In this article, I will review Shapeshift’s brand new platform! I’ve always been a fan of ShapeShift, and in fact, Erik Voorhees is one of the inspiring figures that helped get me into the crypto space to begin with, as we share a lot of the same fundamental philosophies on freedom and liberty. That’s why I was thrilled and honored when I was asked to join the private beta to test out the new platform, especially since I have a KeepKey and I use it frequently to manage my crypto on a regular basis.
It did not disappoint.
**Keep in mind that this is currently in BETA, and is not finalized in terms of design, complete look and feel, or full functionality**
This is a complete overhaul that includes all of their services including: Instant Trades, Real-Time Market Data via CoinCap, In-App Crypto Purchases, and KeepKey Integration. That last part is of particular interest to me because I’ve wanted to find a way to execute purchases and trades while having my KeepKey connected, while ensuring that my private keys are protected throughout the entire process. 
This is a very important detail, especially if you want to make purchases online with that extra protection and also ensure that my private keys are never compromised in a trade. This truly is the ultimate non-custodial hardware wallet solution. Here’s a few screenshots and user flows based on my experience using this web app.
When first gaining access to beta.shapeshift.com, you will be asked to register for a trading account (if you haven’t already), so that you can seamlessly use the trade feature in the dashboard when your KeepKey is connected. Second, you will plug in your KeepKey and it will notice you will need a new firmware update to “Pair” your KeepKey to the new platform.
This will require a few steps of plugging in the device and unplugging it a few times to confirm this upgrade. Additionally, it will pull up the random number generator here so you can enter the PIN that is listed on the device screen to sync and authenticate your device and session.
This where the fun begins.
Shapeshift Beta
(PRO-TIP: You can view all of your transaction history, assets, current prices of assets and contents of your KeepKey WITHOUT having it plugged in. This can provide you a quick snapshot of where everything stands, even if your device is not present)
As you can see below, this a very clean, simple, and easy to user interface. You have all the key information at a glance that you need to manage your portfolio. It show’s your asset allocations, any losses or gains of your combined assets in real time, and the most recent transaction history below the chart. In the top right, it will show if your device is synced and connected, and will show your current fiat value of each individual asset if you drill down, or the combined asset value as a whole. At a glance, this is the information most people need to decide what action they need to take next.
ASSETS
The assets you see here are just a handful of the assets that are supported. If you would like to see the full asset support list, click here. At the top, you will see the 2 assets I have been using to test this software in order from the most USD value, to the least on my KeepKey at the time. The assets that you see below that are greyed out will show you what’s supported and available for you to receive on your KeepKey when ready. Each asset breaks down the charts over time in terms of price and you have a toggle view with the balance. Pretty slick.
TRADE
The trade feature is super easy to use and automatically calculates any minimums or fees needed in order to execute a trade, almost instantly. One thing I will point out is that some assets that are supported on the KeepKey itself, may not be available to trade via the ShapeShift platform, like SPANK for example.
If your particular coin is not showing in the drop down menu when swapping assets, it simply means it’s not supported on the ShapeShift trade engine. Another key feature is that all trades are executed on the KeepKey device directly, so you don’t have to risk exposing your private keys while they are in transit. This is a mix of the classic ShapeShift trade engine, but is simplified and integrates with your hardware wallet very seamlessly.
PURCHASE
This is done via a new feature they have been testing out with a button “Buy Crypto $” at the top, next to “Send” and “Receive”. This is facilitated through Wyre, which is a 3rd party platform that you can purchase crypto with your bank account or credit card. I have not tried this feature yet, but I plan to shortly. This is just another great design decision where you have a platform with both on and off-ramp needed for users or all levels.
As you can see in the screenshot, you can buy Bitcoin, Ether, or DAI to get started and you will have an array of options to trade with directly on the platform once you’ve completed this process. Now, you can easily receive any amount of crypto with any of the supported assets on this list directly to your KeepKey (or without) that you have at another address. You also can receive any amount to the platform and once you connect the KeepKey, your private keys will automatically be transferred onto your device, and will update the dashboard when it syncs.
One thing that really makes this trading platform special is the fact that you are not restricted to trading pairs. for instance, when you are wanting to trade multiple coins and you’re on Binance for example, you need to first get BTC, then from there you can trade into any altcoin they support. Here, if you have a supported coin, you can directly swap it for another and not have to default back to BTC in order to pull the trigger. That’s a game changer for me.
STABLE COINS (EASTER EGG)
This was a pleasant surprise to find that assets are able to be converted into various stable coins directly in the system. This is especially helpful if you are trying to lock in profits on a recent trade and have it stand idle until you either decide to invest your profits into another asset or simply wait for another trade.
Unlike the Ledger Nano S that only lets you hold a handful of apps on your device at one time, this allows you to have any assets private keys on a single device at any given time. As seen above, they also feature DAI (Ethereum’s Stable Coin) as well that is a very welcome addition to the stable coin list.
Below are some caveats and things that will hopefully be added over time. I am already thrilled by how my beta experience has been so far and I know that it will only continue to get better and better.
[One Caveat: You cannot complete any trades unless your device is there to sign and confirm the transaction.]
WISH LIST:
- It would be nice to facilitate a trade from the ShapeShift mobile app to lock in a trade price on the go and then sync the private keys when I logged in via the web app
- Support multiple browsers: Currently the WebUSB function in the beta only supports Chrome as a browser. I hope they widen this to Firefox (No pun intended), and hopefully Brave soon. I understand they do not currently support WebUSB yet, but the request has been put in.
- Allow me to view my balance with “Satoshis” instead of fiat. At very least you should be able to toggle between the denominations and should support us looking at pricing in those terms.
- The ability to label certain accounts on transactions. For instance, if I receive a transaction from another exchange or wallet to my KeepKey as in coming transaction, it would be nice to customize and label the transaction for my records. (i.e. savings/day-to-day spending/groceries, etc….)
At this point, these are just nice-to-have’s and with that said, this is just the first iteration of the beta. I am sure there are many new features and integrations planned for the future to make this even better, but that takes time and developer resources to properly implement them.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE KEEPKEY DIRECTLY FROM SHAPESHIFT!
CONCLUSION:
I don’t think I’ve been this excited when using my hardware wallet, since I first discovered them in 2016. There is no doubt that I have a new favorite user experience and I plan on helping improve this process in any way that I can to help inform people the best and easiest way to manage their portfolio and private keys.
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE ACCESS TO THE NEW SHAPESHIFT
You will be BLOWN away.
(PRO-TIP: Once you sign up via my link, you will get your own referral link. If you refer 5 people via your link and they sign up for a ShapeShift account, you will be given a code for a FREE KeepKey, in case you don’t already have one.)
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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KeepKey vs Ledger Nano X (2020) | Which One Is Better? (It’s Not What You Think)
KeepKey vs Ledger Nano X! In this comparison, we are going to do a head-to-head of two of the most competitive and popular new cryptocurrency hardware wallets in this edition of battle of the crypto hardware wallets.
The KeepKey is one of my favorite wallets on the market today and it’s one I use almost every single day due to its revamped user experience and the ability to conduct trades while keeping your private keys in your possession the entire time.
With that said, the Ledger Nano X has really stepped up it’s quality and user-experience as well from the best-selling Ledger Nano S. The two notable features that have been upgraded is the wireless bluetooth support for management on the go with the new Ledger Live mobile app, and also the capacity has been increased to allow up to 100 assets you can hold on the device at once. This by itself, is a massive upgrade from its predecessor.
Which one will win out? Which hardware wallet is better? Stay tuned for the whole article to see who wins in the battle of KeepKey vs Ledger Nano X!
Ledger Nano X: Overview
The Nano X comes beautifully packaged with the device itself, a USB-C cable, a set of instructions and recovery seed cards. The previous bulky buttons that were on top of the device are now seamlessly integrated on it in a way that’s even a bit hard to notice. All in all a beautiful design. The primary features of this device are the bluetooth connection which allows you to manage this device using your smartphone via the iOS and Android app.
Additionally, you can now hodl, store, or manage up to 100 cryptos simultaneously, all without access to your desktop or laptop computer. This is easily it’s best new features, but aside from the upgraded storage capacity and the wireless connectivity, the device itself is now larger, has an integrated 2-function button, and an overall larger screen for verifying transactions. With a trusted device and a more universal charging cable, this makes it much more compelling to spend the extra money to store more coins and one that you can easily take with you as you travel.
Ledger Nano X: Security
Ledger is at the forefront of developing the industry’s device security. How? And in what ways?
CC EAL5+ SECURE ELEMENT
Only Ledger’s devices can claim the French cybersecurity agency ANSSI’s full certification.
The Nano X and Nano S both feature what is called a ‘secure element’. The chip seen below is the next generation chip that comes in the Nano X:
The secure chip meets the CC EAL5+ certification and run’s Ledger’s proprietary BOLOS operating system.
A Secure Element is a secure chip that…embeds intrinsic countermeasures against many known attacks. This kind of chip is tamper-resistant and protects your device to a range of different attacks.”
Ledger Nano X: User Experience
Honestly, the user experience is a massive upgrade from the Ledger Nano X. With that said, It has a few usability issues that I find to be quite difficult to overcome. Although this device is physically larger than it’s predecessor, it still has a fairly difficult to use early experience.
For example, the screen is still fairly small and still cannot accommodate a QR code for scanning. This may not seem like a big deal, but after using several hardware wallets, it really does make a big difference. Using a QR code is not only safer (because it removes the chance of error from manually typing in a wallet address), but it is incredibly faster and makes the entire of transacting offline, a much easier experience.
Although this device has stepped up the quality considerably from it’s latest iteration, I still feel that utilizing an all new form factor could have been beneficial and a little more innovative than replicating their 1st generation device with a few small tweaks.
Ledger Nano X: Coin Support
The Ledger Nano X utilizes the “Ledger Live” dashboard which is a desktop application that allows you to manage all of your coins, portfolio, and potential trades in an easy to use application. You can use this on both an iOS or Android app as well as a desktop.
This app allows you to manage up to 1,100+ coins that are supported by the device. However, only about 200 of them are “native” apps. This means that you can manage them directly within the Ledger Live app, without having to connect to a 3rd party wallet, such as MyEtherWallet or MyCrypto. I will leave a link HERE with a list of fully supported coins.
KeepKey Hardware Wallet: Overview
KeepKey has been one of my absolute favorite hardware wallets to use in 2019. I was asked to test and report back issues with the ShapeShift beta that was a complete overhaul and utilized the KeepKey as it’s cornerstone of promoting keeping possession of your private keys under your control while you conduct trades, which has never been done before.
It was an ambitious goal, but they pulled it off in spades, and as a result it resulted in one of the best user experiences while using a hardware wallet I’ve ever encountered. It was quick, safe, and makes it easier than ever to manage your assets, portfolio, and trades all while keeping all your keys on a hardware wallet and never forfeiting custody. This is truly a game-changer and will pave the way for future hardware wallets moving into the next decade.
Let’s find out why below!
KeepKey: Security
KeepKey has a true random number generator (TRNG) for it’s PIN interface for extra physical security. In addition to offline storage, KeepKey’s PIN code and number randomization makes sure that
1) Your wallet is secure from physical theft.
2) That a hacker couldn’t steal bitcoins from your wallet with malware.
KeepKey is an HD wallet, meaning your entire wallet can be backed up with the 12 words generated on setup. 12 words is the default setting, although KeepKey supports seed lengths of 18 and 24.
The seed is generated using entropy from both the device itself and the computer used for setup. The seed is generated offline on the KeepKey and displayed on the device’s screen. The device’s offline screen makes sure the seed is never displayed on an internet-connected device.
KeepKey: User Experience
This is a complete overhaul that includes all of their services including: Instant Trades, Real-Time Market Data via CoinCap, In-App Crypto Purchases, and KeepKey Integration. That last part is of particular interest to me because I’ve wanted to find a way to execute purchases and trades while having my KeepKey connected, while ensuring that my private keys are protected throughout the entire process.
This is a very important detail, especially if you want to make purchases online with that extra protection and also ensure that my private keys are never compromised in a trade. This truly is the ultimate non-custodial hardware wallet solution. Here’s a few screenshots and user flows based on my experience using this web app.
KeepKey: Coin Support
Natively, this wallet in the current beta form supports over 40 assets with more on the way! Here is a current list of assets that are supported right now. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty. For years, KeepKey only supported: Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Namecoin, Dogecoin, and Dash. For a hardware wallet that needs to compete in this market place, that needed a serious upgrade.
Luckily, they have been making some AMAZING changes and not only added a ton of ERC-20 Support, but more importantly, they are revamping their entire platform to have one fluid, seamless application that integrates all of their core services (See my previous post for details on this). This is extremely powerful, and a decision that I believe will catapult them ahead of the competition. They are currently in a closed beta, and it is expected that they will be releasing this later in 2019. Stay tuned for news on this.
Some of the notable coins that have been added are:
-Chainlink (LINK)
-DigixDAO (DGD)
-Binance Coin (BNB)
-Dai (DAI)
-Maker (MKR)
-TrueUSD (TUSD)
KeepKey vs Ledger Nano X Conclusion: Which One Is Better?
Honestly, this was a tough decision on which hardware wallet is “better”. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, however, at the end of the day, I personally choose the KeepKey. Why? Well, the overall portfolio management and ability to conduct trades while maintaining possession of your private keys is unmatched.
With that said, I really do like the wireless support and the fact that I can hold up to 100 assets simultaneously on the Ledger Nano X. For users with a larger portfolio and want the ability to manage their assets offline, you can’t go wrong. But, if you are someone who likes to trade frequently and want a clean and trusted user experience when connected to a desktop computer, you really can’t beat the KeepKey.
What do you think? Would you choose the KeepKey over the Ledger Nano X? Let us know down below in the comments!
Cheers,
The Crypto Renegade
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SecuX W20 Review (2020) | Cross-Platform Hardware Wallet
In this review, we are going to deep-dive into the new hardware wallet by SecuX! Does the SecuX W20 a better user experience than the Ledger Nano X? Does It work with Bluetooth? How secure is this relatively new wallet? Does it provide a better hardware wallet experience than the main competitors? We are going to answer all of these questions and more in this in-depth review, so stay tuned!
Now, let’s get into the second of 3 reviews of the SecuX hardware wallets. You can find the review of the SecuX W10 device HERE. Starting from this one, (their mid-level device) all the way to their flagship device the SecuX V20. Let’s get right to it!
SecuX W20 – First Impression
After unboxing and looking at the SecuX W20 device, I was pleasantly surprised that the overall quality and screen size was much larger than other mid-tier devices in this price range, such as the Ledger Nano X and the Trezor Model T. Now, those devices are classic and original devices, but they are tiny and made of a somewhat flimsy, plastic form-factor.
This device is also plastic, but it feels different. Kind of like a sturdier or more robust quality of more dense plastic that feels solid, yet lightweight when you hold it. The device has only one MicroUSB port and one button for activating the device and for 2FA.
The device has the same form factor as the SecuX W10, but with one key difference. This device can connected by bluetooth! That means it has wireless support and can be managed with full functionality by the SecuX app for iOS and Android. It also has a USB cable, so it can be managed online with a web wallet as well, hence, why it’s considered a “Cross-Platform” device.
The unique and notable coins that are natively supported on these devices is Groestlcoin (GRS) and Ripple (XRP). Not many hardware wallets support these coins natively, however, almost all hardware wallets support an array of ERC-20 tokens and your main-stream coins, like BTC and ETH.
Features & Price
This device comes in at an entry price of $129 and is a USB connected device that does connect to a web application that allows you to fully manage the device. With a 2.8 inch color touch screen, you can use to manage and authorize transactions.
The picture below showcases the key features of this device, is the “Cross-Platform Support”, which means it can be managed via desktop, laptop, and mobile. Now, as I mentioned this device CAN conduct transactions via the mobile app, but also the Secux V20 can too, as they are both bluetooth enabled.
This truly is one of the first multiple platform devices that you can manage on the big desktop screen, as well as wirelessly on the go. It has a 600mAH battery which can be charged from an empty battery within 30 minutes on a single charge. The device usually lasts all-day on a full charge so you can easily take it on the go and never have to worry about running out of battery when you need it most.
Security
The SecuX W20 is placed with a CC EAL 5+ (Same As Ledger Nano X) Certified Security Element (SE) which always ensures that stored private keys, as well as the device PIN code, are perfectly protected against any form of attack. Other significant security features include:
- Pre-installed tamper-resistant firmware as well as an upgrade system
- Physical confirmation for every transaction
- A one-time password or custom PIN code for controlling device access or the wallet apps
- Anti-tamper packaging
- Randomized digital keyboard for preventing consequences of keystrokes
Also, the wallet complies with the BIP32, BIP39 and BIP44 standards which allow the user to generate passwords of 12, 18 and 24 words for funds recovery.Coins Supported
This is usually the most important factor when considering the hardware that you choose. This entry level wallet from SecuX has support for the following coins as of this writing: BTC, ETH, XRP, BCH, GRS and LTC. It also supports all ERC-20 tokens as well.
Luckily, they update the firmware frequently and they plan on adding more coins as well in the near future. If you are new to “HODLing” and you do not need any specific coins outside of these top market cap coins and ERC-20 Ethereum-based tokens to start, then this is a good option.
Secux W20 – Conclusion
Overall, this is a robust, and very secure wallet. For the price point, features and capabilities, the only thing that is comparable is the Ledger Nano X, which is also a bluetooth and wireless crypto wallet using the same security chip.
With the Ledger Nano X, it comes in a little more expensive at $119, and it also allows you to hold 100 apps (or different cryptocurrencies simultaneously), but it comes in a cheap and somewhat flimsy plastic enclosure that has a very tiny screen. Personally, I prefer a larger display and I’ve used almost all (if not all) hardware wallets out there, and confirming the address you’re sending to is MUCH easier to do on a large, bright, full color display. Additionally, they have QR code support, which makes it easier when sending funds from a mobile wallet directly to your hardware wallet.
The one thing I did NOT like about the SecuX W20 is the lack of coin support with only 6 coins supported natively, and a handful of more coins to be supported in the future. If you plan on only “HODLing” the top 5 market-cap coins and perhaps a few ERC-20 tokens, I would probably say this is a better option and has a much cleaner and larger display for managing and verifying transactions.
With my discount, (Code: BITCOINLOCKUP), it will take the price to around $116 and free shipping. When compared to other entry level wallets, you can’t beat the sturdiness and large screen (which is more important than you think), when managing your assets offline.
What do you think? Is this a new contender for entry level hardware wallets? Let us know what you think 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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