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Bitcoin Wallets Review Trezor

Trezor Model T + Exodus Wallet Review (2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this article, I am going to go over my experience with the Trezor Model T and Exodus Wallet integration and whether or not you should use it. There are a lot of things I like about this desktop wallet and a few that I really don’t, so let’s get into the details below!

Before I do, if you haven’t yet read the in depth review of the Trezor One and The Trezor Model T, then I will link them respective HERE and HERE. This will give some context below for the details of using these hardware wallets in general, before we compare how they work with the a hot wallet integration like the Exodus.

Here are the questions and answers I think you will find most helpful when deciding whether or not to use the wallet integration. Let’s get started!

Exodus Wallet – Overview

 

The Exodus Wallet (as mentioned above) is a crypto desktop wallet that you can download for free over at the Exodus Website. Why would I want to do this? Well, first, if you’ve only used a mobile hot wallet, then you’ll know that there aren’t many features or anything really beyond just the send and receive function.

This is ok (most of the time) for a mobile wallet, because you just need it to “work” when you’re trying to make a transaction out in the real world. However, when you’re managing a portfolio, it’s important to see the overall big picture before making some of your larger trading or managing decisions, such as: Overall Total Assets, Percentage Of Loss Or Gain (over a 24hr or 7-day or 30-day window), Percentages Of Asset Distribution, etc…

Not to mention the number of coins or assets supported. Because desktop wallets typically have more features and overall viewing space, you have the capability to manage more assets and do more that just send and receive. The Exodus wallet actually has both a desktop AND a mobile wallet, which is nice for syncing your portfolio between devices.

I am going to list the “Key” features that I found useful below, before we get to how the Trezor Model T integrates with these features to help improve the overall hardware wallet experience.

 

Features

 

 

  • Functionality – Exodus provides a high quality user experience, and combines an aesthetically pleasing UI with an intuitive design. The desktop software client contains a wallet, portfolio tracker, and cryptocurrency exchange, and allows users to track their holdings and transactions around the clock, as well as store and exchange a wide range of digital currencies.

 

  • Flexibility – Exodus is available to Windows, Mac, and Linux users, and in addition to its internal integrated features, Exodus also provides an easy to use mobile app that is currently available to iOS users with Android support planned for the future. It also supports over 100 cryptocurrencies including popular currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Binance Coin, (BNB), Litecoin (LTC), EOS, and Monero (XMR). Ethereum (ETH) and a host of ERC-20 tokens are also supported.

 

  • Security – As a “hot” wallet, Exodus requires its users to create and use secure passwords, and when first installing the wallet, users are provided with a 12-word recovery seed phrase that is used to restore the wallet in the case of an emergency. The wallet also integrates with a Trezor hardware wallet and doesn’t require any personal information, and users’ private keys and transaction data are encrypted and stored locally on their devices.

 

  • Customer Support – Despite not operating as an exchange, the team provide a good range of support including their resource page which contains an FAQ section and over 100 articles, and their video The status page gives a quick overview of any issues that the team are experiencing, and they can be contacted via email. They also run a Twitter account, Facebook page, and Slack channel.

 

This is a full multi-currency wallet and will continue to add more coins being supported soon, including Tezos (XTZ) and some pof the newer TRC-10 and TRC-20 tokens. This is always evolving for the better.

 

Coins Supported

 

Exodus supports 103 cryptocurrencies in total (coins and token). The most notable coins supported by the wallet are:

 

  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • Ripple
  • Litecoin
  • Bitcoin Cash
  • Binance Coin
  • Tether
  • EOS
  • Monero
  • Dash
  • Raven Coin
  • Stellar
  • Tron
  • Bittorent

 

These are just a few notable coins, but you can find a full list of coin support HERE. This page is always evolving and will continue to add more coin support in the future.

 

Trezor Model T – Integration

 

This is a major upgrade from the Trezor web app, and apparently even Trezor agrees. You can setup your Trezor Model T from scratch (like I did) and it’s a very seamless experience. The good news is if you decide to go back to using the web app, all of the features will be enabled, with the exception of the optional 25th seed phrase password when doing the initial setup on the device. This can easily be enabled once you login to the web app and is a security feature I use, personally,

Managing my portfolio, especially certain coins like Ripple and Monero, is a lot easier here, because I don’t need extra software or other add-ons like you would individually if you didn’t use i.e. Exodus. This makes managing ALL my important coins in one place, much less of a hassle. I prefer to actually manage my coins on this wallet, because it’s a one stop shop, so to speak.

(Note: Exodus uses an exchange integration and that is where they make the bulk of their money, since this is a free downloadable wallet. In my experience, the fees were a little too high for me, but the coin management and portfolio management more than makes up for it)

 

Does it Work With Trezor One?

 

 

Yes, but not all coins are supported by the Trezor One firmware. Essentially, all coins and tokens that are supported on the Trezor web app willl be supported in this software wallet. You can view the full coin support and setup HERE. If there is any doubt, any coins or tokens not supported on this 1st generation device will be greyed out.

 

Exodus Wallet – Conclusion

 

Overall, using the Exodus Wallet has been a pleasant experience. I would absolutely recommend trying it out for managing your Trezor One or Trezor Model T, if you haven’t already. There is no KYC or personal information asked when you set it up, and when using the Trezor, your private keys are always protected. As I mentioned above, my only negative was the fees that are associated with the integration were way to high for me. If they lowered it, it would be the perfect solution to trade assets offline, which if preferable.

Other than that, it’s one of the best crypto management experience’s I’ve used. And when you’re serious about protecting your private keys like I am, and you need to manage or hold specific assets that you can’t directly manage on the web app, this is a really good solution. The closest thing to this is the recent Trezor integration with ShapeShift, which you can check out my review of that HERE.

 

What do you think? Is Exodus Wallet a good contender for managing your assets on your Trezor device? Let me know 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.

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Bitcoin Wallets Crypto Hardware Wallets Ellipal

Ellipal Titan Pre-Order Extends To 9/15! [SPECIAL OFFER BELOW]

By Zach — 5 years ago

The Ellipal Titan Pre-Order has been officially extended until September 15th, 2019! This can be considered bad news by some, but for people that are still wanting to get a great deal on the wallet, it’s a fantastic opportunity. This device has a lot of upgraded features from the previous generation wallet (Elllipal 2.0) and has been built like a tank. This completely air-gapped crypto hardware wallet is very exciting and I look forward to having a detailed review on it as soon as I receive one.

I received a notification that my pre-order which was originally scheduled to be sent out by August 15th, has had a small delay, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for people to get a great deal on this device as the demand is heating up. And if you don’t pick one up until after the September launch date, you may be waiting a long while as there appears to be some significant demand, and therefore, some extra delays.

I recently wrote an in-depth first look of this device and you can find it HERE. As you can see in the image below, you can now get the Ellipal Titan Pre-Order for only $149 ($20 off) AND you’ll get a FREE metal mnemonics plate for an indestructible recovery seed solution. This device is very similar to that of CryptoSteel and CryptoTag, which can cost anywhere from $89-$215 just for the metal recovery seed device, let alone the hardware wallet itself, so it really is an AMAZING value.

 

Ellipal Titan Pre-Order

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN PRE-ORDER W/FREE BONUS

 

Ellipal Titan Pre-Order – Overview

 

 

I go into detail with this device over on this article, but I wanted to go over the primary benefits to this upcoming device that you will be hard-pressed to find with any other crypto hardware wallet currently available.

  1. This device has ZERO connections to the internet. This means no, WIFI, BLUETOOTH, CELLULAR, NFC or USB. This means that itis not subject to any network or remote attacks or any kind.
  2. This device is built like a tank. Seriously, this is the world’s first metal, fully sealed (ZERO PORTS) air-gapped security device. Most devices have at least a port for USB for charging, but this device cleverly uses a connector for charging the device that is magnetic, so it is literally air tight.
  3. The device is set to self destruct if it attempts to be tampered with. What does that mean? The device internals will self-destruct if you attempt to open it to extract any private keys or any other sensitive data.
  4. The Ellipal Titan is specifically designed to prevent evil maid attacks and supply chain attacks, which have been prevalent in other types of wallets.

Additionally, this device has received an upgraded user experience from the previous generation Ellipal 2.0 cold wallet. Some new features include: New dark mode, finance function and exchanges have been updated and is now connected to the Binance DEX (Decentralized Exchange), and easier backup and recovery.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN PRE-ORDER W/FREE BONUS

 

Existing Users get 50% Off – See Below

 

During this pre-order period up to September 15th, 2019, you can purchase the Ellipal Titan Pre-Order for 50% off  if you currently have a the Ellipal 2.0 device. This is a special incentive for people that have already purchased the original Ellipal 2.0 device at any period of time. This is an excellent deal if you’re looking for a massive upgrade or if you just want to add a secondary wallet to your arsenal.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN PRE-ORDER W/FREE BONUS

Conclusion

 

All in all, this is one of the hardware wallets I’m very excited for in 2019. This is very similar to the Cobo Vault wallet, (which I will leave a review for HERE), but this is a much cheaper option for a lot of the same functionality, security, and durability. I would say this is the closest device to that one in terms of comparison. These are very robust devices and are built for the above average crypto user. This is also for someone that takes their security VERY seriously and wants to “HODL” long term in the safest way possible.

I will say, that if you plan on using these devices on a regular basis (i.e. trading, daily transactions, etc…), this probably isn’t the best wallet for you. Why? This has many steps to authorize and sign transactions, which is great from a security standpoint, but is really not ideal for the heavy daily user. For me? I use the KeepKey device as my daily user wallet, as they just launched a very user friendly new platform that makes it super easy to trade and manage your portfolio.

With KeepKey, you don’t even have to KYC in order to use the hardware wallet and make transactions, but if you want to trade and still keep your private keys in your possession, I would highly recommend it as your “daily use” crypto hardware wallet, as that’s what I currently use on a day-to-day basis.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN PRE-ORDER W/FREE BONUS

 

What do you think? Are you excited for the Ellipal Titan cryptocurrency hardware 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.

open dime
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Bitcoin Wallets OpenDime Review

OPEN DIME Review (2020) – The ONLY Way To Physically Transfer Bitcoin Offline

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this review, I am going to deep dive into the Open Dime bitcoin credit stick! What does is it do? How does it work? When would I ever need to use one? I am going to dive pretty deep into this EXTREMELY unique bitcoin credit stick, that allows you to make a bitcoin transaction OFF the blockchain. This is a secure USB-like device that is designed to have a one-way transaction of bitcoin (physically) between two parties.

As a hardware wallet enthusiast, I was very eager to test this device out in person and it honestly is unlike anything else I’ve ever used. It seems futuristic and is really the only way to transfer bitcoin to another person COMPLETELY off the grid (not even the blockchain) and is a really cool concept that has plenty of specific use-cases, but to be honest, isn’t ideal for every day bitcoin use.

The review/walkthrough below is fairly detailed and lengthy, but if you want to know what my final verdict on this device is, scroll down to my conclusion at the bottom to get a recap.

Additionally, here is a link to a related hardware wallet that is very similar to this, in the sense that operates completely offline. You can check that out HERE!

Let’s get to the Open Dime review below!

 

What Is The Open Dime?

 

“Opendime is a small USB stick that allows you to spend Bitcoin like a dollar bill. Pass it along multiple times. Connect to any USB to check balance. Unseal anytime to spend online. Trust no one.”

This is directly from Open Dime’s website. This device is designed to be able to pass bitcoin along from one person to another (and even down the line for multiple people) while still being secure and exposing the private key to no one. There is a secure “Bubble” that is required to be punctured in order to gain access to the private key. This means that there will be evidence if there is any tampering or foul play when holding or inspecting of the device.

This is the world’s first way to physically transfer bitcoin from one user to another (in person), while still remaining secure. In other words, it allows for a bitcoin transaction and is able to be passed along from person to person without having the need to know any passwords or wait for confirmation times on on the blockchain.

In simple terms, it’s basically a disposable hardware wallet that is used like cash. Use it accordingly.

 

What Comes In The Bag?

 

In the bag, (yes, it comes in a durable plastic bag for transparency) comes 3 Open Dime USB-sticks. This is currently going for about $37.50 for this 3-pack or roughly $12.50 per Open Dime stick.

All 3 sticks are loosely packed in a plastic bag that includes a card that includes instructions to visit opendime.com/start in order to walk through the setup process to start loading bitcoin onto the devices. 

Now, if you click that link, you’ll notice that it just redirects to their homepage. I am a bit disappointed as there is only a card that gives you 3-steps to get started.

 

  1. Plug Into USB

     2. Open index.htm

     3. Follow The Steps

 

Pretty simple, right? Well, there is no other printed form of instructions. On the device (once it’s plugged in), you will find a “readme” file on the device to learn how to setup.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY OPEN DIME BITCOIN CREDIT STICK

 

 

Design & Setup

 

 

Design

The device is pretty basic and bear-bones. There’s nothing beautiful about it, but yet it’s beautiful. It looks line an rough, unfinished product, but there’s something geeky about that kind of look. The idea of an open PCB is not only to minimize the unit cost. It also comes from being transparent and not having a closed product. I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but Opendime is an open source project. Anyone with a little programming knowledge can audit it on Github.

From the 2.0 version, the edges are now oval and not rough. The board itself is very firm and can not be broken easily and certainly not accidentally. My personal opinion is that their latest version is very well-made. I like the openness of the product. At the same time, everything is visible, but not easy to break or mess up with accidentally if you’re a newbie. The PCB and other components are protected with a glue.

Setup

The USB stick does not require drivers to work, it’s plug and play. The device was recognized instantly.

The first step is to plug the Bitcoin stick into your PC (Or Mac).

Once the device is inserted, the second step is to open the index.htm file inside the Open dime folder.

Next, when the index.htm file is opened in the browser you will be asked to agree to the terms of service. The pop-up warning is displayed in several languages.

 

Light status Explanation
Green with brief flicker Sealed. Your funds are secure.
Red and green alternating UNSEALED. Private key has been revealed
Green solid, brief flash of red Not yet loaded with enough entropy (setup time).
Green flashing (fast) Reading/writing to drive.

 

The next step is to create the private key.

 

 

Generating the private key

 

After the device is plugged into your PC’s USB port, you will have to generate a private key in order to load the funds into your Opendime. This process is very user-friendly and easy. Bear in mind that during this process Open dime does not have a control over the private key, nor do you. The private key will be randomly generated onto a device microchip using random entropy you add to the device memory. It does not require an internet access to do so.

Firstly, the FAQ advice that for better randomness, you use images only you have. The instructions say that you’d have to add at least of 256kb of data. However, they do not state anywhere that the total file size should not be larger than the USB device memory which is around 1.29 MB.

In my first attempt, prior to knowing the maximum size, I tried to add around 5MB of data and got an error. Seeing that, I’ve selected only two images and copied them onto > Open Dime and device generated a completely random private key. Once the public key is ready, there will be a few noticeable changes to the device.

  1. When sealed, the Open Dime will flash green when plugged in into the PC.
  2. When .htm file is opened, you will see a very clear message on the screen that you now have a private key.

This entire process is very intuitive. I like that there are so many signals that show the state of your device, both physically and inside the PC. This is very smart engineering and user experience at the same time.

 

Verifying the device

 

The device can be verified in the following ways :

  • phone charger / USB – the LED light indicates the status
  • physically inspecting it – check if the resistor has been damaged
  • factory seal to make sure it comes from genuine OD factory.
  • Samurai wallet – Android only
  • Google Chrome extension- iOS only

Once I began learning about Open Dime, I clearly understood the need that this little device can be verified and audited.  At first, I thought there is only one way to verify Opendime, but as I began tapping into it, I realized how many different ways are to verify the Bitcoin bearer bond.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY OPEN DIME BITCOIN CREDIT STICK

 

Adding Bitcoin to Open Dime

 

The next step is the best of all – adding the funds to your crypto piggy bank. You can only add bitcoin to a device if you created the public key which automatically shows receiving public address.

You can find the public address for your Open Dime inside the folder. It can be found as a text and a QR code in jpeg image format. The way you’ll be sending the money to your USB stick depends on the wallet you’ll be using. The process is pretty much similar, you can either copy/paste the text address or scan the QR code from the folder. Make sure to double check that the address is correct and confirm the payment.

Soon after the payment has been sent, you will be able to see a transaction on the bitcoin network, it may take a time depending on the network state that it gets confirmed. And that’s all.

Your Open dime went from an empty piggy bank to an item with a verifiable value. You can now exchange it like a cash from one hand to another and add funds to it an unlimited amount of times.

Since transaction will be happening off-chain, there will be no confirmations or mining fees. The participants of the transactions are verifying it instead and passing it from one hand to another, an infinite amount of times. The private key will be sealed neither you nor anyone else will know it until the device is unsealed.

 

Unsealing your Open Dime

 

Once you’re ready to spend bitcoin from your crypto piggy bank, you have to break it. Once you break it there’s no way back. Use a pin or a needle and push through the marked hole on the PCB. You need first to pierce the glue and then by pushing, you will push out the resistor. By doing so, you’re making a permanent physical change to your device, which reveals your private key.

This is probably the most amazing feature of the device. By doing a permanent damage, you can’t cheat in a transaction, because you broke the chain of trust. The device itself will now flash red once inserted into a PC, power bank or a mobile phone very visibly signaling that the private key is no longer a secret. This is at the same time the biggest risk of the device. This means that in order to get the bitcoin out of it, you’ll have to reveal it to a PC. Which further means you have to trust that PC and its security.

Compatibility & Security

 

The setup can be done on any device that can read a conventional USB stick. The private key can then be imported into all common wallets after the resistance breaks out, including the following: Copay, Electrum, Samourai Wallet, Breadwallet, and Bitcoin Core.

A special feature is the app Samourai Wallet , which has implemented a complete integration for the Bitcoin Stick Opendime. This allows you to quickly check a stick on the go via OTG cable. There is also an extension for the well-known Electrum Software Wallet .

Verify the authenticity of the stick The latest generation of Open dime products includes a new chip to make fake devices impossible. Note: This test is an advanced use and is not required for normal use. For people who want to verify an Open dime before use, Open dime provides a python program. With this, all test steps of the new chip can be carried out. It’s a simple command line program, but requires some preparation.

To verify the authenticity of a stick, Open Dime offers manual and automatic possibilities in the form of the Python script trustme.py. Unfortunately, this does not happen automatically and a  is time-consuming, so most users will probably simply use the stick without checking in advance.

The transparent case and the two status LED’s already provide a basic way to detect manipulations on the hardware wallet. Details of all security measures can be found in the Open dime white paper. Opendime’s entire code is also on GitHub.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY OPEN DIME BITCOIN CREDIT STICK

 

Does It Only Support Bitcoin?

 

Short answer is, Yes. This device was designed in the earlier bitcoin days to be used as pee-to-peer electronic cash and stays true to it’s roots. You can also see the open source code their used on github as mentioned above.

 

Open Dime – Conclusion

 

Overall, my experience was good with this device, and I would feel comfortable recommending it. But, ONLY to someone who is very technically savvy.

It’s awesome that Open dime enables me to transact off-chain, privately and securely without having to trust an online generator or a third party with my private key generation. Additionally, they are completely open-source and provide one of the best support experiences I encountered from a cryptocurrency company.

I gave away an Open Dime to my brother for his birthday and for now, I believe this is absolutely the best and safest way to give someone a bitcoin.

Some of the disadvantages of the devices are that it looks rough, though I do not mind that. Quite opposite, it really makes you feel like a nerdy cypher punk while using it.

A more serious limitation is that Open dime is disposable. There’s no way to re-use it. You can’t recover the seed or send crypto from it. Fluctuating exchange rates might be an issue in this kind of transactions. All of these things are not impossible to solve and I hope that we will see even better physical cryptocurrency solutions from the Open dime team.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY OPEN DIME BITCOIN CREDIT STICK

 

What do you think? Would you ever use an Open Dime? Let us know 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.

ellipal
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Bitcoin Wallets Crypto Hardware Wallets Ellipal Review

ELLIPAL 2.0 Cold Wallet Review (2020) – Most Secure Bitcoin Wallet?

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this review, we are going to dive deep into the Ellipal 2.0 crypto hardware wallet. Is it really as secure as they claim? Is it better than Ledger or any other mainstream competitors? Stay tuned for the whole article to find out!

This device is very unique to say the least! Until recently, this was the first 100% air-gapped device of it’s kind, which is super compelling for security enthusiasts. We all have heard of the numerous exchange hacks over the years and it’s becoming more and more apparent that you need to keep your private keys offline, and on a hardware wallet. So, is this the right one for you? Let’s take a look down below.

One thing I will say before we dive in to the details is, in regards to the the major providers in this space, the one thing that I don’t like about Ellipal is that their device isn’t open source. In my opinion that is a crucial function. Not only for transparency, but also for security. When holding a large amount of funds on the device, it is good to know that an active community is reviewing the code on a continual basis. That is really my only “gripe” with this wallet.

Having said that, it’s very impressive, and my experience with it was very good and the steps involved made me feel very secure about my choice as the security of this device is top notch! Let’s take a look below.

 

What’s In The Box?

 

To preface this device, It has zero: Wifi Connections, Bluetooth Connections, 4G connections, or any wired connections to any other device!

This device comes with everything you need to get started with using, minus the iOS and Android app, which you will need to download to begin using. All hardware and components are listed below.

-Ellipal Hardware Wallet

-Charging Cable

-User Manual

-Mnemonics Recovery Seed Card

-Warranty Card

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY ELLIPAL 2.0

 

How To Setup The Device

 

So this is where this device separates itself from the likes of KeepKey, Ledger, or Trezor. The three mainstream heavy hitters in terms of the hardware wallet market. How does a device that claims to have no internet access whatsoever work? The short answer, QR codes. This hardware wallet interfaces with the Ellipal mobile app and allows you to have both a mobile (hot) wallet and a wallet that displays on the hardware device as well.

The Ellipal has a camera on the air-gapped device so that between you smart phone and the hardware wallet, you can scan QR codes to transfer funds and still be kept completely offline. This creates an extra step for management, but for the most paranoid among us, this is actually a comforting process.

It essentially is a 3-step verification process for managing your funds and requires an SD card for managing firmware upgrades. This is a pretty arduous process, even for those that are pretty tech savvy. Again, this could be interpreted as more secure, but also makes managing funds and your device to be a bit cumbersome for the average user.

 

What Coins Are Supported?

 

Instead of manually writing this out, I will include a chart with all existing coins that are supported. They are additionally developing apps on certain coins that I will list in writing here:

BCN, NANO, XEM, XTZ, ZEC, LSK, QTUM, ONT, BTS, STEEM, WAVES, XAVES, XVG, SC, NEO, IOTA, ELA. The current coins supported are listed below.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY ELLIPAL 2.0

 

Ellipal 2.0 Vs. Ellipal Titan Vs. Ledger

 

Ellipal Titan has a self destruct mechanism in place, so that if the screen is tampered with or crushed or broken in an attempt to gain access to it’s internals, it will break a special circuit board that holds all your private keys. This is powerful. Additionally, it’s very sturdy, so not only is it IP65 rated for dust and water resistance, but its made out of a very strong single piece of metal that houses and encompasses the entire device.

The Ellipal Titan is specifically designed against evil maid of supply chain attacks so nothing can be imported or inserted as there are no open access ports on the device.

The Ellipal 2.0 is still a very strong and secure device, but it doesn’t have a durable exterior that is built for abuse, and it also has an SD card slot for updating it’s firmware on the device and also has a charging cable port, so there are 2 entry points. Again, still very secure, but the Ellipal Titan is really a massive upgrade.

In terms of other mainstream competitors, like Ledger, it’s like comparing apples and oranges. This device is much more expensive at $149 and is completely air-gapped. This means there is no USB connection to any online interface and does not have access to any where near as many apps or coins that are supported on Ledger.

The Ellipal is more for the paranoid users that do NOT want to risk having anything interface with online devices. The user experience is much more complicated and not as easy to use as the Ledger, not to mention Ledger is only $59, and is currently the cheapest “mainstream” hardware wallet, but can only support 3-4 coins at once.

 

https://youtu.be/3NYIiPdFg2w

Ellipal – Conclusion

 

This is a really unique and secure hardware wallet. The only other wallet that is remotely close to this one that is currently available at the time of this writing is the Cobo Vault wallet. You can read an in-depth review of that device HERE. That wallet is very durable and is more in line with the upcoming successor to this wallet, the Ellipal Titan, in terms of durability, however that device has less than 10 coins currently supported and has a much heftier price tag at $479. It’s more of a niche device in my opinion.

Having said that, if you are on the fence with this device, the upcoming Ellipal Titan is currently available of pre-order at the same price of $149, and is slated to start shipping around August 15th, 2019. I my personal opinion, I would go with that, as it’s a massive upgrade from this device. However, if you choose this device, you still can’t go wrong. Both devices will have the same coin support and will continue to expand in terms of functionality and coin support, as the firmware is going to be compatible.

If you want to purchase this device, it will be supported for years to come. Click the button below to jump to their site and make the jump to a unique form of crypto security!

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY ELLIPAL 2.0

 

What do you think? Is there a more secure hardware wallet for a comparable price you would choose over this? Let us know 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.

 

cool wallet s
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Cool Wallet S Crypto Hardware Wallets Review

Cool Wallet S REVIEW [2020] – Wireless Hardware/Software Wallet In One!

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this review, I am going to dive deep into the Cool Wallet S, which is a credit-card shaped cryptocurrency hardware wallet. Is it secure? How does it work? How many coins are supported? Stay tuned because we are going to address all of these questions and more!

When I first picked up my Cool Wallet S, it was a very professional package and one of the only bluetooth hardware wallets on the market. Until recently, there haven’t been any other wireless hardware wallets that are on the market (Now, there is the Ledger Nano X). I was enthralled because I always wanted a secure way to use a hardware wallet with my mobile device that didn’t require me to be tethered to my laptop or other USB device in order to sign transactions.

This wallet takes all the ease of use of a software wallet on your phone and merges it directly with the security of a hardware cold storage wallet, hence the name “Cool Wallet” (Hot Wallet + Cold Wallet = Cool Wallet). When I first opened it up, it was pretty straight forward, and actually resembles a basic plastic credit card, except the texture is a bit different and has an e-ink screen to verify transactions. I will go into detail below for the user experience and design of the product and what my thoughts were when comparing it to other hardware wallets I’ve reviewed.

 

What’s In The Box?

 

-Cool Wallet S Device

-Recovery Seed Card

-Cool Wallet Sticker

-Charging Pad With USB Cable

 

The above are the contents of the sleek, black, minimalist box, however this is only half of the equation. The device itself interfaces with the CoolBitX app which you can get from the iOS app store or Google Play store to setup the device. The app is where you will go through setup, initialization, and ultimately processing transactions, with the hardware wallet by it’s side.

 

Design And Setup

 

When you pull the device out of the box, it will have at least a partial charge so you can set it up right away. Powering up the device is easy and straight forward, so all you will need to do is make sure you’ve downloaded the app and activate it before you can walk through the setup process. First, after the app is setup and you allow notifications and such, it will ask you to securely pair your device to the bluetooth connection to your phone and will ask you to allow the connection.

Secondly, once the app confirms the device is connected, it will ask you if you want to recover a wallet or create a new one. You will most likely create a new one if this is your first experience with the device.

Thirdly, it will prompt you to set your recovery seed length in either 12, 18, or 24 seed words, and once you select, it will show up on the screen with the words in the correct order. It will ask you to write these words down on your recovery seed card sheet (recommended) or get a metal recovery seed backup, like CryptoTag or Bill Fodl.

NOTE: The app will ask you if you want to save your recovery seed phrase as an image file. DO NOT DO THIS. My one issue with the process is asking if you want to save your recovery seed card as an image, which defeats the entire process. I strongly recommend writing it down on paper, or better yet, use one links above to get a metal recovery seed backup. I will leave a link to a review HERE if you’re unsure why it’s important.

That’s it! Once you do this process and verify the recovery words (it will ask you to verify them, so make sure they are at least temporarily written down) and will allow you to create your wallet. You are now able to begin using the wallet and send and receive crypto!

 

GET THE COOL WALLET S FOR ONLY $99

 

How To Send/Receive

 

This is a fairly simple and straightforward interface for sending your crypto of choice. There is a tab at the top that allows you to “Send” or “Changelly” (More on this later, it allows you to swap different coins within the app). For example, if you want to start receiving bitcoin on your phone from a friends mobile wallet, you can click on the icon for the QR code for them to scan (recommended) or they can copy/paste the address and you can manually input it in the address field.

This is the first step of using the mobile app wallet interface to begin receiving your bitcoins, but the next part (which we will cover in the section below) will address the multi-factor authentication step for you to securely add your new loot onto the hardware wallet (wirelessly) from the app on your phone, so your private keys remain offline, where they belong.

 

Security

Image result for CoolWallet S security

Of course, Security, the most important factor when choosing a hardware wallet. You are after all, investing in a secure device that is not only easy to use, but securely keep your private keys offline and in your possession at all times. This device finds a nice, happy medium of convenience and security when using the device. I know, I know, you are probably wondering “How secure is this thing if you are connecting via bluetooth? I’ve heard this is not a secure method of transmission.”

From my personal experience, it’s rock solid. There is a 3-step authentication process for each transaction you process, including biometric authentication, ala Face ID or Touch ID to confirm transactions on top of the other 2 authentication steps. I will list below an outline from their website that outlines their security details in a much clearer way than I could. After what I read below, I am convinced. This device is VERY secure.

 

“Secure Element

Your private key is stored safely in a CC EAL5+ certified S.E. Chipset which is equivalent to FIPS complied security level,  similar to the US military’s requirements, and the private key never leaves the CoolWallet S.  This chip calculates all the necessary algorithms and transmits only the calculated results (non-sensitive data) out to the phone via Bluetooth.

Encrypted Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connection can only be initialized when the wallet is turned on within a proximity of 10 meters. The design of our product uses an AES256 Encryption to communicate between a CoolWallet S and your phone along with a dedicated pairing passcode. Thus, any unauthorized devices are prohibited to communicate with the card for data retrieval.

2+1 Factor Authentication

The CoolWallet S and our app uses a sequence of biometric verification steps as well as a visual check and a physical confirmation button push on the device itself to ensure that you are in control of your CoolWallet S and that the transaction is indeed correct and valid.

Tamper-proof Technology

Cool Wallet S uses a patented “Cold Compression” process which makes it impossible for hackers to install intercepting devices that can alter the transaction details. The Cool Wallet S is wafer-thin and there is not extra space on its circuit board. With an adhesive layer that cannot be removed (even with a heat gun- the Wallet.Fail team tried) without visual damage, any alteration or tampering will be immediately visible on the CoolWallet. In any case, the Secure Element will still protect your private keys.”

 

Advantages/Disadvantages

 

Advantages:

 

  1. Very unique design. You won’t find ANY form factor or design of a hardware wallet like this one. It’s simplicity and security in the design, makes this device a no brainer for the every day crypto spender.
  2. Ease of use. This device only took a handful of minutes to setup and start using. Between activating the app, pairing the device, and recovery seed words, I was already making secure trandsactions in less than 10 minutes.
  3. The device is always “Cold”. This means that even though it interfaces with a “Hot Wallet”, the card is completely separate and your private keys never leave the secure element unless physically authorized by you after secure authentication.
  4. Easy to Read. The E-ink display was a good choice for not only being durable and long lasting, but allows you to confirm the send/receive address on the app AND the E-ink display for extra security when performing and authorizing transactions.

 

Disadvantages:

 

  1. Not open-source. This is kind of a big one, as having a community reviewing the security, reporting bugs, and overall being “transparent” with everything going on in the firmware and security features is a powerful tool. Not only does it provide transparency, but it brings the community together, which helps with user-engagement.
  2. Coins Supported. Now, I am going to go easy on this one, because this is the most portable hardware wallet I’ve ever used, so it stands to reason it can’t hold as many coins as a wallet like Ledger or Trezor. However, this appears to be a topic CoolBitX is working on expanding, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Here is a list of the current coins supported, which is still fairly solid, but if you use lots of different coins and plan on HODL’ing them for a while, this might not be the best wallet for you.

Image result for Coins/Tokens Supported By CoolWallet S

 

GET THE COOL WALLET S FOR ONLY $99

https://youtu.be/WRnzFXuhQ3A

Cool Wallet S – Conclusion

 

Overall, this is one of the easiest and most convenient hardware wallet solutions. It can literally fit right in with your other cards in your fiat wallet (which is still relevant, for now) and is very easy to use and only needs a charge about once a month as BLE is very low energy and efficient.

Having a wireless, secure hardware wallet is VERY nice to have, especially when you’re on the go and you want to make sure your assets are securely offline. Having said that, there is only one other option you can choose that is even remotely close to this one and that is the Ledger Nano X. The Cool Wallet S is cheaper (and sleeker) for only $99, and the Ledger Nano X is a larger and bulkier device and starts at about $120.

Which one should I choose? Well, that depends on your use case. If you want something you can fit in your wallet and you don’t need to carry in your pocket at all times, I would recommend the Cool Wallet S, to be honest. The overall user experience was cleaner and easier than the Ledger Nano X. I would only recommend the Ledger Nano X, in the event you need more coins accessible on the go, which is typically not needed as much for spending and such, plus it’s going to cost more.

Bottomline: If you want a unique, sleek, and easy to use wireless hardware wallet that is under $100 you can use on the go with you in an every day situation? Get the CoolWallet S.

 

GET THE COOL WALLET S FOR ONLY $99

 

What do you think? Is there a better wireless hardware wallet that you’ve used for a better price? Let us know 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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Bitcoin Mining CoinMine Review

CoinMine ONE First Look (2020) | Start Mining Bitcoin In 5 Minutes!

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this first look, I am going to go over whether of not it’s worth it to get the CoinMine One cryptocurrency miner. This is actually a VERY interesting product that will make bitcoin mining a simple process that even your grandmother can setup. Seriously, this device helps the un-initiated take the first step into the cryptocurrency world by setting up a non-invasive and simple mining rig that bears resemblance to a video game console.

There are several intricacies when setting up a traditional mining rig, such as an Antminer ASIC or even setting up cloud-mining with a provider. This takes the “know-how” and complete understanding of this process out of the equation. You can literally pull it out of the box and start earning bitcoin (or other cryptocurrencies we’ll cover later) within 5 minutes. This is the first machine of it’s kind and it will revolutionize what any newbies understanding of what “bitcoin mining” is.

So without further ado, let’s answer some basic questions about what this new device does and stay tuned to the end, because I’m able to offer a pretty sweet discount for my readers that are ready to dive in!

 

What Is The CoinMine One?

 

The CoinMine One is a sleek, quiet, and easy-to-use bitcoin mining device. Typically, bitcoin mining has been long known as a very elusive and complicated subject that was really only done by people that are extremely technical. Additionally, they have access to A LOT of capital to setup infrastructure for hardware, abundant electrical capacity, and a lot of cooling mechanisms to keep these super computers cold enough to operate.

The CoinMine One solves this problem and provides a way for every day people to begin mining bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with a simple setup from a smartphone. This is ideal for people that are aware of the advantages of cryptocurrency mining and want to secure their slot to the future of finance.

Generally speaking, not only is this a way to create passive income with a “plug-and-play” method, but it allows you to help contribute and secure the bitcoin network as this device is it’s own node. As someone who has been involved in this industry for several years now, this product was a blessing, as it helps create further decentralization by allowing non-technical users to participate in the revolution for a very fair price!

 

Why Do I Need It?

coinmine one review

As cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream, it’s vital to the concept of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to have the masses gain more understanding and participation within the ecosystem. There are only 2 ways you can currently obtain bitcoin.

  1. You can buy it. Either from an exchange or from someone who owns it directly.
  2. You can mine it. Currently 85% of the total supply (21 million coins) has already been mined.

This creates not only a level of scarcity, but also points out that as the supply decreases, the demand will surely increase, thus causing the price to rise at an increasingly high rate.

The Coinmine One allows you to do this in a very passive, easy way. I have always been an advocate of cryptocurrency mass adoption and have created this website as a resource to help educate and connect people with the right products and services. Honestly, if you do not want to pay the increasing rates to buy bitcoin, this is a simple and easy way to mint your own coins and has many features to help you compound your earnings as well.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET $50 OFF YOUR COINMINE ONE AND ENTER “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT

 

Which Cryptocurrencies Can You Mine With It?

As of this writing, you can directly mine: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Grin, Zcash, and Monero. They have also announced Cosmos (ATOM) staking and a rumored leak of Tezos (one of my favorites) being supported for staking!

I am a huge fan of privacy coins and there are promises of future altcoins being added as well. Additionally, this runs on what they call MineOS. It’s a software built in and managed by the connecting smartphone app that allows you to manage what coins are being mined and allows you to choose which coin to mine at any given moment, and you can toggle (within the app) as much as you want to find which coin is most profitable.

What’s really compelling is, you can mine any of the above listed coins and choose to be paid soley in bitcoin (if you choose), even if you choose to mine another coin. This happens at a conversion at the end of the day (or week) so that this is ENTIRELY automated and allows for full customization. Very cool.

 

How Much Does It Cost?

 

When this first launched in 2018, the retail price of this device was $799. This isn’t a bad price, considering the costs of hardware and cloud-mining contracts that lock you into a certain price that you have to pay, regardless of profitability.

Luckily, I have a special discount for my readers that will give you a special discount that brings the total price down to $649. You can click the link below to get this special discount, if you are ready to start minting your own bitcoin!

 

CLICK HERE TO GET $50 OFF YOUR COINMINE ONE AND ENTER “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT

 

Coinmine One – Conclusion

 

Bottomline, this device looks very promising and provides the world’s simplest way to start mining bitcoin and other crypto’s in a single, silent, and easy-to-use device that you can plug into any standard wall outlet. When I set up my Antminer S9i ASIC, I had to get special adapters and splitters to use in my residential home to utilize the dryer outlet and was a real hassle to run a cord from there into the basement.

Additionally, the Antimner was EXTREMELY loud and required me to provide fans and ultimately drove up the electricity cost. I will be doing an in-depth review of the Coinmine One device shortly and will have an unboxing and setup video as well. After reaching out to these guys, I am more excited than ever to really put this to the test and make crypto mining easy again! The Coinmine One is taking the complexities and hassle out of industrial mining, and making it accessible for the average person in a VERY big way. Sign me up!

 

CLICK HERE TO GET $50 OFF YOUR COINMINE ONE AND ENTER “BITCOINLOCKUP” AT CHECKOUT

 

What do you think? Is there an easier solution to start mining bitcoin from your home? Let me know down 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.

easiest way to buy bitcoin
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Buy Bitcoin Earn Free Bitcoin How-To-Post Spend Bitcoin

The [#1] EASIEST Way To BUY BITCOIN RIGHT NOW (2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this article I am going to provide you with the easiest way to buy bitcoin and also one way I personally earn free bitcoin by doing something I was already doing. This is a game changer! Within the last 24 hours, the Treasury Secretary of the United States, Steve Mnuchin, has made an announcement on regulating cryptocurrency and mentioned Bitcoin and Libra specifically. The recent tweet that was sent out by president Trump has been a bullish sign for many people. Not because he said it was “based on thin air” but, because no standing president has ever mentioned “bitcoin” or “cryptocurrency” at all, ever.

Image result for trump bitcoin tweet

 

This is bringing more mainstream awareness and people who are uneducated may take that as a sign that they should stay away from it, because Trump said so. Most people however, are taking this as a sign that they should buy some bitcoin, just in case.

No matter where you stand, the big question many people ask that are completely new to cryptocurrencies is “What Is The Easiest Way To Buy Bitcoin?“. Luckily for you, I am an expert in this field and I will provide you the TWO easiest, fastest, and simplest ways to obtain your first bitcoin or fraction of a bitcoin. As an added bonus, I will provide you at the end of the article with a free tool that will allow you to EARN FREE BITCOIN, by doing something you are already doing every single day. This is a “YUUUUGGGGEEE” (as Trump would say) bonus, as there are very few legitimate ways to obtain bitcoin for free.

Let’s get right to it!

 

#1 Cash App

 

This is a free app (you may have already heard of) that is similar to Venmo. It’s designed for sending and receiving money easily between users and can connect your debit card, credit card, or bank account to facilitate these transactions. It’s super easy to use and I use it to pay people for splitting dinner tabs and splitting costs on various things and works flawlessly. Unlike Venmo, they have also setup a way to buy bitcoin directly through the app, and you can even set up a purchasing schedule if you so choose, but this is BY FAR the easiest way to buy it once you set up the app.

cash app buy bitcoin

 

The steps are extremely easy to do this:

 

1.) Download the Cash App HERE. When you use this link, we both get $5 for free. Pretty Neat.

2.) Create your account and add either your debit card, credit card, or link your bank details if you’re so inclined.

3.) Click the Profile Icon in the upper left hand corner and scroll down and click on “Bitcoin”

4.) Click “Buy” (you can also sell at any time you want as well)

5.) Type in the dollar amount you want to buy and click “Confirm”

6.) You’re done! Your bitcoin will show up in your account within a few minutes. So simple.

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CASH APP AND GET $5 IN BITCOIN FREE!

 

How To Buy Bitcoin With Credit Card

 

#2 CoinMama

 

coinmama

 

This is a tried and true method I’ve used to buy bitcoin for both personal reasons and business reasons, with great success. This is one of the highest rated companies that you can buy bitcoin with a debit card or credit card with no limit. Now, in order to use a credit card there are some additional fees (not unlike Coinbase), but it will process and give you access to your coins in less than an hour instead of days. This is a good method if you want to buy them quickly and easily and do not want to use cash app or any other services.

This is the most trusted provider and the reviews are excellent. When I was originally looking for how to buy my first bitcoin, this was one of several options that came up, and back then, there were not many “trusted” options as there was many companies that did not have a good track record or many positive reviews, except this one.

This ultimately led me to use this service and not only was it quick and efficient, it was delivered within 20 minutes, and Coinbase was the only other option in the U.S. at the time and quoted a 10-day “verification” period just to activate an account. This didn’t even include the amount of time to let me buy my bitcoin, which would take another 3-7 business days. Not acceptable in my eyes.

If you want an easy and TRUSTED way to buy bitcoin with credit or debit card, then Coinmama is the way to go!

 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR COINMAMA

 

#3 Paxful

paxful review

 

This is another service that is VERY interesting and is unlike CoinMama above in a few different ways. Although Paxful is a pretty well-known way you can purchase bitcoin with a credit card, the reason I am giving it a mention here is because of the other ways and payment methods you can use to obtain bitcoin (or other altcoins if you want). With Paxful, you can trade gift cards (Visa, Wal-Mart, Amazon, eBay, and Starbucks) just to name a few.

Additionally, you can also use Zelle (a money changing app similar to Venmo and other direct payment services that many banks use), SWIFT, MoneyGram, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and hundreds of other gift cards as well. It’s also worth mentioning that you can directy trade other altcoins in for bitcoin and vice-versa. So not only is it a fiat-to-crypto exchange, bult it can also be used as a crypto-to-crypto direct exchange (not unlike ShapeShift).

All this to say, it’s now become easier and easier with these services to BUY BITCOIN. Whether you trade you existing gift cards, other altcoins, or even CASH, it’s not easier than ever to get your hands on bitcoin. When I first tested this service, I received a $100 Amazon gift card for Christmas and I didn’t really want to use it for anything, so when I discovered I could trade it in for $100 worth of bitcoin, I was pretty excited to say the least. I will leave a list of all the hundreds of gift cards you can use to trade for crypto HERE.

I will have an in-depth review out for Paxful shortly. Stay Tuned!

 

 

CLICK HERE TO TRY PAXFUL FOR FREE

 

Easiest Way To Buy Bitcoin – Conclusion

 

Overall, there are multiple ways to buy bitcoin (some easier than others) but the two main methods I’ve listed above are BY FAR the quickest and easiest ways to get it fast. The price is always fluctuating, so some people may be hesitant to buy right now in fear that it could go down in the future. Here’s the deal. In the grand scheme of things, hind-sight is 20/20 and over the next 3-5 years, I can almost guarantee that the price will be higher than the point is at right now, which is approx. $10,900 at the time of the writing.

This is one of the most important and unique inventions since the internet itself and will continue to bring forth different use cases and provide value to every single person on the planet. This is part of a much larger revolution where the people are now going to take back their financial power from the government and authorities, and there is NOTHING they can do to stop it.

That is powerful.

Bottom line, if you don’t currently have any bitcoin, you can start accumulating it in small amounts (as low as $10) at a time and it will start to grow very easily. You will be glad you did it when you look back, even in 6 months to a year from now. Mark my words!

 

What do you think? Are there easier ways to buy bitcoin right now? Let me know 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.

cobo vault review
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Bitcoin Wallets Cobo Vault Crypto Hardware Wallets Review

Cobo VAULT Review | The “Self-Destructing” Crypto Hardware Wallet? (2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

Is the Cobo Vault the best unbreakable crypto hardware wallet of 2019? Is it as tough and inpenetrable as they claim? Stay tuned for the whole Cobo Vault Review to find out! I recently wrote an article on an upcoming device that appears to be directly competing with this product called the Ellipal Titan. If you want to read that review after this one to get kind of a side-by-side comparison, you can check out the in-depth first look of that device HERE.

Overall, my first impression of this device was very good. It appears to be targeting an entirely different segment of the cold storage crypto wallet market, which is something I obviously follow quite closely. They are marketing this as a “Military Grade Durability and Security” device, which is definitely the case as it has all the proper ratings a certifications to protect against impact, water resistance, and shock resistance to ensure it is as rugged as humanly possible.

If you are new to cryptocurrency security in general, please check out my free e-book HERE. This dives in deep on the basic (and some advanced) security tips on how to best manage your cryptocurrency by learning from my mistakes. I guarantee you will learn something new and it will help you on your crypto journey! So, let’s get to why you are here and jump right into the Cobo Vault Review. Let’s do this!

What’s In The Box?

 

There’s a lot of bang for your buck here and certainly attempts to justify it’s current price tag of $479. This is no ordinary crypto hardware wallet, this thing is very different than Ledger, Trezor, and KeepKey as there are no active ports or USB connectors to allow you to interface with this product. I will get more into this in the next section, but needless to say this is a unique device!

 

Here’s what comes in the box:

 

-Cobo Vault Hardware Wallet (4 inch touchscreen)

-The Cobo “Vault” (Houses The Device)

-A Removable 1540 mAH Battery

-Charging Dock

-USB-C Cable (For Charging)

-Mnemonic Steel Recovery Seed Device

-Steel Tiles For Recovery Seed Phrase

-Small Screwdriver

-Instruction Booklet

 

The box is very large and feels heavy when you get it because of the steel grade quality of all of the components. There is an unboxing video below that will explain how this all works and gives you a visual cue of everything that is included and what each piece is used for.

The most “compelling” piece to me here is the steel mnemonic tablet that is used to secure your 24 word seed phrase. This is TYPICALLY used by other providers by writing it down on paper, which is vulnerable to the elements. These devices can cost upwards of $300 by itself, so this is a HUGE value add and absolutely necessary for anyone that takes their cryptocurrency security seriously.

If you are not familiar with what this and why it’s needed, you can read an in-depth review of the best standalone titanium recovery seed backup HERE.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COBO VAULT HARDWARE WALLET

 

Setup And Use

 

This device has NONE of the following connections:

 

WIFI

USB 

BLUETOOTH

NFC

CELLULAR

 

This means that it is completely off the grid. So how do you use it and set it up? QR Codes. The device has a 5-MP camera for scanning QR codes on Cobo’s website and then the companion app for managing assets from their hot wallet over to the offline device.

This is a very prolonged and arduous process. In terms of security, this is a VERY good thing. It’s like having a 7-step authentication system. However, for ease of use, it’s a killer, and most wallets try to strike a balance between ease of use and security. Cobo does not appear to care about what it’s competition is doing in this regard, since it’s breaking out into it’s own little sub-niche of cold wallet security. Here are the steps I had to follow to setup and use the device:

 

1.) Download the “Cobo” mobile app

2.) Power on the Cobo Vault device

3.) Go through the recovery seed phrase process. This includes writing it down and verifying it through the touch screen

4.)  Set a custom passphrase that has stringent requirements including multiple special characters and at least 10 characters minimum.

5.) Scan the QR code on Cobo’s website to authenticate the firmware and authenticity of the device.

6.) Once authenticated, you scan a dynamic and ever-changing QR code on the companion mobile app to initiate transactions

7.) If you want to receive any payment directly on the device, you just generate a QR code and your sender can scan the code to initiate. If you want to send a transaction, follow the steps 2-6 above and repeat the process.

 

Features: What Makes It Inpenetrable?

 

 

So, in addition to having a water resistant, shock resistant, and using “Military Grade” materials and configuration, it also has a “Self-Destruct” mechanism if it expects foul play. Let me explain. The device cannot be hacked through any ports or any wireless type connections. However, if someone tries to extract the private keys manually, the chip will have a timer initiate a countdown. If the screen is broken or if the device is opened up internally in any way, it will completely wipe the device.

If this happens, the only way to restore this is through your recovery seed phrase that you now have in stainless steel thanks to having it included in the box. This can be imported to any BIP-32, 39, 44 wallet to restore your funds with this seed phrase.

Additionally, if someone tries to steal the device and initiate a transfer of the funds through their own Cobo Vault, they will not be able to, as during your initial setup it is coded to the QR code you scanned on your app that is unique on your mobile phone. This device is really the Fort-Knox of crypto wallets. It took me about 30-40 minutes from start to finish when I unboxed, setup, and made my first transaction on the device. As I mentioned above, this DOES make it very secure, but for ease of use, it’s kind of nightmare. There are no trade-offs here.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COBO VAULT HARDWARE WALLET

Cobo Vault Coins Supported

 

This device claims to have a lot more coins that will be supported on their road map, but this is definitely one of the “cons” of this device as it is of the utmost quality, but also is VERY lacking in the coins that are supported. Below is a picture of all the coins that are currently supported as of this writing.

For those that are not familiar with all of these coins or brands, I will list them here: Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Tron (TRX), Eos (EOS), Litecoin (LTC), and Dash (DASH).

 

Price

 

This is a premium device and the price reflects that. It’s $479 USD to get this device and may have some shipping costs associated with it if you are outside of the U.S. As this is a higher-end device, you get what you pay for. I have not come across a more durable and secure device yet, but the Ellipal Titan appears to be a cheaper option that is going to be competing with this directly when it is released to the public in late August 2019. You can check out my review/first look HERE.

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COBO VAULT HARDWARE WALLET

 

Cobo Vault Review: Conclusion

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKbiyf5fJmo

Overall, the Cobo Vault device is probably the strongest and highest quality device physically, that I’ve ever used in a hardware wallet. It feels solid, and I know that if I drop it, get it wet, or otherwise try to damage this, it will stand the test of time. In terms of security, I have yet to personally test a device that compares to this one.

I had several steps and verifications in order to just set it up, let alone make a transaction. I believe this device is designed to be used VERY sparingly and is not used in a daily setting. This is a long-term “HODL”er device, which is good, but if you frequently transact, it is a hassle.

Also, it only supports 8 coins currently. It claims to be supporting more coins soon, but it has mentioned that since it’s launched and have not seen any announcements of movement on that front for several months.

Finally, we have to consider the price. $479 is no cheap price for a hardware wallet and this is a premium and high end device, so I personally use it as a backup and long term device. I do not use this for frequent trading and transacting for obvious reasons described above, but I like having it for my long term stash.

So what’s the bottomline?

If you are new and are looking for your very first hardware wallet, I would personally recommend getting a KeepKey device. It is very nice quality and just launched a brand new platform that integrates trading and is the only one that allows you to keep your private keys offline and in your personal possession the entire time. It’s my go-to wallet for daily use. You can get that HERE.

If you are looking for a secondary or longer term wallet to diversify, then I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this wallet, as it is probably the most secure wallet you can get and the quality is unmatched. I have only used mine twice, but that also means it’s safe and sound and I have no second thoughts about someone being able to crack it, even if they get it in their hands. I feel very comforted knowing that this is literally unbreakable. You can get the COBO Vault hardware wallet below and check out some reviews on their site below

 

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE COBO VAULT HARDWARE WALLET

 

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.

Ellipal Titan
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Crypto Hardware Wallets Ellipal Review

Ellipal Titan – Crypto Hardware Wallet (2020 Updated) – FIRST LOOK!

By Zach — 5 years ago

Is the new Ellipal Titan crypto hardware wallet all hype? Or is it the real deal? In this article we are going to take a FIRST LOOK at the mobile hardware wallet. So, the Ellipal Titan appears to be a very unique and interesting cold storage hardware wallet and is the second generation wallet after the Ellipal 2.0 wallet and is unlike any other hardware wallet on the market.

This device is currently available for pre-order and should start shipping it’s first units by mid-August of this year, so make sure to check out the bonuses for pre-ordering with the special referral links I will have below. This is known as the only “True” offline hardware wallet.

Ellipal Titan

It has zero ports, USB connections, Wifi connections, Bluetooth connections,  Cellular connections and NFC connections. This thing is built like fort knox! It has a form factor similar to that of Cobo Vault, but I will have a written review for that device HERE.

So how do you use it if you can’t connect it? QR codes. The device has a camera and a 4-inch full touchscreen and resembles a small android smartphone. It connects with a smartphone app where you can transfer funds between the hot wallet to the air-gapped device almost instantly through scanning the QR code. Very cool.

Before we dive deeper into the details of this device and how it differs from other crypto hardware wallets out there, I want to make sure you get the free download of my e-book “5 Best Ways To Secure Your Cryptocurrency“. This a comprehensive guide to how to best manage and secure any cryptocurrency you currently have, whether you are a beginner or a crypto veteran! Let’s get right down to the Ellipal Titan!

Ellipal Titan: Whats In The Box?

 

The Ellipal Titan device comes with the same items in the box as the Ellipal 2.0, with the only difference being that there is a magnetic adapter that connects to the bottom of the device. This adapter includes the charging port and SD card slot port for updating firmware and signing offline transactions. The Ellipal 2.0 device has these on the device itself, whereas the titan has no ports or openings on it whatsoever, making it stronger and more secure.

Box includes:

  • ELLIPAL Titan Cold Wallet
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Charging cable
  • Mnemonics card
  • Warranty card
  • User manual

 

Ellipal 2.0 Vs. Ellipal Titan

 

So this device is similar in it’s form factor to the Ellipal 2.0 device, with some key differences. Firstly, this device built for Anti-Tampering, Anti-Disassembly, and Anti-Theft protection. What does that all mean? Well, to put it simply, this thing is cannot be pried open with any tools like a screwdriver, hammer, etc…

Ellipal Titan has a self destruct mechanism in place, so that if the screen is tampered with or crushed or broken in an attempt to gain access to it’s internals, it will break a special circuit board that holds all your private keys. This is powerful. Additionally, it’s very sturdy, so not only is it IP65 rated for dust and water resistance, but its made out of a very strong single piece of metal that houses and encompasses the entire device.

The Ellipal Titan is specifically designed against evil maid of supply chain attacks so nothing can be imported or inserted as there are no open access ports on the device.

The Ellipal 2.0 is still a very strong and secure device, but it does have a durable exterior that is built for abuse, and it also has an SD card slot for updating it’s firmware on the device and also has a charging cable port, so there are 2 entry points. Again, still very secure, but the Ellipal Titan is really a massive upgrade.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN W/ FREE METAL RECOVERY SEED BACKUP BONUS PRE-ORDER

 

How Do You Set Up An Air-Gapped Device?

 

This is very simple. It pairs with a mobile app that is available for iOS and Android. This helps you initialize and setup the device and generate all QR codes needed to transfer your funds from the hot wallet app, onto the cold storage device. This process is identical to the Ellipal 2.0 process, however, you now have access to longer PIN’s and extra security features.

There is a full step-by-step setup guide for both Ellipal devices HERE

What Coins Are Supported?

 

This is always the section I check the most when reviewing hardware wallets, because although functionality and security are important, none of that matters unless it supports the coins you want to store offline. So here is the current list of supported coins and the one that are currently in development.

Currently, all coins will be supported fully by both devices. They are also developing new coin support as well with frequent firmware updates. This includes: Tezos (XTZ), Zcash (ZEC), NANO (NANO), STEEM( STEEM), and NEO (NEO) just to name a few.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN W/ FREE METAL RECOVERY SEED BACKUP BONUS PRE-ORDER

 

Decentralized Exchange Support

 

I will briefly touch on this as it’s definitely worth mentioning. This feature allows you  to not only have direct coin to coin conversion, but it also allows for staking, for instance on the upcoming Tezos support and other POS coins.

It connects to Binance DEX, which is a decentralized exchange and looks very promising. Additionally, you will be able to earn interest and manage your staking rewards offline in future firmware upgrades, which is a HUGE selling point for me.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall, I’m very excited to get this device in my hands and write an in depth review on it. I already pre-ordered the device for $149 and I expect to receive it 3-5 weeks when it’s released. This appears to be a truly unique and air-gapped hardware wallet experience and security is really what it comes down to.

Don’t get my wrong, convenience is also important, but Ellipal really brought a unique form of security to the table here by having a very rugged and durable device that has ZERO online connections. You can transfer your crypto funds between its companion hot wallet and vice versa anytime, but the cold wallet never goes online, which is really cool.

For a limited time, you can also get a FREE mnemonic metal recovery seed (a $49 value) when you pre-order the device. This is a STEAL, as this is something I practice myself and believe it is absolutely NECESSARY for any person who takes their crypto seriously.

I also wrote a review recently on a few metal recovery seed wallets and my favorite one HERE, if you want to educate yourself on why they are so important. I will leave the special referral link below to get this device, and I for one am VERY excited to use it and see how “durable” it really is.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE ELLIPAL TITAN W/ FREE METAL RECOVERY SEED BACKUP BONUS PRE-ORDER

 

What do you guys think? Have you ever used a device more secure than this for your crypto? Let me know 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.

 

 

shapeshift & trezor
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Bitcoin News KeepKey Review ShapeShift Trezor

Shapeshift And Trezor: Multiple Hardware Wallets Now Supported (2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this article, I am proud to announce that there is a new non-official partnership between Shapeshift And Trezor. Let me elaborate. The newly launched platform of Shapeshift’s all-in-one trading platform not only supports the KeepKey, which is now owned by Shapeshift, but it also integrates with Trezor One and Trezor Model T to manage and trade your assets through cold storage. They also have announced plans to support the Ledger Nano S and not too far after that, the newly released Ledger Nano X device.

This is a huge step forward for non-custodial trading with an emphasis on keeping your private keys in your possession the entire time. This is unlike many popular exchanges, like Binance, Kucoin, or even Coinbase. Maintaining financial sovereignty is a cornerstone of what Shapeshift is trying to achieve with the release of this new platform. I personally tested this platform while it was just in the beta stage and I have been raving about it ever since. I wrote an in-depth review of this platform and it’s features which you can read HERE.

Do I Need An Invite To Try It Out?

 

Shapeshift And Trezor

When the beta was released it was invite only, but this platform is now live and accessible for Shapeshift account members for free. I will link the announcement of their release that I wrote HERE, and you can now signup for a free account HERE.

(NOTE: You will need a compatible hardware wallet in order to use the platform to perform any trades. This is for your security in mind and makes for a seamless experience. If you do not have KeepKey or Trezor, you can get them by clicking the links below to obtain them directly from the manufacturer.

 

Can I Use My Trezor Model One AND Trezor Model T?

 

trezor one vs trezor model t

Yes. Both devices are compatible with the platform, and I recommend you initialize and setup the devices through Trezor.io first, before you connect to this platform. This will ensure that your security PIN and recovery seed phrases are properly in place before you connect it to this new platform. In my personal experience in testing, managing your trades, balances, and portfolio from the Shapeshift platform has been easier to use than on Trezor’s own web application.

Below is a video tutorial of how to setup your Trezor and connect it to the platform seamlessly. Please comment down below if you have any questions or concerns on this process. You WILL need to ensure you have the Trezor bridge installed on your machine in order to use this platform.

 

Shapeshift And Trezor: Are There Any Other Hardware Wallets Supported?

 

As mentioned above, there are plans to add support for the Ledger Nano S, very shortly. Unfortunately, there is no official ETA, but some non-official sources have told me that the wait will not be long. After this has been tested and verified, support for the Ledger Nano X will be tested and approved as well. There has been no word on whether or not the discontinued Ledger Blue device will be supported or not.

Again, I recommend that if you have a brand new device that you set it up and initialize the device and ensure it’s on the latest firmware version before connecting it to the platform. This article will be updated when they officially announce the Ledger support for the platform and I’m sure there will be an official press release from Shapeshift.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall, I can’t say enough good things about this new platform and my primary source for managing my own portfolio on my KeepKey and Both Trezor devices. It really makes managing and trading assets extremely easy and intuitive. If you don’t already have a hardware wallet, I will leave a link below for the KeepKey (My favorite hardware wallet currently), and in conjunction with the new release, I will leave you a 50% off discount code to pick it up for under $40.

That is a STEAL, and will make it the cheapest hardware wallet you can get at the moment. This is a limited time offer, so make sure to act fast! If you are unfamiliar with the basics of how to keep your cryptocurrency safe, you can download my free in-depth e-book on the subject HERE.

 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE KEEPKEY AT 50% OFF DIRECTLY FROM THEIR WEBSITE

 

Use coupon code “GENESISFOX” at checkout get the discount by clicking the above link.

 

What do you think? Are you going to try the new shapeshift trading and management platform? If not, what other platforms do you prefer? Let me know down 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.

cryptotag
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Bill Fodl Crypto Tag CryptoSteel Review

CRYPTOTAG Review (2020) | Best Indestructible Recovery Seed Backup?

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this review, I am going to go over the titanium recovery seed backup called CRYPTOTAG. This device is very unique to say the least. There are other comparable products currently on the market, but this one is different. I will tell a brief story I may have gone over in other reviews, but it’s extremely relevant as to why these indestructible devices were created. A few years back, one of my friends was fortunate enough to have a hardware wallet that was holding private keys to a hefty sum.

When it came time for him to move, he was looking for his recovery seed phrase and had asked his girlfriend where she may have put it, and incidentally, it was put in a bag with some toiletries and was in a small plastic bag that was partly open. This was in a larger bag where a shampoo bottle had spilled and leaked all over the large bag and smothered his recovery seed card with his 24 word phrase. Needless to say, the oils of the shampoo had removed the ink and his paper recovery seed phrase was destroyed and indiscernible.

To make matters worse, he eventually forgot his pin on his Trezor wallet and was completely out of luck. I tell this cautionary tale as a way of reinforcing that this device has a serious need and is a small price to pay to protect yourself if any unfortunate event like this were to happen to you. People’s homes get flooded or burned down all the time, and you do NOT want to lose your life savings in the event that you fall victim to this.

As a side note, I recently wrote a free e-book that outlines the “5 Best Ways To Secure Your Cryptocurrency” and I highly recommend you go to the home page and click the orange button to get your free copy! Now, onto this review of the CRYPTOTAG premium device. Do I really need one even if I’m careful? Let’s find out below.

 

cryptotag

CRYPTOTAG: What’s In The Box?

 

–CRYPTOTAG Hammer

-2 Titanium Plates (96 Letters Per Plate)

-26 Letter Bits

-An Anvil

-A Bit Holder

-Ear Plugs

-Matches To Burn Your Paper Backup When Finished!

 

As you can see in the picture, the packaging is beautifully done and contains everything you need for engraving your recovery seed phrases into the plates itself. It’s a unique experience as the assembly or installation process is quite different from using a CryptoSteel or Bill Fodl, but in my opinion way more enjoyable. I will elaborate on this process below.

 

Design & Setup

 

This is device is the strongest plate I’ve personally ever seen. It even says during the testing phase that it was tested with a semi-automatic weapon firing at bullet at it, and it still not puncturing the device. This product can literally stop a bullet. Additionally, it has been tested with extreme heat at over 1665 degrees celsius. It can also handle extreme cold, and does not crack or falter under extreme pressure or ice. It also goes without saying that it does not rust or is subject to any level of corrosion.

Setup – When you open the box, you will see everything evenly laid out with a set of instructions and your 2 plates with a clip to hold them together. The hammer is very hefty and is specifically designed for this personal engraving process and has a texture that is designed to make sure it doesn’t slip and overlay your letter you begin hammering. My experience was that I had to very vigorously slam the hammer down on the bits for engraving about 5-6 times to ensure that it made a deep enough engraving on the titanium plate.

Design – The outside of the CRYPTOTAG proudly displays the products’ logo and name — which looks cool but makes the sensitive ‘document’ less discrete. Should it ever catch the eyes of a potential thief, he or she would have little doubt as to what kind of information the sheet holds. (Even if someone has no idea what a recovery seed is, most people know that “crypto” means money.)

Of course, a wise person would never leave a CRYPTOTAG in sight — just as one would never leave their gold coins or valuables lying around. Still, a little more discretion would’ve been preferred.

Aside from that, there is very little to fault with the CRYPTOTAG, which we find to be the best storage solution for your private keys and recovery seed backup available on the market.

 

Who Is This for?

This is for ANY cryptocurrency holder who has more crypto than they can afford to lose. Ultimately, this is the best form of an insurance policy in becoming your own bank, as it cannot be destroyed under any conditions. Having this device in conjunction with a hardware wallet is the best combination of security and ease of use. This is the backup to your backup recovery seed phrase that you have on paper, and without this phrase being kept in a secure location, you put your entire wallet at risk.

In this new era of “Becoming your own bank“, that also comes with a new responsibility of being a banker that put safeguards in place to protect you in the event of an unforseen event. This is by FAR the best way to ensure that your recovery seed is safe and cannot be destroyed. I recommend that ANYONE that has more cryptocurrency than they can afford to lose, should have one of these. After all, if you lose your hardware wallet AND you lose this, you are completely out of luck and have no one to blame but yourself.

 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CRYPTOTAG FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE

 

CryptoTAG Vs. CryptoSteel Vs. Bill Fodl

 

So, as you can see, this is a pretty unique device. However, you may be wondering, “How does it compare to the CryptoSteel or Bill Fodl”? Well, the latter 2 devices are very simillar. I will leave the in depth review for each of those respectively HERE and HERE. The CryptoSteel and Bill Fodl use tiles that are already pre-made with certain letters and require you to slide them into place and requires unscrewing some levers that allow you to slide them into place in the proper order.

There is no hammer, no pounding, no engraving, and as a result….No fun when setting it up.

Going through the process of hammering my crypto legacy into place was really satisfying for me as I take my crypto holdings very seriously, as well as the security of my private keys. Yes, the CRYPTOTAG is a much more expensive device (almost twice as much as these 2 competitors), but also has a superior quality in terms of manufacturing, materials used, and the overall presentation. This device is not for everyone, but if you take as much pride as me with my cryptocurrency, there is no more satisfying way to protect your keys than the CRYPTOTAG.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLAaHjGX7Dc&t=326s

Conclusion

 

Overall, this device is probably the nicest version of a recovery seed backup you can find. The titanium is completely indestructible and can withstand even the harshest elements and has been thoroughly tested under every condition imaginable. As detailed above, it is a bit more expensive than the CryptoSteel or Bill Fodl, but it also is much nicer quality, and has a MUCH better user experience. Being able to “forge” your own seed into metal is a really fun experience and really connects your digital world with your physical world.

The one downside, which may have been mentioned in other reviews is, if you make a mistake on a letter, you will need to buy a new plate. Whereas, the other 2 devices you can simply just replace or slide out a tile with a new one if something changes. This makes those devices re-usable, whereas this one is literally written in titanium and cannot be changed. However, if you take your time and “measure twice and cut once” (so to speak), this proves to be a much sleeker and overall “better product” If you can comfortably afford the 169 Euros price tag for the starter kit.

You will not be disappointed. Additionally, if you have multiple wallets and need to expand, you can also get an expansion kit with new plates as needed, since you will be able to use the same hammer and stampers.

Bottomline: If you have the means and want to protect your seed phrase in the sexiest way possible, then CRYPTOTAG is your absolute BEST option. Hands down.

 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CRYPTOTAG FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE

 

What do you guys think? Have you used a metal recovery seed backup before? Let me know down 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.

shapeshift new platform
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KeepKey Review ShapeShift

Shapeshift’s New Platform Launches Today! (July 2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

It’s finally here! Shapeshift’s New Platform launches today! I have been using their beta platform for several months now reporting bugs and helping add some user friendly features by reporting feedback and ways to improve this brand new non custodial platform. I wrote a pretty in-depth review of the beta a few weeks back, so I won’t rehash the entire user experience here, so I will link that review so you can get the nitty-gritty details HERE.

This is an exciting time for cryptocurrency in general. Facebook is launching a controversial new coin called “Libra”. The government has sent a request to have the development of it stopped so they can review it and “approve” it before it’s released. The audacity of this, as if they have any say in what private organizations can and cannot work on is baffling, but I digress.

I will briefly detail below some of the key features and benefits of using this platform and non custodial exchange for all your crypto asset management.

 

Trade Assets Offline

 

The cornerstone feature here (in my opinion) is the fact that we can perform trading assets while having our private keys kept completely offline via the KeepKey (Or Trezor). They are also planning to add Ledger support soon as well, but the easiest hardware wallet to use is by far the KeepKey, as it was the primary wallet used during beta.

Shapeshift's New Platform

As you can see above, the dashboard is very streamlined and easy to view and manage the assets you can trade, view the balance and the price, view market cap, and so much more. The ability to have all the information I need in one place is very convenient. additionally, I can view my portfolio without having my hardware wallet present. In fact, I only need it to sign a transaction. Once you sign, you can disconnected it and it will be transferred to your wallet balance immediately and be reflected next time you connect.

Shapeshift has really thought of the user experience and making it easy for anyone of any skill level and knowledge of crypto to safely manage their private keys and learn how to trade using this platform.  Now that the platform is out of beta, they will be focusing on adding more assets being added to the platform for trade and asset management. As this is also a trade engine, as well as a portfolio manager, incorporating more detailed analytics will only improve upon this foundation.

 

Manage Your Portfolio In One Location

 

Here are some of the touted features of this platform, and why you should sign up for free HERE:

1.) Shapeshift Trading – You can seamlessly buy, sell, or trade dozens or crypto assets directly in the platform. Trading is non-custodial, so there is no need to trust a third party. This is a MASSIVE plus and a differentiator from any other exchange out there.

2.) Hardware Security – Utilize the best practice of offline security. Retain control of your private keys while enjoying an intuitive web interface. This is the best of both worlds and I will add that this is not currently possible on any other hardware wallet platform currently.

3.) Real Time Market Data – Get real-time market prices and historical data without ever having to leave the interface. This means no extra tabs or historical charts from any other 3rd-party site that you have to toggle between to get the data you need. This allows you to enjoy a beautiful ad-free experience.

4.) Portfolio Performance – Visualize your portfolio performance through graphs, sparklines, and real-time value movement. View your dashboard balances at anytime, anywhere. Your hardware wallet only needs to be connected for signing transactions.

The video below gives you a quick demo of how this works. It truly is a unique hardware wallet experience.

 

Shapeshift’s New Platform: Conclusion

 

After personally testing this platform and providing feedback and improvements for several months, I am very proud of what the Shapeshift team has accomplished. I am also excited to see how it expands with other hardware and new features and coins that will be added. There is NO other exchange that offers non-custodial trading, and to me that is a HUGE deal.

Part of “Becoming Your Own Bank” means maintaining full control over your funds at all times and not having to put trust in anyone but yourself. Self sovereign finance is the way of the future, and that is very exciting to see how this will continue to play out as adoption continues to snowball.

 

***CLICK HERE TO BUY KEEPKEY FOR 50% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY***

 

Just click the above link and use code “GENESISFOX” at checkout

 

What do you guys think? Are you excited for the revolutionary change in asset management? Let me know 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.

bill fodl
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Bill Fodl CryptoSteel Review

Bill Fodl Review (2020): Is It Better Than Cryptosteel?

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this review, I am going to deep dive into the Bill Fodl and whether or not you need one, and if you do, is it better than Cryptosteel? So what is Bill Fodl? It’s essentially a backup of your backup. It’s a stainless steel recovery seed backup for your cryptocurrency and your recovery seed words that you most likely have written down on paper.

As you may already know, when you setup a cryptocurrency wallet, you will be asked to write down your recovery seed phrase which is a series of 12, 18, or 24 words. These are given to you as a method to restore the funds in your wallet, in the event you lose access to it digitally or physically. This is primarily is used in conjunction with a hardware wallet.

When I started this site back in 2016, I was mainly focused on hardware wallets as the primary method to safely storing your private keys offline, and these types of devices didn’t exist at that time. As this industry has brought on more innovation, indestructible crypto seed backups were born! I also had a friend who had multiple bitcoins on a hardware wallet, and when he was moving, he realized that his recovery seed was in an open plastic bag that was in proximity to a spilled shampoo bottle.

As you can probably imagine, this didn’t end well. When he went to move and locate his recovery seed, it was useless. The oils of the shampoo had removed the ink he had on his paper backup and it was all but destroyed. This is just one of MANY reasons why you need an indestructible backup of your paper recovery seed card to protect yourself against, well, yourself. It also is designed to withstand the elements such are fire, water, wind, corrosion, and even your dog eating it.

As it’s relevant here, I wanted to point out that on the home page of this website, there is an orange button that will link you to my free e-book that I recently wrote that goes in depth on this topic and provides you the “5 Best Ways To Secure Your Cryptocurrency“. Go check it out, it’s free, and it may even save you from loss in the future. One of our motto’s here is “We help you protect YOUR private keys”. So there you go, let’s get to nitty-gritty of this review on the Bill Fodl!

 

Bill Fodl: What’s In The Box?

 

You can store up to 96 characters, allowing you to backup an entire 24 word seed in one unit. Don’t worry if your entire seed is longer than 96 characters; you only need the first 4 letters of each seed word to fully backup your coins. You can read the full setup guide and video from their website HERE.

They also have expansion packs, and multi-wallet packs that you can get as well that will enable you to receive a quantity discount for multiple wallets. I used this option as I have multiple hardware wallets and therefore need this protection.

This Bill Fodl device is really a solid insurance policy on your crypto holdings, that doesn’t require you to trust any 3rd party or custodial solutions. This device is typically used with all models of Trezor, Ledger, and KeepKey. Pretty much any standard BIP39 wallet, and you can also use this for hot or online wallets as a backup as well.

 

Why Do I Need One?

 

As I mentioned above in the first paragraph, your recovery seed is typically written down on paper. Most people don’t realize how important these words in succession are as they are writing them down, as this is your only saving grace of recovering any lost cryptocurrency if you lose access to your wallet (Hot or Cold). If you lose these recovery words, you have no one to blame but yourself, and there is no way to recover your funds.

In this new era of “Becoming your own bank“, that also comes with a new responsibility of being a banker that put safeguards in place to protect you in the event of an unforseen event. This is by FAR the best way to ensure that your recovery seed is safe and cannot be destroyed. I recommend that ANYONE that has more cryptocurrency than they can afford to lose, should have one of these. After all, if you lose your hardware wallet AND you lose this, you are completely out of luck and have no one to blame but yourself.

 

Bill Fodl vs. CryptoSteel

 

Bill Fodl vs. CryptoSteel. I’ll be honest… these two devices are eerily similar, however, there are some key differences that set that apart. For starters, I noticed that the CryptoSteel has some tiles that are not the exact same shape and size, therefore making it more difficult to setup. There is a small slot for each of your letters to fit in, and even 1/8th of a millimeter difference is noticeable when you’re performing this task, as it takes steady hands and precision.

Secondly, the slats are smoother and the screws are easier to open than the CryptoSteel when it comes to opening it and closing it during the installation process. It’s not a massive difference, but still noticeable. As I said, these are VERY similar, but I am noticing that the quality on the Bill Fodl to be slightly nicer.

Thirdly, Bill Fodl takes lightning payments via bitcoin to purchase, while the CryptoSteel does not. Now, I know that doesn’t matter top most people, but I am very vocal about wanting to support vendors and businesses that accept cryptocurrency as payment. You would think that both of these companies would do this by default, but CryptoSteel only accepts credit cards at the moment.

The one thing I didn’t like about the Bill Fodl, is that the stainless steel gets scratched very easily. This won’t affect the integrity of your tiles or have any affect on the readability of the device in the event of a catastrophe, but it also doesn’t look as sleek and brand new after a handling it after just a handful of times. Lastly, the Bill Fodl is cheaper than the CryptoSteel. Bill Fodl is only $79 for their device and the CrypoSteel charges $99 for the equivalent device. Seems pretty straight-forward to me.

If you want to check out my full review on CryptoSteel, you can check it out HERE.

 

***CLICK HERE TO BUY BILL FODL FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE***

 

Are There Any Other Premium Options?

 

As mentioned above, the Bill Fodl and CryptoSteel are very similar devices, with only minute differences. So you may be asking, are there any other options out there? Any other options I should consider? Well, the short answer is, yes. You may have seen some knock-offs of this product on Amazon or eBay, but I strongly recommend you ignore those completely. The wannabe’s found there are not as durable or easy to use as these two (I bought one for comparison and it wasn’t pretty). However, there is a premium version of this product, but is made out of titanium instead and has a much different, (but good) user experience and setup process. Behold, the CryptoTAG!

The CryptoTAG is a high-end device that comes with 2 titanium plates and even comes with a heavy duty hammer to literally pound your seed phrase into these plates, and has been tested thoroughly for quality. In fact, I personally think the quality is MUCH nicer than the Bill Fodl, but not everyone can afford $199 for a recovery seed backup, and ultimately is only differenced by the quality and personal experience you get with personally engraving your seed.

Ultimately, both will get the job done, but if you want the “Ferrari” of recovery seed backups, you check out the CryptoTAG HERE on their official site. I also will be writing a review on this device shortly, so keep your eyes our for it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyEqb9Z8leE

Conclusion

 

So, Is the Bill Fodl better than Cryptosteel? Personally, I would say yes. They have some small differences that makes it better and easier to setup and use. For instance, all of the lettered tiles are all the same size and shape, so installing them into the steel plate makes it much easier for them to slide into place. The overall user experience was easier and I was able to fully set it up in about 20 minutes or so, which isn’t bad at all. It took almost half the time of the CryptoSteel setup.

This device is also the cheapest (legitimate) stainless steel recovery seed backup starting at only $79 and an unprecedented 1-year warranty and a 125% money back guarantee. If you’re getting your first recovery seed backup and you’re on a budget, I would recommend you start here. It’s a quality, durable device and it gets the job done whilst making you feel like a true crypto enthusiast.

I actually have 2 of these, but I also have multiple hardware wallets and have a lot more at risk at stake, but I’m a bit of an extremist. Overall, You can’t go wrong with the Bill Fodl, and if you have more than $79 worth of crypto, then you definitely NEED this to be safe. Don’t be sorry when it comes to your crypto savings.

 

***CLICK HERE TO BUY BILL FODL FROM THEIR OFFICIAL SITE***

 

What do you think? Do you have a metal recovery seed backup? If so, which one do you use? Comment down 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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Buy Bitcoin How-To-Post Opinion

Should I Buy Bitcoin Now?! Or Should I Wait? (March 2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this article I’m going to address the urgent question I get almost every day recently “Should I Buy Bitcoin Now?!“. Most of the people I deal with kept asking me over the past year and a half what was going on with bitcoin. It was almost if they were saying “See, I told you so! Bitcoin was a bad investment”.

Those same people have taken notice to the massive price increase and have asked me if now is a good time to get in. To them I say, It was a good time to get in around $3,300 when everything looked terrible and you laughed at me. Well, hindsight is 20/20, and deep down, I knew this was just part of a normal market cycle and that it would recover. The short answer is; If you don’t have any bitcoin now, please start getting some before the limited supply runs out.

One of the best ways I have been suggesting people start accumulating and acquiring bitcoin for the first time is to use this free app I have been using myself that give you free bitcoin back on every purchase you make, while receiving a discount of anywhere from 2-33% off every purchase.

This is the LIFE INFO APP, and I will leave an in-depth review of this amazing way to earn free bitcoin HERE. The gist of it is that it’s a shopping app that gives you discounts on thousands of brands and retailers on every purchase you make. The savings you accrue can be converted directly into bitcoin right within the app!

I have been testing this app for several months now, and I have earned over 80$ worth of bitcoin on purchases I was already been making anyways. Why not earn free bitcoin? This is the #1 way I’ve been recommending people start acquiring bitcoin who are new to it and want a VERY easy way to do so, with no technical knowledge.

***CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE LIFE INFO APP TO START EARNING FREE BITCOIN***

 

The Current State Of Bitcoin (July 2019)

 

As of the time of this writing, the price of bitcoin is currently $9,870.95. This is a pretty steep discount from where it was 5 days ago at $13,500. Bitcoin has been having significant gains over the past few weeks very steadily. This has primarily been happening because of some very fundamentally bullish news, such as the announcement of Facebook’s new cryptocurrency called “Libra”.

Many believe will bring the awareness and main stream of cryptocurrency adoption. Although this will be used as a “Stable Coin”, it will ultimately force billions of people to understand the ways of the future and finance.

So why did the price drop? Well, this is actually a healthy and normal correction for what has been a parabolic rise in price and the correction here will shake out the weak hands that currently are very emotional and timid about the projects future, and only pay attention to the price and what other people are doing.

Ultimately, bitcoin is the future of finance. New mainstream stores are starting to accept cryptocurrency payments directly.

 

What Caused The Huge Run Up Of Price Since April Of 2019?

Image result for bitcoin price

There are three primary factors that I believe have contributed to the massive price gains from April of 2019 til now, with no signs of stopping. Sure, there will be fluctuating prices, but it’s consistently gained over 100% consistently. Here are a few fundamental reasons I believe that triggered this to happen:

1.) Bitcoin Halvening – Every 4 years the bitcoin block reward that pays miners to verify transactions is going to be cut in half starting May 2020. This is by design and as a way to introduce scarcity and deflation to an already scarce and useful asset. Historically, the months leading up to this in years past has shown a systematic increase of price in anticipation of this happening.

Currently, the block rewards pays 12.5 bitcoin approximately every 10 minutes. It is about to be cut in half to 6.25 bitcoins per block. Scarcity is a massive incentive to start getting your act together now, before it’s too late.

2.) Facebook’s Cryptocurrency “Libra” – As mentioned above, one of the worlds largest and well-known companies is creating their own cryptocurrency. With over 3 billion active users and counting, this is introducing a new mechanism for people to make payment directly within the platform and also pay for services, like advertising, using Facebook’s native coin. There will be many high profile exchanges that will support this coin (including Coinbase), so there will be plenty of on and off ramps for this upcoming crypto. This is said to be pegged to over 12 fiat currencies’ values.

3.) Chainlink Partnership With Google – Chainlink is a cryptocurrency that specializes in smart contracts. If you are unaware of what that is, a smart contract is essentially a digital contract that is automated and processed out with no middleman, once certain pre-determined criteria is met. This is especially useful for reducing middle-men, and therefore costs, as well as efficiency.

Google has made an announcement of this partnership on a secret project and only validates the need for a blockchain in our modern world. Google doesn’t just partner with anyone, so as people start noticing that cryptocurrency and new blockchain projects are working with tech giants, people start noticing. There are very few details on what this project is exactly, but I assume it has to do with aggregating and verifying data automatically to increase efficiency in time intensive tasks.

What Is The Easiest Way To Buy Bitcoin? What Is the Minimum Investment?

The easiest way to buy bitcoin is to buy directly with a credit card. You can do this very easily with a company called CoinMama, and it only takes a few minutes to process and receive your bitcoin. I have personally used this service many times myself and is much quicker than using an exchange, like Coinbase.

Many exchanges and official on ramps will require much more time as they process KYC and account verification steps to enable an account for you. This process typically takes 3-7 business days, and you should plan accordingly. They are very useful to use if you are not crunched for time, and support many of the top coins directly with bank wire or debit cards for payment.

You can buy as little of $10 worth of bitcoin, and with what the app I mentioned, you can accrue even less than that for free. The point? You don’t need to buy a full bitcoin to get started!

Additionally, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, you can start earning free bitcoin using the LIFE INFO APP, as that’s what I’ve been doing myself. Again, this is the#1 tool I’ve been using to accumulate free bitcoin on purchases I’m making anyways.

 

Should I Buy Bitcoin Now: Conclusion

Overall, even though bitcoin is very volatile at the moment, I would STRONGLY recommend you buy some bitcoin if you haven’t already. There are only 21 million coins that will ever been in circulation, and there is approximately 17.5 million circulating right now. This hard cap that can never change is a deflationary mechanism designed to provide a road map of how the supply and demand dynamics will look over the next few years.

If you zoom out and look at the year over year gains, bitcoin has been one of the strongest investments over the last decade as it has had a higher value of the previous January since it started. Most people get emotional with such rapid price swings, but ultimately what makes it special is the fact that you can now become your own bank.

YOU, yes YOU, can now conduct financial transactions with anyone in the entire world (almost for free) with no permission from anyone and no middle man requiring authorization or taking a cut. THAT is powerful. There has never been anything else like it in the world before. Ever.

 

What do you think? Do you think it’s too late to buy bitcoin now? Let me know 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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Earn Free Bitcoin How-To-Post Spend Bitcoin

How To Spend Bitcoin On Amazon – Save Up To 33% (2020)

By Zach — 5 years ago

In this article, I am going to go over how to spend bitcoin on Amazon. Additionally, I will provide you a way to save up to 33%. But before I dive into that, I wanted to mention a recent I app I have used that allows me to earn free bitcoin on purchases I’m already making. how to earn free bitcoin

Yes, you read that right. This is app is called the LIFE INFO APP, and I recently wrote an in depth review of how it works and you can view it HERE. The jist of it is that it’s a free shopping app that saves you anywhere from 1-20% off on every purchase and includes major retailers (both online and in store) and the money that you save on each transactions can be credited to you directly in bitcoin.

This is THE BEST way to start accumulating bitcoin I have ever personally seen or used myself. It includes such retailers as: Home Depot, Best Buy, Chipotle, American Airlines, Buffalo Wild Wings, Groupon, and thousands more. Just this month alone, I have accrued over 30$ worth of bitcoin on stuff I was going to buy anyways, and the price of that bitcoin doubled since I received it. It’s free to use and you can start using it immediately upon download. Get your free download HERE.

Now, on to saving money when SPENDING your bitcoin on Amazon. How do I do that? How do I save money? Stay tuned for the whole article and learn how!

 

How Can I Spend My Bitcoin On Amazon?

 

I am going to provide you 2 ways to do this. The first is the way that you can save upwards of 33% and the one I have personally used and recommend. The second is by way of downloading a Google Chrome extension that will enable you to pay with your Coinbase wallet and convert the total amount instantly via a conversion. Here’s how it works.

1.) This method is by using the website Purse.io. This is a website that is built on top of Amazon’s platform that enables you to spend bitcoin and cryptocurrencies directly. It also allows you to save up to 33%. I will explain how this works in the next section, but I was able to use this method to save several hundred dollars last Christmas on gifts for my family.

2.) This is by way of using a browser extension called “Moon“. This tool is directly used on Amazon’s website and provides no extra discounts or incentives, other than the fact that you can pay directly with your bitcoin wallet on Coinbase.com and allows you to convert your Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum or Litecoin into cash to finalize your payment. You can also take advantage of using Amazon Prime for 2-day shipping if you have a membership.

 

How Exactly Can I Save Up To 33%?

 

As I mentioned in the above section, this method saves you up to 33% by using Purse.io. When you visit this site, it doesn’t look like Amazon directly, but when you go to search for items, it includes their entire catalog. When you go to checkout, you can choose your discount using the slider option your savings of anywhere from 5-33%. Here’s how it works.

Let’s say you want to receive the items in the normal 1-2 days while using Amazon Prime. If you are in a hurry, you can choose this time frame and immediately save 5% by choosing this. However, when you choose a longer delivery time frame, your percentage of savings starts to increase dramatically. For example if you choose 3-7 days, it can range anywhere from 12-15% off your items.

If you want to save the maximum 33% off, you will have to wait anywhere from 21-30 days to receive your items. Now, this makes sense to do when you are planning ahead for a birthday, holiday, or other major event. It also allows you to save a handful of money on larger purchases, like couches or TV’s where you can save hundred of dollars if it’s not immediately needed.

I managed to save almost $1,000 dollars by starting to buy these items around black friday in November of last year and things actually started being delivered earlier. This is quoted as an “estimated” time frame, because the system works by having users that want to trade their existing amazon store credit or gift cards in exchange for your bitcoin.

How it works is they place their order on your behalf (using Purse as a liaison) and no personal information is provided to them. When you place the order, it’s delivered to Purse.io immediately and they find a “buyer” who will pick up the order and authorize Purse to use their store credit or gift card balance to place the order and ship it directly to you.

Once you receive confirmation that the order is placed and you receive the items at your residence. Only once you are satisfied, you will release the bitcoin payment to them and you both go on your merry way. This is an elegant solution that matches people that don’t want their Amazon gift cards with people that want to make purchases in exchange for bitcoin. The best part, it works!

Can I Use Any Other Altcoins?

 

Yes. When you go to check out the primary payment methods are bitcoin and bitcoin cash. However, when you go to pay you can choose from a list of the top 40 altcoins as well to process payment directly on their site. You can either use your mobile wallet and scan the QR code on the screen to process payment, or you can copy and paste the recipients wallet address on your web or desktop wallet to authorize the transaction.

This gives users many different cryptocurrency payment options when finalizing their order and the best part is, the person who picks up the order doesn’t need to “approve” what you decide to use as an acceptable form of payment, as it’s converted back into bitcoin and Purse pays them directly as they are the middle-man in this equation to ensure that both parties receive what they want and are satisfied.

Do I Still Get My Prime 2-Day Shipping?

 

Yes and No. As I mentioned above. This depends on the discount and time frame you choose when you finalize your order. If you want to receive your item in 1-2 days, you will save 5% immediately and you will have it within the prime time frame. However, if you want the largest possible discount, you will need to wait longer to save more money. In my experience, these “estimated delivery dates” are a worst case scenario and a buffer for them to ensure you get it on time, but my experience over several orders much sooner than advertised.

This especially good if you are accustomed to a very quick delivery.

 

How To Spend Bitcoin On Amazon: Conclusion

 

Overall, both methods above work very well and I highly recommend it. As someone who always looks for valuable merchants and ways to spend bitcoin online, I was very excited to find Purse.io and even more surprised to find that I’m being incentivized to spend my crypto by saving A LOT of money in the process.

Not many merchants do this, and why not utilize the largest online retailer in the world for this process?

If you simply want to use Amazon’s site directly and ensure you get your Prime benefits and still spend your cryptocurrency, then you can use this, but you will receive no discounts. Keep in mind, when using Purse, you can use any store credit you have and import any wish lists or items that you already have in your cart as well, so it’s a very convenient process.

So, the next time you think to yourself, where can I spend my bitcoin? The answer will almost certainly be Purse.io, as this is the #1 way to spend your bitcoin online and save money at the same time!

 

***CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED WITH PURSE.IO AND GET 5$ OF FREE BITCOIN ON YOUR FIRST ORDER***

 

What do you think? Have you found better ways to spend your bitcoin on Amazon? Let me know 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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