A new personal security device launched today promises to fix “crypto’s weakest link” by making it easy and secure for anyone to store the keys to their entire digital life and wealth, and transact across the full range of apps of the decentralized economy.
Passport Prime is the new consumer-oriented device from Foundation, which has shaken up the stagnant self-custody market since launching in 2020. Not merely a secure Bitcoin cold storage solution, Passport Prime is a comprehensive digital security and sovereignty tool for first-time and experienced users, combining a hardware wallet with multi-factor authenticator, encrypted flash drive, and secure app platform.
Unlike traditional wallets, which only represent a single piece of the journey to secure your digital life, Passport Prime is the only device anyone needs to safeguard the digital keys, passwords, and other authentication codes. Customers who previously used a range of devices, including hardware wallets, security keys, or encrypted flash drives can now use Passport Prime to safeguard their entire digital life, now and forever, on a single device and for a fraction of the cost.
“The hardware wallet industry has been coasting for years, failing to deliver any meaningful innovation and unable to respond to digital assets’ rapidly evolving utility and use cases,” said Zach Herbert, co-founder and CEO of Foundation. “Wallets have become crypto’s weakest link: they are difficult to onboard to, complex to use, and increasingly insecure for a range of modern blockchain transactions.
“Passport Prime is the first device of its kind: a Personal Security Platform that’s fit for the future decentralized economy, making it simple to safeguard all your private keys in one offline device, and sign every kind of transaction or contract with complete peace of mind.”
In stark contrast to ‘leading’ consumer wallets like Ledger, Passport Prime is built on fully open source hardware and software,., which underpins a threefold revolution in security, user experience and interoperability through enhanced transparency, audibility, and ease of integration with the wider decentralized ecosystem. Designed according to Foundation’s principles of individual sovereignty, intuitive design, and transparency, the new device is poised to supercharge adoption of digital assets.
Passport Prime features several unique innovations that ensure user experience dovetails seamlessly with the strongest possible security. For example, Foundation created a new protocol called QuantumLink which provides the security of an airgap over Bluetooth, where the dedicated chip is separate from the security processor running KeyOS. This Bluetooth chip can only send and receive messages that have been encrypted using quantum-resistant tech, ensuring Passport Prime is fully future-proofed at a time while other consumer wallets are struggling to catch up with the present day.
Other key features include:
- Mobile-Centric Experience: Easy and secure Bluetooth onboarding via QuantumLink, connecting to Foundation’s 5-star App Store-rated Envoy app, which makes Bitcoin self custody easy for beginners while also featuring powerful privacy features, including Tor and personal node connectivity, and an intuitive coin control experience.
- NFC for easy and quick backups with Foundation’s NFC KeyCards
- Next-generation security thanks to KeyOS – Foundation’s microkernel operating system. KeyOS represents a massive leap from legacy operating systems on today’s hardware wallets, like Ledger’s BOLOS, which runs in a closed-source smart card environment. KeyOS’ microkernel provides massively enhanced resilience and modularity, while also supporting new security features, like process isolation and communication only via message-passing
- Developer Ecosystem: Passport Prime will support third-party apps, expanding its functionality beyond traditional hardware wallets. Passport Prime’s 3rd-party launch partner, Cake Wallet, will extend support for Monero, Ethereum, and Solana
- Premium Design: Featuring a 3.5” touchscreen, anodized aluminum, and Gorilla Glass for durability
- Affordable Price: At $299, Passport Prime combines cutting-edge security and ease of use, positioning it as a top choice for both crypto novices and experts
Herbert will be unveiling Passport Prime today in a livestream at 1pm ET, December 16. The first 1,000 customers can pre-order the device through Foundation’s Early Access Program. Anyone wishing to reserve their Passport Prime before mass production and shipment begins in Q2 2025 can do it through the website: foundation.xyz/passport-prime
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