Best Hardware Wallets

The safety of your crypto should be your top priority when dealing with digital currencies because there are numerous security risks on the market. There are lots of scammers and hackers trying to take control of other people’s assets, which is why you should always keep your crypto portfolio in a secure crypto wallet.

Popular software wallets have strong security measures, so it’s a great idea to use a leading software wallet on a day-to-day basis. However, if you plan to store high volumes of crypto or simply want to keep your crypto offline, it’s better to use a trustworthy hardware crypto wallet.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at how hardware wallets work and what are the leading hardware crypto wallets on the market.

How Do Crypto Wallets Work?

Before checking out the best hardware wallets on the market, let’s have a look at what exactly a hardware wallet is and how it works.

Cryptocurrencies change virtual blockchain addresses, and you can’t transfer a specific crypto out of its native blockchain. These virtual addresses are called public addresses and serve as storage locations for your crypto.

When you buy some Bitcoin (BTC) or any other crypto, you need to store it in a public address of your own, provided by a special crypto wallet.

Anyone can view the exact balance of crypto in any public address with the help of a blockchain explorer. That’s because blockchains are public ledgers of transactions. However, only users with the appropriate private keys can access the crypto in a specific public address. 

This means that apart from providing users with public addresses, crypto wallets serve to protect private keys from unauthorized access. If someone gets hold of your private keys, they can steal all the crypto from the corresponding public addresses. 

Crypto custodial wallets, such as the wallets on centralized crypto exchanges, keep users’ private keys on company servers and are prone to hacks or data leaks. 

Non-custodial software wallets for desktop or mobile devices are much safer because they encrypt private keys and store them on the user’s device. If a user is careful and stays clear of unverified links and shady platforms, the private keys are safe. However, there’s always a possibility that someone can hack the user’s device remotely and steal the private keys.

How Do Hardware Wallets Work?

Hardware wallets are a considerable step up in terms of security because they come in the form of physical devices that encrypt and store private keys offline. When using a hardware wallet, there’s no way that someone can hack your wallet remotely and steal your private keys.

Most hardware wallets use similar security measures, such as passwords, passphrases, PIN codes, two-factor authentication, hardware encryption, and 12 or 24-word recovery seed phrases.

However, some hardware wallets have more complex encryption methods, stronger hardware security measures, and more reliable firmware. Additionally, the scope of features and services offered by specific wallet manufacturers can vary.

Let’s have a look at the best hardware wallet options on the market.

The Best Hardware Wallets on the Market

Ledger Nano S and Ledger Nano X

Ledger is a French blockchain and cybersecurity company known for producing the Ledger Nano S and Ledger Nano X hardware wallets, considered some of the most secure hardware solutions for storing crypto.

More than three million Ledger Nano S devices have been sold since the launch of the wallet in 2016, which makes Nano S the most popular hardware wallet in the world. Since then, the company launched the Ledger Nano X in 2019 and the Ledger Nano S Plus a few years later.

Ledger devices are the first hardware crypto wallets to receive the CC EAL6+ secure element certification by reputable international cybersecurity auditors.

Ledger Nano S devices come in the form of specialized USB devices that have a small screen and two buttons. Users can browse assets and verify transactions using the buttons. The Ledger Nano X looks almost the same as the Nano S model, except that it doesn’t have buttons, thanks to its somewhat larger touchscreen.

Users can connect their Ledger wallets to a computer or mobile phone with the help of a USB cable. The Ledger Nano X model even supports a Bluetooth connectivity option. Once connected to an external device, users can manage their assets and transfer crypto through the Ledger Live firmware app. 

Before depositing a specific crypto to your Ledger device, you need to find the appropriate app in the Ledger Live app list and install it on your device. The basic Ledger Nano S could only hold 5 apps, while the Ledger Nano X and the improved Ledger Nano S Plus can hold up to 100 different apps.

This is more than enough to store your whole crypto portfolio, especially given the fact that Ledger wallets support more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies.

Trezor Model One and Trezor Model T

Trezor is the manufacturer of the first ever hardware crypto wallet, the Trezor Model One, a key-sized USB device with a practical screen and two buttons for approving transactions.

The Model One’s screen has enough space to display 6 lines of text, while the Trezor Model has a large touchscreen to allow users to conduct all essential operations. The Trezor Model One was a revolutionary device at the time of its launch in 2014 because it introduced the possibility of securely storing private keys offline on a physical device.

A few years later, in 2018, the company launched the Trezor Model T device, which came with a large touchscreen and added functionalities such as support for more cryptocurrencies and new security features.

Both Trezor models use PIN code protection to keep your assets safe from third parties. Additionally, your assets are protected with a recovery seed phrase, just like with all hardware wallets, except that Trezor has a unique secret passphrase you need to enter every time you wish to access your wallet through the Trezor Suite firmware.

The Trezor Suite also allows users to buy, sell, swap, and stake crypto while keeping the private keys offline, out of reach of any internet connection. When you connect Trezor to your phone or computer, you don’t need to worry about your private keys because the wallet’s encryption features ensure your keys don’t get in contact with the internet.

The Trezor developer team is known to frequently upgrade the Trezor firmware to stay ahead of potential security risks. Moreover, the wallet’s safety is regularly audited by third parties.

Trezor wallets support more than 1,800 digital currencies, allowing users to monitor the price history and their portfolio within the Trezor Suite. The app pulls data from numerous sources on the market and displays them in the Trezor Suite portfolio interface. 

ELLIPAL Titan

ELLIPAL Titan is a top security hardware crypto wallet made of aluminum loy. This means that the device is immune to most types of damage. The wallet has a robust aluminum frame that houses the device’s internal mechanics and a relatively large touchscreen of nearly 4 inches.

The device looks like a smartphone, and it’s much larger than other key-sized hardware wallets. ELLIPAL Titan wallets even have a 5-megapixel autofocus camera on their backside used to scan wallet address QR codes to directly facilitate transactions to or from their wallets.

The ELLIPAL Titan hardware wallet is an air-gapped cold wallet, which means there’s absolutely no third-party access point to the wallet. You can’t connect the wallet to a mobile phone, desktop computer, or USB device. There’s no way to connect the ELLIPAL Titan wallet to the internet, so there’s no possibility of someone stealing your crypto.

Instead, ELLIPAL Titan uses QR codes to facilitate blockchain transactions and let you manage your assets via your mobile phone. Each time you want to initiate a transaction to or from the wallet, you need to create a transaction request on the app, which will then create a unique QR code to facilitate the transfer and enter your wallet password. 

ELLIPAL Titan uses advanced hardware encryption and anti-tamper mechanics, making it extremely difficult for someone to manually hack the device. Just in case someone manages to pass through the hardware encryption, the wallet is equipped with an automatic self-destruct feature that gets activated when someone tampers with the hardware and erases its content.

To recover your assets, use the recovery seed phrase on another ELLIPAL Titan device. The wallet supports more than 10,000 cryptocurrencies, which is one of the largest selections of coins and tokens among crypto wallets.

CoolWallet Pro

CoolWallet Pro is a new hardware wallet launched in May of 2021. The wallet comes in the form of a steel, credit-card-sized device with a small screen for approving transactions.

Instead of USB connectivity, CoolWallet Pro uses an encrypted Bluetooth connection with a mobile app or desktop computer to facilitate transactions through the CoolWallet firmware. CoolWallet Pro has a CC EAL6+ security rating, which is the highest security standard for hardware wallets.

The CoolWallet Pro device has gone through a rapid development phase since its launch in May 2021. Initially, the wallet only supported key cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), Ethereum (ETH), and BNB-based BEP-20 tokens. However, the wallet soon added support for all Ethereum and Tron-based tokens and more than 20 leading blockchains, such as Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), Tezos (XTZ), and Avalanche (AVAX). 

CoolWallet Pro allows users to easily connect their wallets with MetaMask and manage their assets on the go while keeping their private keys offline.

Additionally, the device is one of the best choices for NFT lovers because it has built-in integration with the leading NFT marketplaces OpenSea and Rarible. Users can connect their CookWallet Pro accounts to these marketplaces to buy, sell, and store NFTs offline while managing them through the OpenSea or Rarible market interfaces. 

CoolWallet Pro is great for interacting with decentralized applications across more than 20 blockchains thanks to its Wallet Connect feature. The wallet even has an integrated decentralized exchange option through its partnership with the 1inch decentralized exchange aggregator.

Also, CoolWallet Pro allows users to stake various Proof-of-Stake (PoS) cryptocurrencies such as SOL, XTZ, Cosmos (ATOM), Polkadot (DOT), Tron (TRX), and others. Users can even buy crypto through the CoolWallet firmware app thanks to a partnership with the MoonPay crypto payment gateway.

SafePal S1

SafePal S1 is a state-of-the-art, credit-card-shaped hardware wallet endorsed by Binance, the largest crypto exchange on the market.

The wallet supports more than 50 blockchains and a total of over 30,000 coins and tokens. SafePal S1 basically supports every cryptocurrency you’ll ever need, which is a unique feature among hardware wallets.

SafePal S1 comes with a small screen and five buttons for conducting basic operations. It’s an air-gapped wallet and doesn’t have any connectivity option whatsoever. There’s no technical possibility for an internet connection to reach your private keys. This makes SafePal S1 a super-secure choice for storing your crypto portfolio.

The wallet uses a camera on its backside to scan QR codes from the SafePal mobile app. Every time you initiate a transfer, you’ll need to scan a QR code and enter your wallet password as a two-factor authentication step to make sure it’s really you who’s initiating the transfer. 

SafePal S1 wallets have built-in blockchain connectivity features that allow users to connect to thousands of decentralized apps across all the blockchains supported by the wallet. You can use all types of DeFi apps with SafePal S1.

The wallet’s battery can last up to 20 days based on an average 10-minute daily usage, and the wallet comes with a USB cable for charging the device.

KeyStone Pro

KeyStone Pro is a high-quality air-gapped hardware wallet that keeps your private keys offline 100% of the time. The wallet supports more than 1,000 leading cryptocurrencies, as well as ERC-20 and TRC-20 tokens.

The device resembles a small smartphone device with a four-inch touchscreen, which you can use to manage all of your assets. There’s no need to manage your portfolio with any external app because the KeyStone Pro interface allows you to conduct all operations on the device’s screen.

Since KeyStone Pro is an air-gapped wallet, it facilitates blockchain transactions by scanning QR codes. That’s why the device has an integrated camera on its back side. You need to install the KeyStone firmware on your mobile phone, which you can use to initiate transactions or connect the wallet to decentralized apps. However, every operation requires you to scan a QR code created by the app. Additionally, you’ll need to enter your wallet password as a secondary authentication method.

KeyStone Pro supports a fingerprint authentication feature that lets users easily approve transactions while on the move by scanning their fingers.

The wallet is resistant to physical tampering, and if someone breaches the hardware, the wallet will automatically self-destruct and erase the contents of the device. You can then restore your wallet on another KeyStone Pro device with your recovery seed phrase.

SecuX W20

The SecuX W20 hardware wallet is a rectangular-shaped device with a 2.8-inch color touchscreen. The screen allows users to browse assets and initiate and approve transactions.

To facilitate transactions through the blockchain, users need to connect the wallet to a computer or mobile phone and use the SecuX firmware app. The wallet has USB and Bluetooth connectivity options for transactions. The wallet’s firmware is responsible for keeping your private keys separated from any internet or Bluetooth connection at all times.

SecuX W20 uses password protection, a PIN code, and a 24-word recovery seed phrase to keep your crypto safe from unauthorized access. If you lose the device or someone steals it, the seed phrase will allow you to recover your assets on another wallet device.

The device has a CC EAL5+ security rating, ensuring your assets are protected from manual hacks. The wallet’s battery lasts up to seven hours, and you can charge the wallet with a USB cable.

As for the cryptocurrency selection, SecuX W20 supports more than 1,000 of the leading digital currencies, including all ERC-20 tokens. 

D’CENT Biometric Wallet

The D’CENT Biometric Wallet is one of the technologically most sophisticated hardware wallets on the market. The device is key-sized and has a small OLED screen and four buttons for managing assets and approving transactions.

Additionally, the device has a biometric scanner in the central section below the screen. Instead of entering a password, you can scan your finger to access the wallet and verify transactions. No one but you can access the wallet thanks to the biometric scanner feature.

To use the wallet, you can connect it to your mobile device or computer with a USB cable or a Bluetooth connection. Unlike many popular hardware wallets that generate private keys through their firmware apps, the D’CENT Biometric Wallet generates the private keys and the recovery seed phrase on the device itself. D’CENT wallets have a CC EAL5+ security certification.

The wallet supports more than 30 leading blockchains, and the range of supported cryptos is constantly expanding. 

The D’CENT Biometric Wallet is super secure but has a few downsides. For the time being, you can’t connect the wallet to any decentralized apps, and you can’t stake, buy, or swap crypto through the wallet’s firmware.

BitBox02

BitBox02 is a unique, Swiss-made hardware wallet that comes in the form of a miniature USB device with a practical touchscreen that occupies the whole front side of the wallet. Users can manage their assets and approve transactions on the screen.

The wallet has a dual-chip design that offers two layers of advanced hardware and software encryption. BitBox02 security is regularly subject to security audits by reputable third-party cybersecurity companies. 

BitBox02 supports a micro SD card that you can use to back up your wallet. The device supports most of the leading cryptocurrencies, along with 1,500 additional tokens, including ERC-20 assets. For Bitcoin maximalists, there’s a version of the wallet that only supports BTC storage. BitboX02 also allows users to connect to any decentralized app or DEX platform on the Ethereum network. 

Users can easily connect BitBox02 to a computer or mobile device through the USB port and manage their portfolio with the BitBox firmware. The private keys always stay offline and out of reach of hackers. Besides password protection, BitBox02 also supports two-factor authentication.

KeepKey

KeepKey is a highly-secure hardware wallet with a classic USB device design, except that it has a large touchscreen for verifying transactions. The wallet requires you to approve every transaction on the device’s screen before processing it.

The wallet stores all of your private keys offline and doesn’t use any apps to generate your private keys. Instead, the device generates the keys itself, which means there’s no way for hackers to hijack your private keys while the wallet is connected to a computer or mobile device. 

KeepKey generates a 12-word recovery seed phrase when you create your wallet account. Additionally, the wallet is protected with a PIN code and a passphrase. KeepKey also has strong hardware protection against manual hacks. You can create multiple wallet accounts within a single KeepKey device.

The only drawback of the wallet is that it only supports around 40 cryptocurrencies but lacks support for leading coins such as BTC, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), ETH, and Litecoin.

Unlike many other hardware wallets, KeepKey comes with a handy crypto exchange and cross-chain swap feature thanks to its integration with ShapeShift. You don’t need to use any external apps to exchange cryptocurrencies. 

Opolo

The Opolo hardware wallet comes in the form of a rectangle with a large touchscreen resembling a smartphone.

Opolo has an EAL6+ security chip that protects private keys with the most advanced hardware encryption features on the market. The wallet generates your private keys independently of the Opolo app. When you want to manage your assets, you need to connect the wallet to a mobile device or computer and initiate transactions through the Opolo firmware.

When you connect your Opolo device to a mobile phone or PC, the USB connection uses the highly advanced AES CBC encryption algorithm to keep your private keys separated from any internet connection.

All transactions require two-factor authentication on the device and on the Opolo app. The private keys are protected with a wallet password. Also, if someone tries to guess your password and makes seven unsuccessful attempts, the wallet will automatically delete the stored data. You can recover the wallet’s contents with the recovery seed phrase.

Opolo supports thousands of cryptocurrencies, including all the leading coins, as well as numerous less-known tokens across different blockchain networks. 

Coldcard MK4

Coldcard MK4 is a super secure hardware wallet made exclusively for storing Bitcoin. This wallet comes in the form of a card-shaped device with a small screen for verifying transactions, a numeric keypad, and two additional buttons for confirming or canceling operations.

There are four ways to connect your Coldcard wallet to a computer or mobile device. You can use the standard USB connection option or the air gap feature that uses a micro SD card to transfer data between your wallet and other devices. If you choose this option, your wallet will never connect to the internet. You can also use the near-field communication (NFC) option or create a virtual drive in the Coldcard app to transfer data from the wallet.

The wallet comes with PIN code protection, and there’s even the option to set up a fake PIN code with a fake wallet in case you lose the device and someone attempts to steal your funds. Coldcard is a very secure wallet, however, it’s only good for storing Bitcoin, which is a major drawback for many users.

Conclusion

Hardware crypto wallets are the most secure solution for storing your crypto and exercising full custody over your assets. However, unlike software wallets, which are free to use, hardware wallets are paid products.

Still, the price of hardware wallets is relatively symbolic compared to the high security they offer. When you’re storing your private keys offline, there’s no way a cyber attacker can steal your assets. You just need to be careful where you store your wallet passwords, PIN codes, and seed phrases.

The hardware wallets described in this guide are the best devices you can find on the market, so you won’t go wrong if you choose any of these wallets to keep your crypto safe.