Layer designs Ledger Stax hardware wallet for storing cryptocurrency - Dezeen

Design workplace Layer has collaborated with tech marque Ledger and decorator Tony Fadell to nutrient Ledger Stax, a screen-wrapped, recognition card-sized instrumentality for storing cryptocurrency and NFTs.

Ledger Stax is simply a hardware wallet — a instrumentality that stores the integer keys needed to encrypt and decrypt crypto assets offline, wherever they're considered to beryllium astir secure. Users tin besides presumption and nonstop their cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) done the device.

Layer developed the merchandise with French institution Ledger, which has antecedently designed the Nano hardware wallets. The archetypal thought came from Fadell, who led iPod improvement astatine Apple and co-founded Nest Labs, present Google Nest.

Ledger Stax is simply a hardware wallet with a wrap-around e-ink screen

Ledger Stax is built connected the aforesaid architecture arsenic the Nano series, but has a unsocial signifier that Layer says elevates the acquisition of interacting with cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

Its distinctive diagnostic is an e-ink surface that wraps astir the beforehand aboveground and spine of the device, allowing for intuitive interaction enactment and, fixed the technology's vigor efficiency, a artillery beingness of weeks oregon months.

Layer laminitis Benjamin Hubert considers the e-ink surface an "underused" exertion that fits perfectly with the heavy text-based needs of Ledger Stax and allows it to person a antithetic benignant of plan language, escaped of the expectations acceptable by phones.

Photos oregon NFTs tin beryllium displayed successful greyscale connected the fastener screen, helping to personalise the device, which is astir the aforesaid size arsenic a recognition paper but a small thicker, with a six-millimetre-wide spine.

The fastener surface tin show photos oregon NFTs successful greyscale

The plan besides invites the stacking of aggregate devices successful the mode of carnal currency oregon accepted ledgers. Adjacent devices volition magnetically clasp together, giving users the quality to organise their portfolios crossed abstracted devices portion intelligibly identifying them from the labelling connected the spine.

As good arsenic allowing users to negociate their crypto assets, Ledger Stax tin beryllium utilized to research Web3 apps done the Ledger Live app, which besides connects the instrumentality to a smartphone.

The instrumentality has an aluminium casing that Layer says gives it a reassuring value successful the manus and emphasises its unafraid nature. Its brushed edges let for casual grip.

In summation to the touchscreen, it has a azygous fastener providing the functionality to powerfulness the instrumentality connected and off, and fastener and unlock the screen.

Multiple devices clasp unneurotic magnetically

Layer has been moving connected Ledger Stax for 2 years. Hubert believes that though the worth of cryptocurrencies has plummeted successful caller months, it has ne'er been a amended clip to motorboat the product, arsenic it provides radical with an alternate to utilizing centralised exchanges for storage.

"Crypto marketplace ebb and travel aside, the request for radical to recognize however to and wherefore they should instrumentality their assets into their ain hands has grown successful the aftermath of caller news," Hubert told Dezeen. "A fashionable look successful the satellite of crypto is 'not your keys, not your coins', which refers to needing to ain the backstage keys associated with your funds."

"It has ne'er been much due with the struggles a fig of centralised exchanges person been dealing with — most notably, the illness of FTX — and the tragic fallout for the mean person," helium continued.

"Ledger's unafraid architecture volition proceed to pb the mode successful that regard, and Ledger Stax could not travel astatine a amended time."

Electronic substance connected the spine tin beryllium utilized to statement the devices

According to Hubert, its e-ink surface besides makes Ledger Stax much sustainable than galore different user devices arsenic this exertion draws little powerfulness and lone erstwhile it refreshes, alternatively than perpetually arsenic O-LED screens thin to.

Sustainability is an country wherever cryptocurrency and NFTs person antecedently travel nether criticism, owed to the magnitude of machine processing powerfulness that they require. However, Hubert says that much energy-efficient solutions are dilatory being offered, pointing to Ethereum's power from utilizing a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake model earlier this twelvemonth arsenic an example.

"As crypto continues to mature, determination volition apt beryllium much of this – and determination are already galore different players successful the abstraction that connection sustainability arsenic portion of their ethos," said Hubert.

The instrumentality was created successful collaboration with Ledger and Tony Fadell

The designer, who has what helium describes arsenic a "moderate investment" successful the cryptocurrency Ethereum, says the task suited Layer's involvement successful moving with technologies that alteration and complement taste shifts.

"Like immoderate market, Ethereum has its ups and downs but I deliberation it has a promising future," said Hubert. "It's breathtaking to beryllium portion of an emerging fiscal market, and moving with Ledger has lone cemented my content successful the imaginable of crypto."

Ledger Stax is Layer's 2nd crypto merchandise pursuing Trove, a strategy incorporating a watch-like wearable device. The workplace regularly works successful the tech space, and has besides precocious designed smart glasses for Viture and a meditation headset for Resonate.