What is Blockstream Jade?

Blockstream Jade is a hardware wallet made by Blockstream, a bitcoin infrastructure company. It focuses on bitcoin and also supports the Liquid Network sidechain. Jade can work fully offline by scanning QR codes, so it can serve as an air-gapped signer.

What is the difference between Blockstream Jade and Jade Plus?

The original Jade launched in 2021, and Blockstream says it still updates it. Jade Plus launched on January 3, 2025. Compared with the original, Jade Plus has a screen that Blockstream says is 66% larger and 25% brighter, redesigned buttons, a newer ESP32-S3 chip, faster QR scanning and sturdier materials, including metal versions.

Jade Plus also works with JadeLink, an optional USB drive accessory for air-gapped firmware updates and signing. Blockstream lists USB-C, Bluetooth, QR codes and SD card as ways to connect Jade Plus to a wallet app.

How does the Blockstream Jade hardware wallet protect your keys?

Most hardware wallets store secrets in a secure element, a closed chip from a specialist maker. Jade avoids proprietary chips and uses what Blockstream calls a virtual secure element. When you enter your PIN, Jade works with a blind oracle server to decrypt your seed, and the server is designed not to see your data. The goal is to stop someone who steals the device from pulling the keys out.

By default, Jade uses Blockstream's oracle. Technical users can run their own oracle in Docker on a computer or a Raspberry Pi, set it while Jade is uninitialized, and then unlock only through that server. Jade can also be used offline with a longer PIN. Other protections listed by Blockstream include secure boot, which runs only signed Blockstream firmware, a genuine-device check and anti-exfil signing, which adds randomness to signatures.

How do you do a Blockstream Jade firmware update?

Blockstream's help center lists four ways:

• Blockstream app: connect by USB on desktop, or by USB or Bluetooth on iOS and Android, and follow the prompt.
• Web portal: connect by USB and use a WebSerial browser such as Chrome.
• JadeLink: an air-gapped update path for Jade Plus only.
• Command line: run the update script from the Jade source code, which lets you review the firmware file first.

Blockstream suggests updating before you create or restore a wallet. Devices that shipped with firmware older than 1.0.38 need a factory reset around their first update. A reset erases the keys on the device, so you need your recovery phrase to restore it.

Which wallet apps work with Blockstream Jade?

Besides Blockstream's own app, Jade works with Sparrow, Nunchuk, BlueWallet and Bitcoin Core. Wasabi Wallet also lists Jade among the hardware wallets it supports through HWI. For keeping keys fully offline, see our guide to air-gapped wallets.