Intro to Cold-Storage Hardware Wallets

I love cold storage wallets and I will do my best to make a “outline” for anybody who finds it helpful

Looking for the best hardware wallet to keep your Crypto safe? A Cold storage Hardware wallet is just like your personalized bank account that holds your various Crypto coins instead of regular money. It allows you to store, send and do other transactions with your Assets. The wallets are secured by private keys and security features, which allow you to have full access to your account. Crypto wallets are available in the form of hardware devices, Paper wallets, Mobile apps, and web-based. Crypto cold-Storage hardware wallets are the most secure way to store these coins for the long term to ensure better security. To store Crypto, you need to choose a wallet that is compatible with your assets and your needs.

ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY CRYPTO WAS CREATED.

To be in control of your own assets 100% so it’s your responsibility to keep it secure and safe.. Hardware wallets will do this for you once you follow the rules

1. NOBODY will ever need your private keys/seeds
2. Do not share info about your crypto ESPECIALLY not on the internet.
3. Check your addresses atleast 2 times before hitting that confirm key

Bonus: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

My initial reason for having cold- storage hardware wallets was (still is) security. But since I first got into crypto, devices have evolved. Much more features and even defi built right into the device

I even heard of a feature that allows you to create a “phony” wallet with its own private keys incase of a “kidnapping” type event (ledger nano x, maybe other have it also but I know ledger has it)

Let’s start with the most popular

Ledger Nano X

Ledger wallets are recognized as one of the best options in the market. The company was founded in 2014 and has offices in San Francisco, Paris. Currently, Ledger employs over 130 employees across its various offices.

The Ledger Nano X is at the top of the list for its convenient design and all-around functionality. This device is perfect for investors on the go. Additionally, the unit supports a huge variety of coins and tokens. It also works in tandem with multiple Dapps to improve your UX.

Here is a more in depth article :LEDGER NANO X review

Ledger is adding a ton of new features including direct marketplace . Defi swapping, lending on compound (already allows lending of USDC, DAI, USDT stable coins, and a bunch of direct staking opportunities) and a few more.

Trezor One

During the very early days of cryptocurrencies, the only option people had to store all their digital assets were software wallets. The single way to add more security would be to use offline wallets such as paper wallets. This all changed once the Trezor One was introduced. Trezor One was the very first cryptocurrency hardware wallet to be created. This resulted in a massive surge in demand for this as well.

TREZOR is a small, key-sized device which connects to your computer with a USB cable. It stores your Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash, Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Monero, Zcash and other different cryptocurrency private keys offline and signs transactions. It can be safely used on a malware infected computer.

Here’s a more in depth article reviewing Trezor One : Trezor One review

BitBox02

Shift Crypto’s BitBox02 hardware wallet is a competitive in-betweener. In a quest to offer the best of both worlds with minimal compromises, the Swiss-made device takes elements from both Trezor and Ledger. The result is an impressive middle ground between open-source transparency and physical security. And to for simplicity purposes, everything works on top of the elegant BitBoxApp.

The comparisons with other devices don’t end here. Internally, the BitBox02 is very similar with the Coldcard Mk3. Both hardware wallets use the ATECC608A secure chip. But unlike the Coldcard, it has a faster 120 MHz microcontroller chip. This makes multisig setups faster and easier to perform.

Here’s a deeper dive into bitbox 02: BitBox02 Review

Cold Card MK3

The Coldcard adopts a different design philosophy to most hardware wallets. Rather than opting to remain as small as possible, Coinkite has instead emphasized usability over portability.

The device is around the same size as a credit card, measuring in at around 88 mm x 52 mm x 9 mm, but weighing just under 29g. The Coldcard's case is constructed out of clear plastic, putting its internals on display, and it feels robust enough to take knocks and bangs without damaging its innards.

The Coldcard wallet resembles a small calculator, with 12 buttons and a small 128x64 pixel OLED screen on the front, a microSD slot on the rear and a micro USB port on the top. Unlike many other hardware wallets, the Coldcard Mk3 does not feature a built-in battery and instead draws power through its micro USB port. While it won't win any awards for its design, the Coldcard Mk3 is certainly not unattractive and is a good blend of form and function.

Full Cold card Deep dive: ColdCard MK3 Review

There are many more different brands and types of hardware wallets.. my tips are always get one with a screen ( so you can verify addresses with your own eyes) and always get one with a team that’s currently developing it. Also don’t go for cheap! Buy something your gonna use for years and feel good about having

PS. I didn’t number anything in my short list cause it was not meant to be in any specific order.. DYOR

HODL safely and profit fellow crypto junkies

EDIT: I forgot add the most important advice:

The hardware wallet doesn't store your crypto, it stores your private key. The wallet is just an access tool to the blockchain.

This means you don't have to worry about losing your hardware wallet or getting it damaged. You can always buy a new one with the same architecture (BIP39 or whatever protocol your wallet had) and recover it using the seed phrase.