PrivacyPick

BitBox02 vs SafePal Comparison

Feature
Overview
Rating7.65.5
TypeHardware walletSoftware wallet
PriceBitBox02 Multi edition: $139 one-time; BitBox02 Bitcoin-only edition: $139 one-timeNot specified
Free to useNoYes
Established20152018
Platforms
WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid
AndroidiOSBrowser extension
Networks
BitcoinLitecoinEthereumCardano (through a third party)Polygon (through a third party)BNB Chain (through a third party)Arbitrum (through a third party)Optimism (through a third party)
BitcoinEthereumBNB ChainSolanaTronXRPCardanoLitecoinBitcoin CashDogecoinZcashPolygonArbitrumOptimismBaseAvalanche
Keys & recovery
Who holds the keysYou hold the keys
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A new wallet gets 24 BIP39 recovery words; the device can also restore 12-word phrases. The default backup is a file with the wallet secret on the included microSD card, which is not encrypted; the 24 words can be shown on the device screen at any time after you re-enter the device password.

You hold the keys
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The phone app creates a 12- or 24-word BIP39 phrase (BIP39/44 derivation); the browser extension creates its own phrase at setup. Wallets can also be imported from a private key.

Seed formatStandard phrase (BIP39)Standard phrase (BIP39)
Seed portabilityRestores in other walletsRestores in other wallets
PassphraseYesYes
RecoverySeed phraseSeed phrase
MultisigBuilt inNot supported
Network & metadata
Default serverThe vendor's serversThe vendor's servers
Own nodeLimitedLimited
TorThrough a proxy you set upNot supported
Coin controlFullLimited
ID for in-app buyingYesYes
Device purchaseTied to your identity
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The BitBox shop ships only to a name and postal address and asks for an email address. You can pay with Bitcoin or Lightning through BitBox's own BTCPay Server instead of a card. BitBox says order data is anonymised after 30 days, but invoices are kept for ten years under Swiss law.

Not applicable
Device
Secure elementIn some modelsNot applicable
Air-gappedNoNot applicable
Firmware codeFully open source
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BitBox says each device receives an attestation key at the factory, which the BitBoxApp checks every time you connect, and that the chips are covered in epoxy and the case halves are glued so that opening them breaks plastic pins. The device ships in a vacuum-sealed bag with a patterned seal. BitBox itself says these checks cannot rule out every physical modification of a genuine device.

Not applicable
Trust & transparency
App codeFully open sourceClosed source
Server codePartly open sourceClosed source
Reproducible buildsYesNo
Security auditNone on recordNone on record
Bug bountyYesNo
JurisdictionSwitzerland
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Shift Crypto AG is registered in the Canton of Zurich, with its address in Adliswil. Its privacy policy follows the Swiss data protection act and the GDPR, and says personal data is stored in the EU.

Not stated
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SafePal's terms and privacy policy name SkyGenesis Holdings Limited but give no country of registration or governing law. The App Store lists the seller as SAFEPAL LTD.; Google Play lists the developer as BitTech Group Limited with an address in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The privacy policy says personal data may be moved to Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and the United States.

OwnerShift Crypto AG
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A privately held Swiss company that sells under the BitBox brand. Its founders started the BitBox line in 2015; the BitBox02 came out in 2019.

SkyGenesis Holdings Limited
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Founded in 2018 by Veronica Wong and two co-founders, starting as a hardware wallet maker. SafePal names Binance, Animoca Brands and Superscrypt as its backers, and says it has made a strategic investment in Fiat24, the Swiss-regulated financial institution behind its in-app IBAN account and Mastercard.

TelemetryNo telemetryAlways on
Past incidentYesYes