Executive Brief
As the technology of Bitcoin enters the mainstream, so will security options for the protection of your Bitcoin. Trezor raised the state-of-the-art when it came to Bitcoin security, with the ability to take your Bitcoins offline and back at your convenience, or for your security. Case Wallet makes your Bitcoin security handy, mobile, and tough to crack, adding unique biometrics, GSM chips, and multi-sig procedures to the wallet. Now, a new competitor comes out of Hong Kong known as BitLox. Does it deserve a piece of the Bitcoin security pie?
Read the full story below.
Mobility Mixes With Security and Convenience
Most like the mobile Case Wallet introduced last year, BitLox comes in two flavors, Advanced or Ultimate. Both come with a leather carrying case and weigh just 25 grams, so they are designed to fit in a standard leather wallet. The primary difference seems to be in the unit’s design, as the Ultimate is built out of titanium, and is priced at $299. The Advanced is made with “aerospace grade alloy,” and matches the case Wallet’s $199 price. This sum is payable in either PayPal or Bitcoin. BitLox’s CEO Dana Coe spoke with DCE Brief about this new product and what can do for the Bitcoin security market.
“BitLox is designed for mobile use with built-in Bluetooth capabilities for use with your mobile phone. It sports a full keyboard on the device itself - no worries about your PINs / mnemonics being snooped by a compromised computer. At BitLox, we highly value your privacy and independence - your keys are only on your BitLox, and we have no control over any part of your funds or transactions.”
Coe says the main advantages BitLox provides is the “plausible deniability” of the wallet’s existence. You see, the wallet comes with 100 wallets inside, and fifty of these wallets can remain hidden; only the user knows of these. With the rather large keyboard, PIN passcode can be up to twenty characters, dramatically increasing protection from “brute force attacks.” Optimized to work with smartphones, it works through iOS or Android apps, not an Internet connection, again, for increased security and mobility.
For $399 USD, an individual can step up to the BitLox Extreme Privacy Set, if the aforementioned features seem a little light when it comes to Bitcoin protection. Here, owners get a BitLox Ultimate Hardware Bitcoin Wallet and a military-grade USB Vault with TAILS OS preinstalled. This means you can use your BitLox with the absolute privacy of Darknet access tools, and can also be used with BitLox’s TOR-based web access, or even the new I2P privacy network.
My final inquiry was on the possibility of altcoin integration in the future, which is a growing and underserved market, and Coe says he is actively working on this front for updates in the future.
“We are working on an update to the firmware/apps to support altcoins. We have been in contact with the developers of DASH and Ethereum on adding support for these currencies to our signing capabilities.”
The weatherproof and shockproof BitLox wallet also operates in several languages, has a 2” full matrix screen and works with mobile Bluetooth LE, to easily keep a lengthy charge. A five-year warranty doesn’t hurt its business case either, so if you need more Bitcoin security than you may ever actually use, check out the BitLox.
