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Blockstream Jade review (UK)

Jade is a small open source hardware wallet from Blockstream, a Bitcoin company. It has a camera so it can sign payments by scanning QR codes, with no cable to your computer. This review covers how it works and where it falls short.

Some links here are affiliate links*. They never change what we write, and weak points stay in. How we earn.

Short verdict

Jade is a good choice for Bitcoin-focused users who want open source code and air-gapped signing with QR codes. Its unusual security model, a virtual secure element that relies on a server for part of the secret, will suit some people and put others off. It is worth understanding before you buy.

How it keeps keys safe

Jade does not use a hardware secure element chip. Instead it uses what Blockstream calls a virtual secure element. Your secret is encrypted on the device, and part of the key needed to unlock it is held by a separate server, called the blind oracle. When you enter your PIN, Jade asks the oracle for its part. The oracle never sees your keys or coins. Blockstream runs the default oracle, and you can run your own if you want no reliance on Blockstream.

The upside is that the whole design is open source and can be checked. The trade-off is that unlocking with a PIN needs an internet connection to the oracle, unless you use QR mode with your recovery words or SeedQR each time.

Day to day use

You can use Jade with a USB cable or Bluetooth, or fully air-gapped by scanning QR codes with its camera. It works with the Blockstream app and with Sparrow, Nunchuk and other Bitcoin apps. It also supports Liquid, a Bitcoin sidechain run by a group of companies. Backups use standard recovery words. It has a battery, so it can be used away from a computer.

Good and weak points

Who it suits

Bitcoin holders who want open source code and QR signing, and who are comfortable with the oracle model or happy to run their own. If you want a hardware secure element, look at Trezor Safe or BitBox02.

Blockstream Jade official site (affiliate link)*

How we review

Every wallet review on SHATOSHI answers the same questions in the same order: who makes it, how it keeps your keys safe, what is open source, how backups work, how easy it is for a beginner and where it falls short. We do not score on price and we do not list prices. Some makers pay us a commission through affiliate links, and some do not. That makes no difference to the review, and the weak points stay in.

Buying one safely in the UK

• Buy direct from the maker or an authorised reseller. Never buy second hand or from a marketplace seller you do not know.
• The device should never arrive with recovery words already written down. If it does, do not use it.
• Set it up yourself, write the words down by hand and keep them offline. Our setup checklist takes ten minutes.

Questions people ask

Does Blockstream hold my Bitcoin with Jade?
No. The oracle server only holds part of the key that unlocks the device with your PIN. It never sees your keys or coins, and you can run your own oracle.

Can I use Jade without the internet?
Yes, in QR mode you can sign fully offline, but you then unlock with your recovery words or a SeedQR rather than the PIN and oracle.

Is Jade Bitcoin-only?
It is Bitcoin focused and also supports Liquid, a Bitcoin sidechain. It does not support other coins.

Other reviews in the same format: Trezor review, Ledger review, BitBox02 review. Or see them all side by side in the best Bitcoin hardware wallet UK guide.

Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.