Open-source hardware
Hardware whose designs are published, so you can inspect what touches your keys.
In plain words
Open-source hardware publishes its schematics and firmware for anyone to read, build, or audit. Closed hardware asks for faith in a vendor. Open hardware replaces some of that faith with inspection: independent researchers can check what the device actually does with your keys. Openness is not proof of safety — someone still has to look, and you still trust the chip makers. But secrets are where mistakes and backdoors live longest. Published designs give them fewer places to hide.
Why it matters
- Your money should not depend on a vendor's word alone.
- Audits and community builds catch flaws closed designs keep buried.
- If a vendor disappears, open designs and firmware can outlive it.
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Updated 2026-07-30