Block, the payments company led by Jack Dorsey, has released a Bitcoin hardware wallet that has been in the works for a long time — but you can't use the cryptocurrency to buy it. You can only purchase a $150 Bitkey wallet with your credit or debit card, a sign that cryptocurrencies may not be as mainstream as their designers predicted.
Block first introduced a prototype of the wallet in 2022 before opening pre-orders last December. The self-custodial bitcoin wallet, which Dorsey called “Rocky,” allows users to store cryptocurrencies outside of an exchange to protect funds from a potential collapse.
Bitkey is paired with a mobile app and recovery tools in case users lose their wallet or phone. There's a fingerprint sensor on top of the device, a USB-C charging port, and an NFC chip to transfer money between the app and the wallet (or vice versa). Bitkey also integrates with Coinbase and Block's proprietary Cash App to transfer and buy Bitcoin through the wallet's companion mobile apps.
Block says it will add “additional payment options” that people can use to purchase the device in the “very near future.”
