ZachXBT, the internet’s most prolific on-chain detective, just told the crypto world to throw their hardware wallets in the trash. Trezor’s top commercial executive would like a word.
The investigator posted on Telegram on July 16, calling existing hardware wallets “complete garbage” and advising users against relying on them for signing transactions or storing funds. His alternative recommendation: a dedicated crypto-only iPhone. Trezor’s Chief Commercial Officer Danny Sanders fired back the same day, defending hardware wallets as purpose-built security tools that minimize attack surfaces.
The case against (and for) hardware wallets
ZachXBT’s critique wasn’t subtle. “I do not advise using them for important tasks like signing transactions or storing funds,” he wrote, essentially telling users that the devices marketed as the gold standard of self-custody aren’t fit for purpose.
Sanders disagreed, though not by dismissing the concerns entirely. He emphasized that hardware wallets serve as independent verification devices with dedicated screens, meaning users can confirm what they’re actually signing before broadcasting a transaction. That’s something a general-purpose smartphone, even an iPhone, doesn’t inherently provide.
