S8 E1: Benma on BitBox02

Bitcoin Takeover Podcast

Benma is a software developer and researcher who works on the BitBox02 hardware wallet. In this episode, he talks about the qualities that make the BitBox02 unique, and how the device compares to other competing hardware wallets (Trezor, Ledger, Coldcard). Benma also mentions the current state of multisig standards, why users should use hardware wallets, and which security advancements get him most excited. In the end, he talks about ShiftCrypto's upcoming plans and projects. This episode is sponsored by Vaultoro and Wasabi Wallet. --------------------------------- Time Stamps: 0:00 – 04:00: Intro 04:00 – Why Benma wouldn't call himself a hardware wallet hacker, despite disclosing a vulnerability in the Coldcard Mk3. 04:30 – The BitBox02's journey since getting launched in late 2019 07:30 – Typing on the BitBox02 09:30 – What makes the BitBox02 unique? 12:15 – Connecting your Bitcoin full node to the BitBoxApp and other power user features 14:10 – The anti-klepto feature on the BitBox02 and how it involved Schnorr signatures, and the review of Blockstream's Jonas Nick and Andrew Poelstra 22:36 – BitBox02's encrypted communication with the computer and mobile phone 24:00 – Connecting your BitBox02 to Android devices 27:53 – BitBoxApp on ChromeOS and Chromebooks? 29:00 – BitBox02 vs Trezor Model T 33:12 – BitBox02 vs Ledger Nano S/X 36:33 – BitBox02 vs Coldcard 40:40 – PSBT and security 41:55 – When does an airgapped cold storage help? 48:40 – BitBox02 vs Cobo Vault and other new hardware wallets 50:55 – Multisig 56:00 – Shamir Secret Sharing 1:00:00 – Replacing hardware wallets with improvized setups 1:05:30 – Why hardware wallet alternatives are not really feasible 1:06:30 – Hardware wallets and privacy 1:13:00 – What is next for BitBox02 and ShiftCrypto?