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Every line of altcoin code in a wallet’s firmware is attack surface that a bitcoin holder gains nothing from. Bitcoin-only wallets strip all of it out: smaller codebase, fewer updates, fewer ways for things to go wrong. If bitcoin is all you hold — or all you care about protecting properly — these are the devices to consider.
Our picks
- Best overall bitcoin-only: Coldcard Mk4
- Best advanced: Coldcard Q
- Best budget: Blockstream Jade / Jade Plus
- Best simplicity: BitBox02 Bitcoin-only edition
- Best premium air gap: Foundation Passport
- Best DIY option: SeedSigner (build it yourself from off-the-shelf parts)
Coldcard Mk4 — best overall
The default answer for serious bitcoin self-custody. Dual secure elements, full air-gap capability via microSD, duress PINs, mature multisig support, and a decade of Coinkite’s singular focus on bitcoin. The calculator-style interface is dated but dependable. Around $178.
Blockstream Jade Plus — best budget
Fully open source, camera-based QR signing, and backed by one of the strongest engineering teams in the industry. The Jade’s “virtual secure element” stores the key encrypted with help from a Blockstream server — a different trust model than an on-device chip that you should understand before buying; our full review explains it. From around $79.
BitBox02 Bitcoin-only — best simplicity
Swiss-made, secure element, automatic microSD backup, and a five-minute setup that a complete beginner can finish without a manual. The bitcoin-only edition cannot be converted to multicoin firmware, which is exactly the point. Around $149.
Foundation Passport — best premium air gap
A beautifully built device with a camera for QR signing, removable battery, open-source firmware, and a phone-like feel. The most pleasant fully air-gapped experience outside the Coldcard Q, at a premium price. The current model, Passport Prime, runs $349.
What about SeedSigner?
SeedSigner is an open-source project you assemble from a Raspberry Pi Zero and a camera module for under $60. It holds no keys at rest — you re-load your seed each session from a QR backup. Wonderful for learning and for multisig cosigning; not what we would hand a beginner as their only wallet.
The common thread
Every device here is best purchased directly from its maker, set up by you from a factory-sealed state, with the seed phrase generated on the device — never pre-printed, never emailed, never typed into a computer. If any “wallet” arrives with a seed phrase already filled in, it is a scam. Full stop.