Cryptosteel Review – How Good Are Cryptosteel Capsule and Cassette?
Felix Küster
What you'll learn 👉
What is Cryptosteel?
Cryptosteel is a metal wallet backup device for cryptocurrencies, that comes in two editions: a capsule and a cassette. It allows users to keep their 12–24 wallet seed words in a metallic (stainless steel) case, which makes it a more durable and safer alternative to classic paper wallets that can easily be lost or destroyed by the elements.
Cryptosteel’s main products come in two different forms and sizes, a smaller one called the capsule and a second device in the shape of a credit card wallet, also known as the Cryptosteel Cassette. Both metal devices are portable and lightweight and represent a secure solution for offline private keys and wallet seed words storage.
All major hardware wallets manufacturers like Ledger, Trezor, Ellipal, Safepal etc. have come up with a metal seed phrase backups such as Cryptosteel. They usually recommend purchasing them along with the wallet devices for the fullest security. Top Cryptosteel competitor is Billfodl which we reviewed here.
Here is a full comparison of Billfodl vs Cryptosteel.
Pricing and packaging
Cryptosteel has different pricing options and bundles for both their capsule and cassette devices. Customers who order more than one product get free shipping and discounts. The Capsule Solo package costs $101, and the Cryptosteel Capsule Duo (2 devices) is $162 on Cryptosteel’s official website.
The Cryptosteel Cassette Solo package costs $142, and the Cassette Duo package (two units package) costs $220.
Other bundles are available at various prices, such as Capsule Trio (three devices) at $226 or the Capsule Quintet (five devices) at $364. The package comes with a large plastic holder that holds all of the device’s parts and different plates, such as separation, closure, and character plates. The Cryptosteel cassette’s dimensions are 106x60x6 mm, with a weight of 480 g or 1,06 lb.
The shipping price for Cryptosteel depends on the destination and shipping method and is free for orders above $150.
How does it work?
Any cryptocurrency user (from simple investors to professional crypto traders) should know that keeping their digital assets safe is very important. Cryptocurrency wallets come with a 12 to 24-word mnemonic password that you can export to an offline format (usually written on a piece of paper). And this is where the Cryptosteel wallet backup device comes into play.
Each device comes with a set of German stainless steel character tiles introduced to form a password or a number of words (using A to Z letters from the Latin alphabet). The device is then closed and stored in a safe place as a much better alternative to a fragile piece of paper.
When the wallet backup is needed, you must open up the device and read the stored words or password. The Cryptosteel capsule package includes a set of 800 randomized character tiles (ASCII)) and the cassette has 280 tiles (capital letters from A to Z).
Who needs Cryptosteel or other metal wallets?
Cryptosteel is a cold storage (offline) backup solution needed by anyone who wants to keep their cryptocurrency funds and assets safe. A piece of paper cannot connect to the internet, which makes it one of the safest ways to store confidential information.
The Cryptosteel cold storage backup device works in the same way. It never connects to the internet and is much more durable, given that it is fireproof and waterproof.
The first impression of Cryptosteel Capsule
The Cryptosteel capsule is made from high-quality German stainless steel and looks durable and long-lasting at first glance. Compared to other classic cold storage wallet backup solutions, such as paper wallets, Cryptsteel is more durable and hence, safer for the end user.
The capsule
The capsule contains three main pieces and comes in the same package with a set of character tiles and plates. When fully set up, the first piece is the cap of the capsule, followed by the core onto which to insert the tiles and the metal plates (characters. separators, and closure plates).
The Cryptosteel capsule device is created using construction-grade stainless steel, is designed to withstand the elements of nature, and lasts over 1000 years.
Biggest drawback of the Cryptosteel Capsule
However, the capsule cannot contain a 24 word seed phrase because some of the words have more than 4 letters. When you absolutely need to use a particular word, you have to essentially paraphrase it and hope you remember it.
This should have been planned better or at least a capsule that fits the 24 seed phrase could have been provided. Given the money I spent for this capsule, I certainly expect more from such an intuitive firm.
The plates
The Cryptosteel package contains three different types of metallic plates. Most plates are character plates, followed by separators (used to separate words) and closure plates (which keep the characters onto the core so they don’t slip off).
How to set Cryptosteel up?
To set up the Cryptosteel device, you first need to unscrew the cap, slide the letter tiles from the set in the correct order onto the core, and then screw the lid back on. Don’t forget to store it in a safe place and remember that location.
If necessary, you can use character tiles to arrange your data or the separators provided in the package to segment information.
Main features
The Cryptosteel devices use stainless steel (303 and 304 grade), which allows them to be water-proof, shockproof (it can resist the impact of a 9 mm projectile, and fireproof.
Waterproof
The Cryptosteel devices are waterproof up to a pressure of 150000N.
Fireproof (up to temperatures of 2500F/1400C).
Improved Security
When closed, both the Cryptosteel capsule and cassette devices do not show the password at first glance, which adds a layer of security.
High Mobility
Cryptosteel is small and lightweight, which makes it very easy to transport, protect, or hide the device.
High Flexibility
Cryptosteel currently supports all printable ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) characters.
How do you use crypto capsules?
To understand how backup capsules work, you have to carefully read and follow the steps provided in the product documentation that comes with the package. They have three easy steps: unscrewing the cap, introducing the letter tiles and word separators on the core, and screwing the lid back on to protect the information inside the capsule.
FAQs
Although competition says that Cryptosteel is a poor backup solution, feedback from the community shows that Cryptosteel is a long-lasting and cost-effective steel device.
Seed phrases could let anyone get into your crypto wallet, so they should be kept in the real world, on a piece of paper or a backup device made of metal like Cryptosteel. Since these devices cannot connect to the internet, they don’t get exposed to common internet threats, like hacking activities or spoofing.
Cryptosteel is a water-proof and fireproof device that can be stored almost anywhere, including in the ground. It can sustain temperatures up to 2500F (1400C) and has good shock-resisting properties.
Crypto steel uses stainless steel for its crypto backup devices, particularly grade 303 and 304. This type of steel is known to be durable and anti-corrosive.
Yes, Cryptosteel is compatible with Ledger Nano S and Nano X and both the TREZOR Model One and the TREZOR Model T.
You can purchase Cryptosteel devices on the company’s official website cryptosteel.com and on other sites such as eBay, Amazon, Ledger.com, and other websites that ship to the USA.
