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Guide · self-custody

Hardware wallets: a vault for your crypto that fits in a pocket

A hardware wallet is a small device that keeps the keys to your crypto offline. Nothing leaves your wallet unless you approve it on the device itself, even if your computer is riddled with malware.

  • Keys stay offline
  • Approve on the device
  • Restorable from your phrase
See the modelsHow does it work?

From €59 in the official shops

By the PlatformCrypto.eu editorial team · checked on

Offline keysSecure chip

In 30 seconds

What exactly does it do?

Your coins do not live on the device; they live on the blockchain. What the hardware wallet guards is the key that controls them, and that key never comes out. Your computer or phone sends a transaction to the device, you check it on its screen, and you approve with a button or a tap.

€59cheapest Trezor with a secure element
0times your key goes online
20words in a default Trezor recovery phrase
EAL6+chip certification in every Safe model

How it works

The device signs, you decide

Every crypto transaction has to be signed with your private key. With a phone app, that signing happens on the same phone that runs your email, browser and downloads. With a hardware wallet it happens on a separate gadget that does nothing else.

Your computer or phone drafts the transaction and passes it to the hardware wallet, which shows the address and amount on its own display. Only when you confirm there does the device sign, and the transaction goes out.

  • Malware can swap an address on your clipboard, but not what the device displays
  • Lost or broken? Your recovery phrase restores everything onto a new device

Device or app

Hardware wallet vs software wallet

An app such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet is free and handy. A hardware wallet is made for amounts you cannot afford to lose.

Hardware wallet and software wallet compared
TopicSoftware wallet (app)SaferHardware wallet
Where your key livesDrawback: On an online phone or computerAdvantage: On a separate device that stays offline
MalwareDrawback: Can try to steal your key or phraseAdvantage: Cannot send without your approval
ApprovingOne click in the appAdvantage: On the device, after checking the address
PriceAdvantage: FreeOne-off, from €59
Best forSmall sums and daily useLarger sums and holding long term

You can combine the two: connect a Trezor to MetaMask and you keep the app while approving on the device. See our MetaMask review.

Inside

What is inside one of these devices

Three parts matter: a secure element that resists attempts to read secrets out, a screen on which you check what you are signing, and buttons or a touchscreen to approve. In Trezor’s Safe models that chip is certified to EAL6+.

Software counts too. Trezor publishes its firmware so anyone can verify what the device does; Ledger publishes its app but not the operating system on its chip. We unpack that in Trezor vs Ledger.

Backup

Your recovery phrase matters more than the device

During setup you get a recovery phrase of 12, 20 or 24 words that rebuilds your wallet on any new device. Lose your Trezor and your coins are not gone, as long as you have the words.

It cuts both ways: whoever finds your words owns your coins, device or no device. Keep them offline, never as a photo or in a notes app, and never type them into a website. Our seed phrase explainer has more.

Models

Trezor’s three hardware wallets

All three with a secure element and open-source firmware. Choose by screen and connectivity; more help in best hardware wallet.

Euro prices in Trezor’s official shop, checked on 26 October 2026. Your basket shows the current total, including delivery.

Which suits you?

A quick way to choose

From exchange to device

Moving your crypto onto a hardware wallet

  1. Buy on a licensed exchange

    Our comparison shows where your money buys the most crypto.

  2. Copy your receive address

    Pick the coin and Receive in Trezor Suite, then verify the address on your Trezor’s screen.

  3. Match the network

    The withdrawal network must match. Unsure? See which network to choose.

  4. Send a small amount first

    Once it arrives, send the rest. Exchanges may ask you to prove the wallet is yours.

Buying safely

Never buy a used hardware wallet

A device that arrives already set up, or with a recovery phrase filled in, is always a scam: the seller knows your words. Order directly from the maker, or from Trezor’s official Amazon stores in the countries where it has one.

  • Sealed packaging, new and untouched
  • Authenticity check the first time it connects to Trezor Suite
  • Two-year warranty in Trezor’s shop
Go to Trezor’s official shop (opens in a new tab)

Start holding your own keys today

Choose your Trezor and order straight from the official shop. Moving your crypto onto it takes a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What is a hardware wallet?

A small device that stores the keys to your crypto offline and signs transactions only after you approve them on the device. Trezor and Ledger are the best-known makers.

Do I need a hardware wallet?

If you hold crypto for the longer term, or an amount you would hate to lose, a hardware wallet is the safest way to hold it yourself. For small sums you use often, an app is fine.

What happens if my hardware wallet breaks or gets lost?

Your coins are not lost: they are on the blockchain. Your recovery phrase restores the wallet onto a new device, which is why keeping those words safe and offline matters so much.

Can a hardware wallet be hacked?

As far as is publicly known, no Trezor or Ledger device has been hacked remotely. Labs have run attacks with the device in hand, which is why modern models use a secure element. The bigger risks are phishing and a poorly stored recovery phrase.

How much does a hardware wallet cost?

Trezor sells the Safe 3, Safe 5 and Safe 7 for €59, €129 and €249; Ledger ranges from €59 to €399. It is a one-off purchase and the app is free.

Keep reading

More on keeping crypto safe