The FuzeW cryptocurrency hardware wallet is a legacy product on the market, and it has some exciting features that make it stand out. This review will go through all of them to help you decide whether or not this is a suitable device for you!
Hardware Review
The FuzeW chip card, a USB charging dock, a recovery sheet, and a booklet with basic instructions are all included in the package. The chip card is the size of a credit card and may easily be mistaken for one.
The chip card incorporates a keypad with three buttons: left and right buttons for navigating options and a circular button to turn on the chip card and make a selection. Above those buttons is a black-and-white screen that displays information as needed. PINs and choices may be input directly on the card.
Opinion
This device has a significant advantage: it’s thin and passes as a credit card. It also has a tiny UI directly on the surface of the card.
Activate and Setup Review
I connected it to a power source for close to an hour before pushing the power button. It first asks me to create a PIN. After that, I choose to configure it as a new device (generating a seed phrase) or recover an old configuration (restoring a private key). I select the former option. Then it instructs me to record my 24-word recovery phrase. It then has me answer questions about words in my seed phrase after generating the private key. I have five opportunities to respond correctly, or the device will restart the installation. When I’ve finished identifying several words, it then inquires if I’m creating a passphrase. After the setup is completed and the seed phrase is set, it provides me with a Bluetooth pairing number.
I downloaded and installed the “W Manager” mobile app (no desktop version is available). It shows me a visual representation of all of my previous setup stages and requests the device’s serial number. The hardware wallet’s serial number is the Bluetooth pairing number on the FuzeW chip card display. If the card does not display anything, restart it (turn it on and off), and you’ll notice the number after entering your PIN. The next screen tries to link with my FuzeW chip card after I input the serial number. Once everything is in order, I select a name for my FuzeW identity. When the card is powered on again, the name will appear as indicated. That concludes the procedure!
Opinion
Activating and setting up your chip card is straightforward. It’s simple to confirm the seed phrase. The app causes slight confusion when it asks for the serial number instead of the Bluetooth pairing number (a suggestion for future changes).
Transaction Review
The mobile app sets you up with wallets for three cryptocurrencies: FuzeX, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. You may also exchange coins between your wallets using Changelly (note: if you’re in the United States, you can’t use this service). You start with a single public address when using Bitcoin, but you can add more addresses.
For receiving, select the cryptocurrency you want to use. A clipboard symbol will appear next to the public address, and you can copy the string by clicking the icon. You may also make a QR code by entering the amount sent and tapping “Generate QR.”
To send a transfer, go into the cryptocurrency you want to use and then change to “Send.” Enter the recipient’s address and amount. Then pick your mining fees. After you’ve entered all of the data, press “Confirm.” A figure appears on the mobile app screen and the FuzeW chip card display. The numbers should match. If they do, confirm by pressing the circular button on the card keypad.
Opinion
It’s pretty easy to transfer funds. QR codes or simply copying/pasting the data are both options. If you want to exchange in/out of the coins supported by FuzeW, utilizing the swapping functionality is useful. You can’t use this feature if you’re a citizen of the United States (Changelly doesn’t accept U.S. applicants).
Security Review
This card is EAL5+ certified and meets many security encryption protocols. All actions happen in the mobile app, and the card is needed to sign transactions. The FuzeW chip card requires a PIN to operate. You can establish a passphrase for your wallet. Because the card utilizes several encryption techniques, there’s little to be concerned about getting hacked.
Supported Coins
You may add as many as five additional cryptocurrencies: XRP, BCH, LTC, DOGE, and DASH. The mobile app also allows you to quickly browse a list of ERC-20 tokens that you can add and manage right from your phone.
There are probably a lot of questions about FuzeX. It’s an older idea intended to make payments using cryptocurrency more accessible, but it never took off. Tendering payments aren’t as prominent now as they were in the past. Defi and NFTs are currently at the forefront of attention. You may read all about FuzeX on this Reddit thread.
Overall Opinion
The FuzeW is a small, inconspicuous hardware wallet that’s simple to set up and use for transactions. It’s secure, waterproof to a degree, and adheres to numerous security standards. But it’s showing its age. There’s no support for connecting to modern decentralized apps, including participating in the defi ecosystem and the growing NFT space. It’s restricted to a handful of cryptocurrencies and can’t handle modern coins. If you’re only interested in Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as any of the currencies mentioned above, the FuzeW could be a great hardware wallet to manage your money. However, because you can’t access newer coins and dapp services, you’ll be restricting yourself if you limit yourself to just those cryptocurrencies.