Coldcard vs Foundation Passport
Two hardware wallets with different architectures: Coldcard works air-gapped. On code, Foundation Passport is fully open-source and auditable, the other is not: if sovereignty matters to you, that weighs a lot. On price Coldcard wins: €159 vs €383. In our editorial rating Foundation Passport leads (4.4 vs 3.6). The right wallet is the one you will actually use: assess your flow first (holding vs frequent use), then the spec sheet.
| Coldcard | Foundation Passport | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | B | A |
| Rating | ★ 3.6 | ★ 4.4 |
| Fund custody | Self-custody (funds in your control) | Self-custody (funds in your control) |
| Type | Hardware (cold storage) | Hardware (cold storage) |
| Source code | Partly open-source | Open-source |
| Recovery | Seed phrase 12/24 parole (BIP-39); backup cifrato su microSD | Seed phrase 12/24 parole (BIP-39) |
| Bitcoin-only | Yes | Yes |
| Supported chains | Bitcoin | Bitcoin |
| Price | €159 | €383 |
| Secure element | Yes | Yes |
| Air-gapped | Yes | No |
| Connectivity | USB-C, NFC, microSD, QR | QR, USB-C, NFC, Bluetooth |
| Companion app | Sparrow / Nunchuk / Electrum / Bitcoin Core (PSBT) | Envoy |
| Built-in swap | No | No |
| Built-in staking | No | No |
| Segment | B2C | B2C |
| Built-in fiat on-ramp | — | No |
| Regions | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC, LATAM, MENA, Africa | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC, LATAM, MENA, Africa |
| Licences & safety | Nessuna (hardware wallet self-custody) | Nessuna (hardware wallet self-custody) |
Frequently asked questions
Coldcard vs Foundation Passport: which is better?
Two hardware wallets with different architectures: Coldcard works air-gapped. On code, Foundation Passport is fully open-source and auditable, the other is not: if sovereignty matters to you, that weighs a lot. On price Coldcard wins: €159 vs €383. In our editorial rating Foundation Passport leads (4.4 vs 3.6). The right wallet is the one you will actually use: assess your flow first (holding vs frequent use), then the spec sheet.
Is Coldcard custodial or self-custody?
Coldcard is self-custody: you keep the keys, while Foundation Passport is self-custody.