Biometric Authentication
Biometric authentication unlocks a wallet with a fingerprint or face instead of, or alongside, a PIN.
What Is a Biometric Authentication?
Biometric authentication uses a body feature, usually a fingerprint, to unlock a device or approve a transaction. Some hardware wallets have their own fingerprint sensor, such as Bitkey and the D'CENT Biometric Wallet; others, like card wallets, rely on the phone's fingerprint or face unlock to open the app.
It is convenient and resists shoulder-surfing of a PIN. It also has limits: a fingerprint cannot be changed if it is copied, it can be forced from a person under coercion, and it is only as strong as the sensor and the fallback method.
Where a device stores the fingerprint template matters too: inside a secure element is stronger than in ordinary memory.
A hardware wallet is a dedicated device that keeps private keys offline and signs transactions internally, so the keys never reach an internet-connected computer or phone.
Read full definitionA smart card wallet is a hardware wallet in bank-card form: a secure element on a card, used by tapping it to a phone over NFC.
Read full definitionPIN Protection is a security feature that requires a personal identification number (PIN) to access a cryptocurrency wallet or device, preventing unauthorized access.
Read full definitionA secure element is a tamper-resistant chip built to store secrets and resist physical attacks such as side-channel analysis and fault injection.
Read full definitionReal-World Examples
Example 1: A user approves each transaction with a fingerprint on the device and keeps a PIN as the fallback.
Example 2: In a robbery, an attacker forces the owner's finger onto the sensor; a duress feature or a passphrase-protected wallet would limit the loss.
PIN Protection is a security feature that requires a personal identification number (PIN) to access a cryptocurrency wallet or device, preventing unauthorized access.
Read full definitionA passphrase is an additional security layer for cryptocurrency wallets, acting as a 25th word in the BIP39 seed phrase, protecting access to hidden wallets.
Read full definitionReady to Choose a Secure Wallet?
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