Keystone 3 Pro: A Community-Centric Designed Hardware Wallet

Greetings, I am Lixin, the CEO of Keystone Hardware Wallet. Not so long ago, I shared insights on our holistic approach to hardware wallet design, emphasizing the critical necessity of looking at security from various angles. Building on that foundation, today, I wish to shed light on our latest product, the Keystone 3 Pro, and its embodiment of what we call “community-oriented” product design.

It’s been 12 years since I embarked on my journey in the tech world, starting as a product manager. Despite now holding the title of CEO, I remain a product manager at heart, continually focusing on the end-user’s experience and needs.

Web2 vs Web3

Before delving into the article, it’s crucial to understand the distinct differences between Web2 and Web3 ideologies. Succinctly put: while Web2 companies construct walled gardens, Web3 organizations are committed to building bridges to forge connections.

1. Web2 Mentality: Here, the emphasis is on creating an enclosed and self-contained ecosystem that effectively retains users. The main motivation is to optimize financial gains. While this is not inherently negative, it does limit open collaboration and innovation.

2. Web3 Vision: This approach is about building bridges. It’s about fostering connections between disparate “islands” and allowing for seamless integration. Even more impressively, the products in Web3 aren’t just “connected”; they can be layered atop each other to cater to myriad scenarios.

What is a “Community-Oriented” Product?

Now, after helping you understand the stark contrasts between the philosophies of Web2 and Web3, I’d like to share the design principles that motivated the creation of the Keystone 3 Pro. Great “community-oriented” products are:

1. Non-restrictive: In today’s digital age, communities crave a setup where their data isn’t confined to a single app or platform. They seek the freedom to choose.

2. Composable: Products, especially in the Web3 space, should be inherently interoperable, allowing them to be meshed together to cater to a multitude of user scenarios.

3. Less Profit Driven: While such a design philosophy might not always be viable, the beauty of Web3 lies in consensus-building. If a product garners community consensus, its longevity and success are assured.

Let’s take a look at some examples where this ethos is demonstrated in Web3:

1. BIP39: At its core, BIP39 is about generating a seed phrase, which is a series of easily remembered words. This serves as a human-friendly representation of a wallet’s seed, which is crucial for backing up and restoring wallet data. Due to it’s widely adopted standard, the BIP39 seed phrase ensures that users can migrate or recover their assets across different software wallets without any hitches.

2. Fat Protocol Thesis: The thesis here is that most of the value is captured at the protocol layer (e.g., Ethereum, Bitcoin. Applications built on top (e.g, Decentralized apps like Uniswap, Sushi, Pancakeswap might be numerous and valuable, but the underlying protocol will still capture the significant share of the value.

3. Composable Wallets: In summary, composable wallets can be seamlessly integrated or used in combination with other software or digital wallet solutions, providing users with expanded functionality and interoperability. These types of wallets are especially useful in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and blockchain ecosystems where multiple tools, platforms, and protocols often need to interact.

Keystone 3 Pro — The People’s Hardware Wallet

So, what makes the Keystone 3 Pro a great “community-oriented” product?

1. Interoperable (Non-restrictive & Composable): Rather than pushing for our own ecosystem, we’ve ensured that the Keystone 3 Pro is compatible with various software wallets. This not only enhances the security of these software wallets but also provides users with the comfort of not having to purchase and adapt to a new hardware wallet and its unique software application as their digital asset holdings continue to grow. Our vision is to transition away from our proprietary companion software wallet and to ensure that the Keystone 3 Pro is universally compatible with every software wallet out there.

2. Multi-Seed Support (Less Profit Driven): We understand the importance of flexibility. That’s why we’ve programmed the Keystone 3 Pro to be able to support up to three seed phrases, eliminating the need for users to purchase several Keystone devices to manage multiple seed phrases simultaneously.

Commercially, these decisions may seem conflicting. But we firmly believe in the overarching thesis of Web3 — Consensus Trumps All. By prioritizing the community and their needs, we believe that the Keystone 3 Pro will not only stand out but also stand the test of time.

Closing Thoughts

To all our valued users, I deeply appreciate the improvement feedbacks you’ve provided Keystone throughout the years. It has not only been instrumental in the growth and refinement of the Keystone 3 Pro but has also underscored the significance of a community-driven approach.

Keystone’s mission has always been to equip you with the best, and your insights have been a beacon guiding us through the ever-evolving landscape of Web3. As we continue on this journey, we hope you remain by our side and share more of your Keystone experiences and feedback with us.

Do continue to stay connected and share more thoughts with us about the Keystone 3 Pro on Twitter — @KeystoneWallet, as we further our commitment to safeguarding your financial independence.

Thank you for being a pivotal part of our story. Here’s to more years of collaboration and mutual growth!