Keystone Wallet Review | The Best Ledger Wallet Alternative?
Jack Moreau
Feb 2024
8 min read
Fact checked
Introduction: In the vast sea of crypto software and hardware wallets, choosing the best one is an overwhelming task. Dive into our in-depth Keystone Wallet Review to see if this wallet has everything you need from a digital asset wallet! From supported blockchains and cryptocurrencies to pros and cons, we've covered all bases!
Keystone (formerly Cobo Wallet) was founded at in 2017 by Discus Fish (CEO) and Changhao Jiang (CTO). The company is headquartered in Hong Kong and has offices in Shanghai, Xian, and Seattle.
Keystone website
The company raised a $10M Series A from Qiming Ventures Partners and is today estimated to have a small team of over 20 people. The first hardware wallet the team shipped was the Cobo Vault Ultimate on Indigogo in 2018 before the company relaunched under the Keystone brand.
In 2023, UniPass and Keystone merged to create Account Labs. Liu Lixin, founder of Keystone and now the CEO of Account Labs, will spearhead operations including business development and growth strategy.
Keystone is a QR code hardware wallet that is completely air-gapped and needs the companion app to connect to blockchain networks.
Keystone 3 Pro vs Keystone Pro
Hardware wallets are designed to safeguard and isolate users private key from hackers by storing it offline and separately from devices like computers or smartphones. Keystone facilitates secure transaction signing using QR codes which can be verified to prevent the intrusion of malicious code into the device.
The Keystone wallet is also supported by over 25 software wallets such as MetaMask, Keplr, Sparrow, OKX Wallet, Core, BitKeep, Rabby Wallet and many others. At the time of writing, Keystone is the only hardware wallet that's compatible with both the MetaMask extension and mobile app.
Keystone software wallet support
The Keystone wallet offers support for over 5000s of digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, EVM-based chains, Tron, Polkadot, Cosmos, Near, Aptos and any others.
Keystone Crypto Wallet
Keystone currently offers one product which is the Keystone 3 Pro which is being sold for a very competitive price of $129. This is a solid looking hardware wallet that only weighs 103 grams and comes with a beautiful 4-inch LCD touchscreen with 480 X 800 resolution.
Keystone 3 Pro 4-inch screen
This big screen helps against blind signing where users are signing transactions that they should not because they don't clearly see the transaction details. Users also receive a USB-C cable in order to interact with software wallets and implement software updates while MicroSD cards are not included.
Keystone anti blind signing
Keystone 3 Pro offers support for over 5000 cryptocurrencies and 200 blockchains, is open source and supports multiple seed phrases. The device further has three security chips for added safety.
Keystone cryptocurrencies
Users can easily update the wallet through USB or a MicroSD card and it also includes a fingerprint sensor for quick access and added security. The wallets also support up to 3 recover phrases which gives users multiple accounts to easily toggle between in a single wallet.
Keystone vs Competitors
Keystone Wallet Features
The Keystone team have put a lot of love and attention to details on the Keystone 3 Pro to make it as user friendly as possible.
The Keystone 3 boasts a 4-inch touchscreen, mirroring the ease of a smartphone. This intuitive design reduces both the learning curve and potential security mishaps. The wallet is compact, lightweight and is easy to get started with for beginners who have not used a hardware wallet previously.
Keystone user experience
Users can confidently review transactions in a clear, readable format, addressing blind signing concerns. And with enhanced fingerprint recognition, the Keystone provides quick access and secure transaction approvals, even in public.
Keystone biometric verification
Moreover, the Keystone 3 & 3 Pro models are sleeker, more portable, and offer a battery life that's ten times stronger.
The Keystone 3 Pro prioritises hardware and user security in multiple ways. To avoid unauthorised access, it includes a fingerprint signature feature, ensuring that only approved users access the device.
Emphasising transparency, Keystone has open-source firmware and hardware, letting anyone assess and refine its functionality. For an elevated level of security, Keystone offers an air-gapped feature.
Keystone security features
This mode deactivates both the USB and Bluetooth functionalities, and uses QR codes for data transmission.Setting an industry precedent, the Keystone 3 has a PCI-grade anti-tampering mechanism with any interference triggering an instant data deletion.
Moreover, it stands alone in using three unique secure elements: Microchip ATECC608B, Maxim DS28S60, and Maxim MAX32520. This trio fortifies the wallet's security, safeguarding users' seed phrases and biometric information.
Keystone Secure Elements
Each Keystone 3 has the capacity to accommodate up to three distinct recovery phrases, each secured by different passwords. This eables users to have multiple crypto accounts in a single hardware wallet.
Keystone 3 seed phrases
This can for example allow users to keep one account for their BTC, one for DeFi activities and one for their NFTs or perhaps more risky DeFi activities without compromising the other. Keystone has also introduced Shamir backup which allows users to split their secret seed phrase into multiple parts and store them separately.
Keystone Shamir Backup
Author
Jack Moreau
Jack is a crypto writer and reviewer who has been active in the space since he caught the crypto bug in 2017. With a passion for trying out new shiny things, Jack is always eager to try the latest cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets or DeFi applications.
