The meaning behind the old-fashioned design ──A hardware wallet with a keyboard that runs on AAA batteries | coindesk JAPAN | Coindesk Japan

Canadian cryptocurrency hardware maker Coinkite has developed a bitcoin hardware wallet reminiscent of the popular BlackBerry mobile phone of the 2000s.

The new device “Coldcard Q1” is equipped with a full keyboard, LCD screen, and QR code scanner. The design reflects forward-thinking thinking in response to feedback from customers who demand maximum security measures and user-friendly features.

The purpose of installing a full keyboard is to prevent errors when entering passwords, PINs, and passphrases. There is space on the back for 3 AAA batteries. It can also be powered using USB-C.

Coldcard Q1 is the fifth generation of the company’s hardware wallets. The current latest model is the Coldcard MK4 released in February 2022.

The Coldcard Q1 is poised to break into the hardware wallet market, dominated by giants such as Trezor and Ledger, as a cutting-edge model ahead of its rivals. Amid growing concerns about cryptocurrency exchanges, the number of investors seeking hardware wallets is increasing, and it can be said that the market as a whole is expanding.

The meaning of retrograde design

While some people may disapprove of the Q1’s large, backwards UI (user interface) and UX (user experience), Coinkite heard opinions from users of the smaller, slimmer MK4. He says he came up with a design that was intentionally backwards in time.

Way more ppl than I expected like the bulky-QWERTY-non-pocketable mountain-man-devices like we do.

— NVK @nvk@nvk.org (@nvk) February 11, 2023

More people than you might think prefer a device that’s big, has a keyboard, doesn’t fit in your pocket, and is held by a mountain man.

The exact size, weight, and price will be announced soon (editorial note: handling in Japan is unknown).

“Q1 was developed primarily for non-advanced users. With user feedback from MK4, we made everything more UX (user experience) friendly in Q1,” said Coinkite’s business development rep. said Celia Cherif.

Growing hardware wallet market

Coinkite began in 2011 when co-founders Rodolfo Novak and Peter Gray discovered the Bitcoin whitepaper and developed a rudimentary Bitcoin hardware wallet. dating back to

After that, the two founded Coinkite, which now manufactures and sells hardware and software, including MK4, which is Coinkite’s best-selling product.

Last year’s FTX bankruptcy prompted users to move from centralized exchanges to self-custody devices. “Coldcard is selling more than expected,” Novak tweeted. However, the company declined to release official sales data.

A cryptocurrency media outlet reported that two major hardware wallet companies, Trezor and Ledger, gained a large share of customers in November 2022 when FTX filed for bankruptcy. Trezor posted a 300% increase in sales week-on-week, while Ledger said account openings for its wallet management software Ledger Live increased sixfold.

“Bitcoiners are sticking with Bitcoin and many are pulling out of exchanges.

Bitcoiners, please meet Q1 pic.twitter.com/PVapuu9mbq

—COLDCARD (@COLDCARDwallet) February 9, 2023

｜Translation: coindesk JAPAN
｜Editing: Takayuki Masuda
｜Image: Coinkite
| Original: Coinkite’s New Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Looks Like BlackBerry, Takes AAA Batteries