What is KeepKey hardware wallet?

KeepKey is a hardware wallet that keeps your private keys on a small USB device and asks you to confirm each transaction on its screen. Unlike many rivals, it has no secure element chip by design. It supports bitcoin, Ethereum and other EVM networks, plus a set of other chains, and has built-in swaps through outside providers.

How does the KeepKey hardware wallet work?

The device uses an STM32F405 microcontroller and a 256x64 OLED display. You set a PIN by tapping a scrambled grid, so the numbers you click on your computer do not reveal the PIN itself. Recovery uses a 12- or 24-word phrase, and you can add a BIP-39 passphrase to open hidden wallets, as explained in what is a seed phrase passphrase.

KeepKey's FAQ says the lack of a secure element is deliberate. It relies instead on open firmware, signed firmware updates, on-screen checks and the optional passphrase.

As of November 2026, the FAQ lists native signing for chains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Cosmos, THORChain, Maya, Solana, TRON and TON, with Solana, TRON and TON added in firmware 7.14.1. Other Bitcoin-family coins and any EVM chain are also supported. Swaps run through non-custodial providers such as THORChain, Mayachain, Relay, 0x, ChainFlip and ShapeShift.

What is KeepKey Vault, and how is it different from KeepKey Desktop?

The naming is confusing. KeepKey's FAQ says KeepKey Desktop is the current app name, but its installer files and welcome message still say KeepKey Vault. An older app from the ShapeShift era also used the Vault name and has been retired. The FAQ says to download the current app only from keepkey.com.

The app runs on macOS, Windows and Linux and handles portfolio tracking, swaps, staking and activity history. As of November 2026, the newest release on the keepkey-vault GitHub page is a 1.5.5 pre-release, and the project describes the app as a desktop companion app for the hardware wallet.

How do KeepKey firmware updates work?

The desktop app checks for new firmware automatically and verifies the firmware hash during the update. As of November 2026, the FAQ lists v7.14.2 as the latest stable firmware and v7.16.0 as a pre-release. The 7.14.1 update is the one that added Solana, TRON and TON signing, so older firmware will not show those chains.

Who makes KeepKey?

ShapeShift, then led by Erik Voorhees, acquired KeepKey in 2017 and kept the brand and product line. KeepKey's team page says that after ShapeShift became a DAO in 2021, KeepKey was led by former ShapeShift engineers and went its own way. The FAQ now states that KeepKey has been independent of ShapeShift for several years, although the desktop app still includes a ShapeShift tab. For a wider look at device trade-offs, see hot wallet vs cold wallet.