KeepKey is a next level, premium hardware wallet. It protects your digital currency from hackers and thieves, offering cutting-edge security in a beautiful package.
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The KeepKey Hardware Wallet
KeepKey, which went on sale last September, provides advanced security with a sophisticated design — it’s a product you won’t be afraid to use or whip out in public.
Founder Darin Stanchfield, said “We made Bitcoin security simple, even for a novice. When you use KeepKey, it is very hard to do the wrong thing.”
With KeepKey, a typical transaction will no longer involve the computer client storing your private keys and signing transactions. The computer client will now pass transactions to KeepKey, requesting they be signed.
Most users of digital currency understand the importance of having a secure setup to store and transact. Storing bitcoins on a personal computer is also problematic.
If someone is able to access your private key, your coins are as good as gone. If you lose your key, well, same result. KeepKey resolves both issues.
The device is a hardware wallet that manages private key generation, private key storage and transaction signing via the bitcoin wallet software on your computer.
The hardware wallet is also PIN-protected rendering it useless if it falls into the wrong hands.
Further, your private keys are fed through a hardware-based random number generator, generated by you when you receive your KeepKey. Your keys then remain on the device, never actually leaving it.
The company also states that, “KeepKey uses a very limited protocol to communicate with the computers it is connected to. Private keys are never exposed in this protocol.”
These are significant security features that set the hardware wallet apart from their desktop and online-only counterparts which are susceptible to malware and hackers.
KeepKey’s recovery feature also sets itself apart from the competition.
Upon initialization of the KeepKey, you create a recovery sentence and can attach a passphrase that will not be stored anywhere on the device.
In the case of your device being lost or stolen, you can then recover your keys via your recovery sentence and passphrase, if one was applied. You can also recover your private keys onto a new device using your recovery sentence, which is recommended.
The company states, “[the] optional passphrase can be used to encrypt your private keys, so even if the read protection feature of the micro-controller is circumvented, your private keys remain safe.”
KeepKey’s hardware wallet looks and feels like a luxury item, yet its use and function offer simplicity by packaging everything in a sleek, minimalist design.
The first thing you will notice upon unwrapping the device is the quality of the items.
Along with the KeepKey itself, which dons a clean 3.12” OLED screen with a polycarbonate front enveloped in an anodized aluminum case, you also receive a woven nylon USB cable and a backup card with its own leather sleeve.
The screen size is an important feature. It demonstrates the The KeepKey itself is constructed with design and user experience (UX) in mind. Being able to review and accept transactions without having to strain cannot be understated. It’s practical and it improves the Bitcoin experience, especially for daily users.
Setup of the device is also intuitive, initializing and moving currencies is made easier than ever.
As Blockzero.org reviewer relayed, “I was running in less than a minute.”
Further, as Luke Parker of Brave New Bitcoin stated, “KeepKey has been tested on PC, Mac, and Linux and has a Chrome extension on each. Using a Hierarchical Deterministic wallet structure, any number of keys can be saved and used on it, and that includes keys for other digital currencies, including Litecoin and Dogecoin.”
The KeepKey stores bitcoin as well as alternative currencies, including Testnet, Namecoin, Dash and those previously mentioned.
With the prevalence of digital currency taking hold across the world, hardware wallets will become ubiquitous. KeepKey, with its aesthetic appeal and security features to match, offers a premium, top-end device that showcases the future of the hardware wallet ecosystem.
The KeepKey is available via the company’s website at keepkey.com, as well as Amazon, Newegg and KeepKey Affiliates.