Keycard is a hardware wallet that securely stores the private keys of your crypto. Keycard Shell is a companion device for interacting with software wallets and signing transactions through QR codes. Check out About Keycard and Keycard Shell to learn more.
You can use Keycard without Keycard Shell, if you use your Keycard along with the Status app ↗ or any compatible wallets. Keycard connects to mobile software wallets via NFC and to desktop software wallets via a USB smart card reader.
You can't use Keycard Shell without Keycard.
You can use an unlimited number of Keycards with one Keycard Shell.
You can also share one Keycard Shell device with your friends and family to use with their own Keycards, because Keycard Shell doesn't store private keys or sensitive information.
Keycard and Keycard Shell supports Ethereum, all EVM based blockchains and Bitcoin. We are working on support of more blockchain actively.
There is no separate bitcoin-only firmware. You can use Keycard Shell with Bitcoin-only wallets (PSBT over QR/UR or USB) and simply avoid Ethereum features. Advanced builders can compile a custom firmware or database that omits ETH data. See Keycard Shell internals for details.
Your Keycard stores one master key, created from a BIP39 or SLIP39 recovery phrase. This master key can generate as many Ethereum and Bitcoin wallet addresses as you need (according to the BIP32 standard ↗).
No, you can't use your Keycard or Keycard Shell without a compatible software wallet. There are 10+ software wallet that you can use with Shell or Keycard. Software wallets are needed because they provide the interface for managing your crypto and creating your transactions, and they provide connection to the blockchain.
If you don't have a Shell or want to use Keycard by itself, you can use Keycard directly with Status app ↗ or a software wallet which has integrated with Keycard (for instance Sparrow for bitcoin). If you use Keycard and Keycard Shell together, there are a list of options such as MetaMask, Rabby, or Sparrow.
Yes if the dApp integrates managment of QR codes directly (EIP-4527 for EVM or UR for BTC). Note that in this case, you should be particularly cautious about checking what you are actually signing on your Shell screen because you can hardly trust what your browser is showing you.
Keycard Shell operates in an air-gapped way because it interfaces with software wallet with QR codes. If you want to upgrade your firmware or your Shell database you need to connect your Shell to USB, or if you want to keep a firm air-gaped setup you can perform the update on an offline computer. Keycard supports NFC communication and smart card readers, but when used with Keycard Shell, NFC and card readers are not required.
Lost Keycard: Your funds are safe if your Keycard PIN remains private. Your card will be totally blocked after three wrong attempts on the PIN. Use your recovery phrase to restore your wallet on a new device. For maximum security, transfer your funds to a new wallet address immediately after restoration.
Lost Keycard Shell: Your funds are secure because Keycard Shell stores no private keys or any private information including public keys or transaction history. You can purchase a replacement Keycard Shell to use with your existing Keycard.
No. Your private keys are on Keycard's secure element chip, which prevents cloning or extraction of the keys by design.
Official Keycard Shell devices only accept signed firmware updates. To run custom firmware you must build your own device (or a dev unit) with a bootloader key you control. See Keycard Shell internals.
This doesn't affect your access to your funds. You can always access your funds with your recovery phrase.
To reset your Keycard PIN, factory reset your Keycard and then import your wallet accounts again.
If you need help with your Keycard or Keycard Shell, visit the Help page for guidance.
You can also ask questions in the Keycard community on Discord.