions are authenticated just by tapping the card on the phone In-store payments and ATM withdrawals will be among the future implementations Will feature both fiat and cryptocurrency payments Cards can be customized Lower price compared to other hardware competitors
CONS: While it is less expensive than other wallets, it still is $60 dollars Can be used only on mobile apps, although fiat functionality is not yes incorporated.
What do you think? Are you going to try the Sugi Card to secure your crypto? Let us know down in the comments below!
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.
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SafePal vs BC VAULT (2020) | Which Wallet Is More Secure?
SafePal vs BC VAULT! 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 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 such an important decision, such as choosing a cryptocurrency hardware wallet.
BC VAULT: Overview
Unlike most other popular cryptocurrency hardware wallets, like Ledger Nano X and Trezor Model T, you do not set up a recovery seed card before you initialize the device. In fact, there is a gyro sensor for you to randomly generate private keys by physically shaking the device (seriously).
You can also hold more than 2000 unique wallets within the web app, and can granularly set specific passwords for each one and setup multiple PIN’s to not only make it more secure, but also allows for an easy way to share the device and use Multi-Sig. In fact, this is the first device that natively allows you to use Multi-Sig on a per wallet basis and set multiple PIN’s.
This wallet does not use HD wallets, so each wallet has its own unique backup. This does make it more secure, however, if you lose or forget the global PIN and global password for the device, your funds are locked inside forever. They do have an encrypted QR code backup for each individual wallet, or you can create a backup on the included micro SD card that comes in the box.
BC VAULT: Security
The storage is reliable. The BC Vault’s private keys have complete encryption and they are stored in the FRAM device. The FRAM is fully tamper-resistant and thanks to the reversible USB 3.0 Type-C connector any damage occurring from mechanical error is fully prevented.
In addition to the secure FeRAM that is securely encrypted, and the large display which is useful when confirming transactions, you have peace of mind not having to worry about anyone locating or using a recovery seed phrase to render your funds useless.
You can also import any private keys you have elsewhere via the SD card as well, so you can easily interchange private keys from other wallets if you have them in the correct format.
BC VAULT: User Experience (UX)
This wallet has some pretty unique features I will admit, and it’s pretty refreshing. For example, you can use multiple cryptocurrencies at once. There are no “apps” you need to install or fear or worry of running out of space that most wallets have when upgrading the firmware.
Additionally, the amount of coins and wallets that can be used/stored simultaneously is astounding. As mentioned above, you can have up to 2000 unique wallets and can interchange multiple cryptos in multiple wallets.
BC VAULT: Coin Support
This is usually one of the most important factors when deciding on a hardware wallet (with the exception of security). If the wallet doesn’t currently support the coins you need to store offline, you can’t really take it too seriously as a deciding factor for purchase. Regardless of whether or not they claim to add more coins in the future.
Needless to say, they have some unique choices for coin support HERE.
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. 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.
SafePal vs BC VAULT: Conclusion
Overall, these are two very unique wallets at two ends of the spectrum in terms of quality, price, and overall usability. On the one hand, the SafePal is an entry level device which you can get for under $40 and is completely air-gapped and wireless. It doesn’t hold that many coins yet, but it will slowly add more coin support over time.
The BC VAULT is more of an advanced user wallet, that not only supports multiple wallets, but can securely share wallets with multi-sig and also securely share it among family and friends. This is a very robust wallet offering and the easiest one to use with multi-sig, which is inherently more secure.
You can’t really go wrong with either of these wallets, but I would have to say the BC VAULT is going to be my choice here. It holds hundreds of more coins and have a very easy to use UI. Yes, this is NOT a wireless device, but its robust security features and vast coin support easily make up for its usability factor. I absolutely feel that this device is going to allow me to securely store all of my private keys offline, especially with shared wallets.
What do you think? Would you choose the BC VAULT over the D’CENT Wallet? 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.
