New Product from Citadel Wallet
Introducing a Secure, Non-Custodial Card Wallet for Hedera DLT Network
We are thrilled to unveil our latest addition to our product line: the Citadel Card Wallet. Over the last few months, while advancing our primary hardware wallet developments, we explored the possibility of introducing a secure card wallet for the Hedera community. As we delved deeper into the production and operation of these secure chip-based cards and identified the industry’s leading manufacturers, we seized the opportunity to develop a proof of concept.
In doing so, we quickly realized that smart card chips, much like the secure elements in hardware wallets, are highly proprietary. Access to these chips, their documentation, and samples for testing is tightly guarded by stringent, often lengthy processes. Given our extensive experience in the development of secure elements, the manufacturer we partnered with granted us special access to their product. It’s worth noting that typically, these chips are exclusively sold to large corporations committing to multi-million-unit purchases. The fact that we secured access to these technologies as a startup, underscores the potential that manufacturers recognize in the DLT industry.
Recently, we received secure chip-based card samples from our partnering manufacturer. We immediately started preliminary tests to ensure that the critical functions we designed for our hardware wallet could be replicated on the card. Our primary focus was to establish pin-protected communication with the card’s secure chip, both via direct contact and contactless NFC and facilitate the generation of Hedera accounts and the signing of transactions. The initial tests and integrations are very promising, giving us confidence in introducing this new product to the Hedera ecosystem.
By introducing our new card wallet, we’re broadening the horizons for non-custodial wallet applications and bolstering secure storage methods. While hardware wallets remain the gold standard for cryptocurrency security, the card wallet offers a unique blend of convenience, security, and versatile use cases. Such innovations will undoubtedly help propel Hedera’s journey to mainstream adoption.
Citadel Card Wallet Features:
Here are some of the main benefits secure card wallets bring to the table:
Security: The Citadel Card Wallet uses cutting-edge, tamper-proof secure chip technology that is EAL 6+ certified for maximum security.
- Tamper-Proof EAL 6+ Certification: The highest assurance against hacks.
- PIN Protection: A personalized layer of security.
- Seed Phrase Backup: Even if you lose your card, your assets are safe.
- Immutable Security: Hedera account keys remain within the wallet, eliminating external vulnerabilities.
The wallet features PIN protection, ensuring unauthorized users cannot access its contents. Upon initial setup, card holders will be prompted to record a unique seed phrase for backup — a crucial step, as this phrase will not be presented again in subsequent uses of the wallet.
Portability: Non-Custodial Card wallets are the same size and shape as ordinary credit cards and can easily fit into regular wallets.
Communication: Wallets come with options for contact and contactless communications. Users can easily tap the card wallet on the back of their NFC-enabled smartphones and sign Hedera transactions on the go.
Custom Cards: We can collaborate with projects to produce cards featuring their unique branding and designs. This not only enhances Hedera network’s appeal but also makes the user onboarding process resonate closely with traditional web 2 wallet and payment methods.
Cost: Cards offer a more cost-effective method for secure asset storage compared to hardware wallets. While hardware wallets represent the pinnacle of security, card wallets are excellent for daily transactions involving smaller amounts. They ensure exceptional security by preventing account keys from being stored on mobile devices.
Potential Use Cases
These card wallets have a wide range of applications:
- Most common Web 3 Use Cases: DeFi, NFTs, gaming, tokenization of real-world assets, storage of certificates or identity information and more.
- Cold Storage: To keep assets offline and immune from online hacks.
- Payments: Payments for goods and services can be made online or in-person. A robust secure infrastructure is required for in-person transactions at a merchant’s location. However, as the industry progresses, this will become more viable.
- Other: We are exploring some intriguing use cases for these secure cards that have never been attempted before. We can’t say much about these now to maintain our competitive edge, but we’ll reveal more information about them in the future.
Integration with Mobile Wallets
In collaboration with our partners in the Hedera ecosystem, we’ll ensure that our card wallets are optimized for use with mobile wallets. We will create open-source SDKs, enabling any mobile wallet project on Hedera to seamlessly integrate with us.
Compatibility with popular Hedera software wallets will enable users to effortlessly access, manage, and transact on the go.
Supported Hedera Transactions
Similar to our Citadel Hardware Wallet, our Card Wallet will support the majority of Hedera network services such as:
- HBAR and USDC storage and transfers
- NFT and Token storage and transfers
- Native staking
- Secure Trade
- Smart Contracts and more
The development of Citadel Card Wallets is actively underway, with particular emphasis on advancing our hardware wallet technology. As the Hedera network grows, our commitment to safeguarding your assets will always remain paramount. On the way, you can expect to hear more updates from us as we have more exciting progress results to share. You’re invited to join us on our road to a more secure, decentralized future.
To learn more about Guardians of the Citadel NFTs and Citadel Wallets go to citadelwallet.io. You can join us in the Citadel Discord, find us on Twitter and on YouTube. Pre-Orders are live at HeadStarterOrg.
