The result proves that hardware crypto wallet devices can handle small, simple transactions properly. Nevertheless, they have difficulty performing once the transaction becomes difficult. Casa is made upon geographically dispersed multisig, dedicated hardware appliances to acquire keys, composed user experience, and client services.
As Jameson Lopp previously denoted out that while the firm has no authority over the hardware devices. In fact, the purpose is to support any device at the end of the day. Hence, he determined to lead research and hoped to draw some judgments and help multisig software providers better comprehend hardware constraints and customize wallet software for better execution.
Casa is, for now, cooperative with six hardware, including Trezor, Ledger, Coinkite, and Coldcard. The test was performed on all the supported hardware devices and also BitBox.
Time for hardware wallet devices to make a difference
Lopp completed the testing by leveraging Electrum’s 4.0.2 app image on Debian Linux and designed various P2WSH wallets; that command Bitcoin’s test net with the hardware appliances plugged in via USB device. In every wallet, there was a deposit of 100 UTXOs.
Lopp provided a range of examinations to find these hardware wallet preferences when signing multi-signature transactions of differing complexity. He repeated these tests and deduced that it’s more reliable and more guarded if hardware devices can show development indicators for loading and signing. He added that he came to dislike hardware devices that don’t display development signs for loading and signing. As such, he said he highly prefers Coldcard and Trezor in this regard. BitBox and Ledger are stress-inducing because the client has no clue if something is occurring.
Lopp Recommendations
Lopp recommended that hardware wallets break up a send into multiple smaller transactions under its limits when it comes to succeeding transaction size limitation and stoppage transaction processing time.
At the time the transaction process requires too much time, some devices will lock itself from inactivity. Lopp implies that the device manufacturers could bypass such trouble to disable the screen lock timeout while the machine is still running on the transaction.
Lopp asserted that hardware appliances better also support partly signed Bitcoin transactions (PSBT) and all implied substantial multi-sig transactions. He added that he believes it’s time for hardware manufacturers to begin acting like platform providers and assure that they provide robust platforms that can build a wide assortment of solutions.
The user has to take two steps for hardware tools to obtain when signing a Bitcoin transaction, as told by Lopp.
The transaction gets placed onto the device; it parses the details and presents them on the screen for user authentication. These details are frequently the address(es) to which funds are being sent, the amount(s) being sent, and the fee is paid. Next, Upon user approval, the device confirms each transaction input and then delivers the signed transaction to the wallet software.
