The bitcoin hardware wallet manufacturer Coinkite has announced the launch of a new product, the Coldcard Q1, which features a QWERTY keyboard and QR code scanner. Coinkite details that the battery-powered device utilizes the same security model as the Coldcard Mk4.
Coinkite Introduces the Coldcard Q1
Over the past three months, companies have unveiled new hardware wallets for securely storing cryptocurrency assets. In Dec. 2022, Ledger announced the launch of Stax, designed by iPod creator Tony Fadell. The following month, decentralized exchange (dex) aggregation service 1inch Network disclosed its plans to launch a hardware wallet.
This month, Coinkite announced the launch of the “higher-end” Coldcard bitcoin signing device and the firm is currently accepting pre-order requests. The new Coldcard Q1 is a battery-powered machine that doesn’t require a connection to a desktop or power source. It boasts a 320×240 pixel LCD screen, which is approximately four times larger than the Coldcard Mk4‘s screen. The new Coldcard also includes a QWERTY keyboard and built-in QR code scanner with LED illumination.
The device has two MicroSD slots and near-field communication (NFC) capabilities, like the Coldcard Mk4. According to Coinkite’s documentation, the USB and NFC data can be “irreversibly blocked.” Coinkite details the QWERTY keyboard makes the entering of BIP-39 passphrases easier, and the triple-A batteries provide air-gapped resilience. Coinkite notes that all features of the Mk4 are present on the Q1, but many are easier to access due to dedicated keys.
“For example, the dedicated ‘QR’ key lets you view many values as a QR code ready to be imported into your phone. Same for the dedicated ‘NFC’ key which triggers NFC export/import based on context,” Coinkite notes.
The Coldcard Mk4 costs $147.94 per unit, while the Q1 is priced at $199.99 per unit on the Coinkite website. Customers who pay with bitcoin (BTC) receive a 5% discount with a promotional code highlighted on the site. The competition in the market of manufacturing bitcoin hardware devices is certainly heating up with a new hardware wallet being launched every month in the last three months.
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