KeepKey Hardware Wallet Review

KeepKey is a Bitcoin hardware wallet launched in 2015. It is a great choice for new as well as experienced Bitcoin users.

Pros

• It is the most secure & feature packed Bitcoin hardware wallet available.
• It has a digital screen & metal body.

Cons

• $129 price may not be suitable for some buyers.
• It hasn’t earned much reputation as it is still new in the market.

KeepKey features all of the “standard” Bitcoin hardware wallet features such as Firmware updates, no OS compatibility requirements, message signing and device recovery.

Product Info

Security

KeepKey provides security and protection against both physical and virtual theft. It can be safely used on a malware infected computer. It is an HD wallet which means that the entire wallet can be backed up with 12-words generated during setup. The default setting is for 12 words, although there is provision for seed lengths of 18 and 24. The device’s offline screen ensures that the seed is never displayed on an internet connected device.

Privacy

The wallet’s privacy is determined by the extension used to set up the wallet. These extensions include Electrum, KeepKey Chrome and MultiBit HD support KeepKey. Electrum offers the maximum of all three.

How to Setup KeepKey Wallet?

The KeepKey wallet can be set up in the following manner-

1. Open help.keepkey.com.

2. Plug in the device to the computer via USB cable.

3. Follow the setup guide, which leads to KeepKey client.

4. The wallet’s screen will display “ FIRMWARE UPDATE MODE”.

5. A screen appears with the following message-

6. Click on “Update Firmware”.

7. The wallet screen now asks for verifying backup.

8. Confirm that you have the access.

9. The device is updated now.

10. The computer screen shows the following message-

10. The device now runs through the initialization process.

10. Click on “Initialize KeepKey”. The device asks for a new PIN. Enter the new PIN.

10. Set the recovery phrase.

10. The account will load now.

10. Payments can now be sent on KeepKey.

Coins supported by KeepKey

• Bitcoin
• Litecoin
• Dogecoin
• Namecoin
• Testnet
• Ethereum
• Dash

Facilitates Trading Tokens

KeepKey was acquired by ShapeShift. Since then, they have added a new feature which allows the users to trade tokens directly on the wallet. Thus, trading can be done without having to create an account on an exchange.

KeepKey has been tested by our experienced and versatile trading team. The product is yet to establish prominence in the market as compared to its counterparts Trezor and Ledger Nano S. It is priced higher than Trezor and Ledger Nano S but the high level of security, easy user interface, advanced features and accessibility make it a great deal for the money.

Our Rating: 8.9/10

Supriya holds a masters degree in Applied Physics. She has a keen interest in exploring new technologies and expresses her curiosity by writing for various technology platforms. She is an avid follower of Blockchain technology. She strongly believes that blockchain will bring lasting transformations in people's lives in the years to come.