FAQs Archive - Satochip

Q: Is it like a credit or debit bank card?

Nope… The Satochip hardware wallet looks like a bank card but it’s not a credit nor a debit card. The chip is loaded with the Satochip quality code to provide hardware wallet fucntionalities. Of course you can use your Satochip hardware wallet to spend your funds like any other wallet. But not at your local shop.

Q: May I use my Satochip card to buy things at grocery?

No you can’t. The Satochip card is a hardware wallet. Not a debit nor a credit card.

Q: May I use my Satochip card to store multiple cryptocurrencies?

Yes, it's possible! Satochip supports a large number of blockchains, coins, tokens and NFTs that can be stored simultaneously on your card.

Q: Does the Satochip card need any specific drivers?

Yes and no. To use the Satochip card, you will need a chip card reader or a NFC reader. The card itself does not require any specific drivers. We have tested a wide variety of card reader on the market and all of them accept the Satochip hardware wallet but we cannot affirm that all chip card readers are suitable. That’s why we are selling our own smart card reader which is fully tested with our Satochip cards.

Q: Has the Satochip card the ability to generate new addresses after each spending?

Yes. The Satochip hardware wallet is fully BIP32/BIP39 compliant. That means a new address is generated after each spending. From the user perspective, it works transparently, except that the keys are stored securely within the chip.

Q: How to use the Satochip hardware wallet?

To use your Satochip hardware wallet, you will need : A chip card or NFC reader, available at our shop ; And a dedicated software client . Plug your card on the computer by using the chip card reader, start the Satochip client, initialize your Satochip hardware wallet and enjoy! For more info, check out our Quick Start page.

Q: How to backup and restore your Satochip hardware wallet?

Each Satochip hardware wallet is delivered non-initialized to the customer. During the wallet initialization with the suitable Satochip client, the seedphrase is shown on the screen and must be confirmed by the user. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME the seedphrase is visible to the user and the only opportunity to do a backup of it! After that, it is no more possible to export the seedphrase or any private key from the device. The seedphrase and optionally the PIN code are the information the user needs to recover the Satochip hardware wallet on another hardware wallet.

Q: I need help to use my Satochip card.

If you need assistance regarding your Satochip product, have a look: - at the Satochip Quick Start page; - at the Satochip Academy , where you will find a lot of useful blog posts, tutorials and product information. You don't find what you are looking for? Head on our Assistance page to contact us directly.

Q: 1. What is a crypto wallet?

A crypto wallet is like your leather wallet. If you want to hodl Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs or any other cryptocurrencies then you need a wallet to store them. When you set up a wallet, you automatically get a pair of cryptographic keys; the public key and the private key. These keys enable you to authenticate and validate transactions, or view your account balance. There are two types of wallet: hardware and software. A software wallet will store your pair of keys locally on your phone, tablet or computer, while the hardware wallet will store them in a highly secure chip.

Q: 2. How does a crypto wallet work?

The materialization of cryptocurrency is represented by a pair of cryptographic keys: the public key and the private key. Once you have these keys, you are the one and only owner of your cryptocurrency. The public key is comparable to your bank account number. It enables you to receive cryptocurrencies. You can share it to third parties without compromising the security of your wallet. The private key, on the other hand, is strictly personal. It allows you to spend the coins and tokens in your wallet. It must never be divulged, and must be stored in a secure element.