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An investor who has large sums in cryptocurrencies and actively uses them in life needs a reliable storage for cryptoassets. Unlike a bank account, where the bank is responsible for the storage of money to a certain extent, the cryptocurrency wallet cannot be restored if private keys are lost, and if they are compromised, anyone can “steal” the coins.<br
Specialized hardware wallets are rightfully considered the safest way to store cryptoassets and conduct transactions. It is almost impossible to get coins out of them, even with physical access to the device.
The market for hardware wallets for cryptocurrencies can already be considered established, and “new faces” rarely appear on it. Therefore, the emergence of new models inevitably arouses interest.
In 2021, SecuX V20, the flagship product from the Taiwanese company of the same name, was added to the small family of hardware wallets.. It entered the Asian market in 2018 and is now expanding to the Russian market as well.
In Russia, SecuX wallets are sold through the local online store Cryptonist.ru. This improves product localization and reduces the cost of shipping to the end customer compared to ordering directly from the manufacturer.
The SecuX V20 Wallet has a suggested retail price of $139, which is significantly more expensive than the “younger” models, the W10 and W20. It differs from the manufacturer’s junior models in design, body material and some additional features. So what’s the reason for the price difference and what can users find interesting?
Features of the SecuX V20
Unlike most competitive devices in flash drive or bank card format, the SecuX Wallet is closer in size to a small, unusually shaped tablet. Externally, it is a twelve-sided polygon with a distance between opposite sides of 9.8 cm and a height of 1.5 cm.. At its impressive size, the wallet weighs only 120 grams.
The main body of the case is made of aluminum, the front is made of tempered black glass, and the bottom is closed with an anti-slip rubber pad. Wallet front panel is mirrored. When looking at your wallet, don’t forget that your tokens are looking at you from the other side.
The trigger can be a little awkward, because it is on the side, and so it is not secure from accidental presses, such as when you carry your wallet in your bag.
For the first time on the big screen
One of the main features of SecuX wallets is the screen. This is the first hardware wallet with a full touchscreen. The SecuX V20 features a 2.8″ color touch screen, which greatly enhances the information and usability of the screen compared to the small screens and “push-button” controls of competitors.
Touchscreen gives you a lot of benefits. The most important of them – many operations can be performed directly on the wallet offline, without connecting it to a computer or phone. For example, check balances and do most of the adjustments.
Bigger screen shows more information. You can see the cryptocurrency addresses in their entirety, as well as in the form of a QR code. The screen SecuX V20 puts information about four accounts at once, which means you can see their balances at once, without flipping, and without connecting the wallet to your computer.
Applications and connections
The SecuX web app is based on Chrome, and also runs on the compatible Brave and Opera. The mobile app is available for iOS and Android. Thus, the wallet can be operated from almost all common devices, stationary and mobile – from a Windows PC to any smartphone.
The SecuX V20’s “physical” connection to all of these gadgets can be wired or wireless. The USB-C cable is also used to charge the Wallet’s battery, either while it’s plugged in or through any charger with a USB connector.
Wireless connection powered by low-cost Bluetooth BLE5 with AES256 encryption and dynamically generated passwords. Therefore, the transmission of transaction data and keys is quite secure even “over the air”.
Hidden wallet
All SecuX devices, including the flagship V20, support the industry-standard hidden wallet solution for securing cryptocurrencies. This feature is based on the use of a separate passphrase. Closed keys for the hidden wallet are generated separately, “on top of” the base, based only on the seed phrase. Thus, the wallet stores two independent sets of private keys.
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No access to the hidden wallet in the interface and apps by default. To see it, you must intentionally enter a different PIN code, the presence of which is not specified anywhere. For example, if intruders kidnap the wallet owner and force him to enter the PIN code, they will only see the “basic” wallet and will be able to take money from it. But they won’t know anything about having a hidden wallet.
Later, access to the hidden wallet can also be restored from a backup copy, without the need to have the device itself.
Other features
Wallet supports seed phrase key generation of 12, 18 and 24 words (BIP32, BIP39 and BIP44 compliant). The initial setup creates a 24-word phrase, but you can use shorter ones when importing.
SecuX wallets support the Wallet Connect independent hardware wallet protocol used by many DeFi platforms.
You can also buy cryptocurrencies in mobile and web apps for fiat through Coinify.
Coin and token support
SecuX supports over 1000 cryptocurrencies and tokens, including “classic” blockchains:
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Bitcoin
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Bitcoin Cash
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Litecoin
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Ripple
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Cardano
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Dogecoin
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Stellar
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Dash
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Digibyte
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Groestlcoin
But the greatest opportunity comes from supporting blockchains with smart contracts and tokens on them:
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Ethereum (ERC-20)
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Binance Smart Chain (BSC)
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Tron (TRC10 and TRC20)
So DeFi and NFT users can also take advantage of the hardware wallet. Of the common smart contract platforms, SecuX V20 does not yet support Solana.
Accounts
On SecuX V20, you can create up to 500 accounts (essentially individual wallets) with personalization settings. And several independent accounts can be created for each coin or token.
Getting Started
Now let’s take a look at a specific instance of SecuX V20 that Bits.media reviewed.
Package Contents
Due to the solid size of the wallet, the box is also not small and resembles a box from a tablet or other gadget of comparable size. In addition to the wallet itself, it contains:
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Black velvet cover;
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USB-C cable for communication and charging, no charger included;
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Two 24-word paper cards to write the seed phrase and one to write the passphrase to the hidden wallet;
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Getting Started Instructions.
First power on and setup
When the wallet is turned on for the first time, it shows the welcome screen, as it should. Then it asks you to enter the main PIN, which can contain from 4 to 8 digits, twice.
The next step is to set the device name. Here it is worth noting that the screen is still small for a full keyboard, and a person with big fingers without typing it is not easy. That’s why you need to be careful with every number and letter you enter.
During initial setup, you can choose to create a new wallet or use an existing one. In the second case, you will need to enter your own seed phrase, and here the choice is wider – you can use not only 24, but also 12 or 18 words.
Choosing to create a new wallet. The device warns that it is necessary to write a seed-phrase of 24 words, for which there are two sheets in the kit. There are six words per screen.
Reserving a seed phrase is critical, and not just in case your wallet gets stolen or lost. The fact is that for reasons of protection against physical hacking purse “reset” to a new state after five errors when entering the PIN-code. And it can even be the result of a child’s prank. So take the recording of the seed phrase seriously.
The last step tests each of the words by selecting from four random choices. The whole procedure takes about 10 minutes, but it is necessary to avoid accidental recording errors that can later lead to the impossibility of recovery and loss of cryptoassets.
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After a successful seed-phrase check, a new wallet is created, almost ready to use. To complete the procedure, you need to create accounts for the cryptocurrencies you will be using.
Before accounts are created, only the Settings menu in the upper left corner of the screen is available. Here you can check the sid phrase, enable or disable Bluetooth, see information about the device, create a hidden wallet, perform a reset (that is, reset the private key store to zero), and more.
Creating accounts for cryptocurrencies
For beginners the wallet offers to go to the site to read the instructions on how to create and manage accounts, experienced users can get started right away.
You can only create accounts on the web or mobile app by wiring your wallet to your PC or laptop, or to any Bluetooth enabled device. If your OS sees the wallet, it will appear in the app immediately when you plug it in.
This overview shows how to connect the wallet over the wire and work with the web app. It is located in a special section of the site to work with the wallet and does not require installation. It only takes a few simple steps to create an account:
Once an account is created, it immediately appears on the wallet screen, and four accounts are placed on it. Clicking on the account opens the text and QR-code of the address to get the corresponding token.
The wallet is now ready to go.
In the web app, you can see your transaction history. It cannot be stored on the wallet itself, since there is no additional storage on it for security purposes.
The firmware update is also available over the web through an encrypted connection.
Benefits of SecuX Wallet
The flagship SecuX V20 wallet is sure to appeal to active cryptocurrency users who demand both security and convenience in their day-to-day operations.
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The “heart” of the wallet is the Infineon SLE CC EAL5+ security chip, which stores the user’s private keys and PIN. It protects the owner’s assets even if the wallet falls into the wrong hands.
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A full touch screen that makes the wallet an interactive mobile device, not an app with two buttons.
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Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity to any modern PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
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Up to 500 accounts for more than a thousand cryptocurrencies and tokens.
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Support for multiple blockchains, including smart contracts. Ability to work with DeFi and NFT platforms.
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Features a 600mAh lithium-polymer battery that delivers up to 7 hours of continuous use and up to 6 months of standby time.
The inevitable disadvantages
Every advantage has a downside. The specimen in question has not escaped this. However, it is difficult to call them critical.
Larger enclosure enables you to fit more hardware, and a larger screen provides a more intuitive interface and allows you to display more information. But it makes the wallet less portable and difficult to carry in your pocket.
The overly prominent power button can easily be accidentally pressed. This can lead to faster battery drainage, for example.
Multiple typos when entering PINs and passwords at the time of writing the review showed that the developers needed to pay attention to fine-tuning the touchscreen and interfaces.
The glossy front panel easily collects not only dust but also fingerprints, helping security cameras de-anonymize the wearer even if they wear a mask.
And a little warning
While hardware wallets are one of the safest ways to store cryptocurrencies, don’t forget to keep a backup of the seed phrase and password for a hidden wallet if you use one. A backup copy (better if there are several) should be kept out of reach of unauthorized persons. Remember that just a photo of a secret phrase is enough to steal cryptocurrencies!