shishi on Nostr: The Bitbox02 (BTC only version) is a nicely made device, I can see why they're ...
The Bitbox02 (BTC only version) is a nicely made device, I can see why they're successful.
What I love about the device:
-> FOSS
-> Touch controls are well done, very responsive.
-> USB-C so it pairs with a mobile phone seamlessly.
-> When creating your seed/wallet the device saves the seed to an SD card for safe keeping. There is a clear warning checklist you have to physically click through to jump to the next step. This makes wallet recovery seamless.
-> Handles self made seeds from physical entropy, offering checksum optionality which increases randomness.
-> Their app handles education & help guides admirably, for ex it walks you through how passphrases work before allowing you to enable one.
-> The app recognizes when an SD card is inserted into the device, warning to remove it for safekeeping of seed backup.
-> The app is noob friendly, but allows for more advanced features like coin control to be toggled on.
-> Comes ready with an SD card, USB-A adapter, USB-C extender cable, three mini lanyard color options.
What I don't love:
-> The workflow doesn't suggest on its own to write down the seed words ☹️. You have to know yourself to fetch the words & write them down. It is important that we don't rely solely on an SD card backup which could fail & is easily misplaced with such a tiny form factor. They should also include a numbered card to entice writing the words down.
-> Connecting the Bitbox app to your own node on the same machine should be easier, I'm hoping they can achieve a quick connect feature to make it noob friendly meanwhile promoting the use of Bitcoin Core directly.
Conclusion:
The Bitbox02 has a premium & discreet feeling to it.
It features a tiny form factor, but somehow feels sufficient. It can handle everything you need from a cold storage device outside of a true airgap. What you sacrifice in airgap you get back in convenience & speed.
If you're building a multivendor Multisig, I believe this device should be in your quorum.
You can create multiple wallets & easily back them up on separate SD cards (along with physical written down seed backups 🤞).
This also allows for wiping of the device after every use without sacrificing convenience, especially if the password you have to create annoys you.
This is also great for managing multiple PKs with ease from a single device, switching between wallets by resetting the device & swapping SD cards for wallet recovery.
If you're just starting out with Bitcoin self custody, or you're mobile phone based wanting a quick & easy solution, then this is a good bet for you. Just remember to buy the Bitcoin only version 🤪.
I tested the device with Specter Wallet as well - which worked perfectly.
The next device I put to the test is the Foundation Passport 2 which also has a mobile app pairing, it'll be interesting to compare the two offerings.
