Before moving on with the hardware wallet series, it made sense to get an interview with quantum physicist and hardware wallet researcher/developer Dr Stepan Snigirev, whose library and code the DIY hardware wallet uses.
Stepan is part of Advance Crypto, who research and develop solutions for secur...
## BTCIOT Podcast Summary: DIY Bitcoin Hardware Wallet with Stepan Snigirev
This podcast episode, hosted by BTCIOT, features an in-depth interview with Stepan Snigirev, a former quantum physicist and researcher at Crypto Advanced, about his DIY Bitcoin hardware wallet project. The hosts themselves are also building a hardware wallet using an ESP32 and a paper screen as a learning experience and to showcase unique functionality. Stepan’s journey began out of a desire for greater control and trust in his Bitcoin security, leading him to develop the Bitcoin Arduino library and now a more comprehensive hardware wallet solution. The conversation explores the technical details of building a hardware wallet, the benefits of doing so, the inherent risks, and the future of hardware wallet technology.
Main Topics Discussed:
- DIY Hardware Wallet Project: The hosts' ongoing project to build a hardware wallet for educational purposes.
- Bitcoin Arduino Library: Stepan’s open-source library for learning and implementing Bitcoin functionality. He's transitioning it to the 56k1 library used in Bitcoin Core.
- BIP Standards & Security Concerns: Discussion of BIP 39 (mnemonic phrase generation) and concerns about its reliance on a fixed English dictionary and the need for human-verifiable checksums.
- Hardware Wallet Development & Roadmap: Stepan's ongoing work to improve his hardware wallet library, including API changes, integration with Bitcoin Core crypto libraries, and MicroPython bindings.
- Benefits of DIY Hardware Wallets: Education, security diversification through multi-signature setups, and customization options.
- Risks of DIY Hardware Wallets: Potential for user error leading to loss of funds and the need for careful verification.
- Security Considerations: Comparison of DIY wallets with standard hardware wallets, highlighting the strengths of both.
- Multi-Process Security: Combining different hardware wallet types for enhanced security.
- Future Hardware Wallet Development: Plans for a new hardware wallet with three microcontrollers, Schnorr signature scheme support, a user-friendly form factor, and QR code functionality.
- Air-Gapped Transaction Signing: Detailed explanation of the process using Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT).
- PSBT Standard: Discussion of the PSBT standard and its role in air-gapped signing.
Key Quotes:
- "I'm paranoid and I don't trust people." – Stepan, explaining his motivation for building his own hardware wallet.
- "I would prefer something like a sore or a some or something else, something that humans actually can do for this checksum." – Stepan, regarding BIP 39 checksum generation.
- "I tend to think of Bitcoin core as a demon that watches the blockchain and maybe monitors your transactions, your addresses, but doesn't contain the private keys." – Stepan, on his perspective of Bitcoin Core.
- "The security only adds up." – Stepan, emphasizing the benefit of combining different hardware wallet types.
People Mentioned:
- Stepan Snigirev (Developer, Crypto Advanced)
- Shemai (Podcast Host)
- Members of the Arduino community
Bitcoin Price:
- No Bitcoin prices were mentioned during this podcast episode.