2023 is the year when cryptocurrency emerged from the virtual realm into the real world.
Previously, physical cryptocurrency products were limited to things like Bitcoin mining rigs and nodes, but 2023 will see a flurry of product launches aimed at a wider range of mainstream consumers (albeit still early adopters).
This means leaving behind clunky user interfaces and giving way to sleek designs that reflect mainstream home appliances. From Web3 smartphones to NFT picture frames, we’ve rounded up some of the cryptocurrency kits that have caught our eye in 2023.
Solana Saga Smartphone
Launched in April of this year, Saga is a smartphone designed specifically for the Solana ecosystem, with a built-in hardware wallet and native store for decentralized applications (dapps). “This is the first step towards reaching a billion people using cryptocurrency,” said Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko. decryptionIt was pretty impressive on the first try. decryption It called it “sleek and premium,” with “rigorous and intuitive” Web3 integration, although it has some issues.
Of course, if you pay $1,000, you’re paying a hefty premium for the phone’s Web3 component, which can’t be matched by high-end offerings from the likes of Apple or Samsung. or you was.
The Saga smartphone, which was discounted to around $600 in recent weeks, sold out after some enterprising degens discovered that the BONK meme coins bundled with each device were worth more than the smartphone itself at current prices. Good luck now. With Saga phones sold out globally, Solana Labs is weighing its options.
Treasure Safe 3
As cryptocurrency exchange hacks and failures continue to make headlines, more and more cryptocurrency users are turning to cold storage to keep their holdings safe.
Trezor, a cryptocurrency hardware wallet manufacturer, has gone on the breach with its new Trezor Safe 3 device aimed at “new entrants” to the cryptocurrency industry. With a sleek design reminiscent of mainstream home appliances and a simple user interface, this product definitely lives up to its price tag.
muse frame
If you’ve spent thousands of dollars on an NFT piece, you’ll probably want to share it with the world. A smartphone screen alone is not enough. An entire industry is starting to supply NFT enthusiasts with digital art frames to hang their Chromie Squiggles and Beeple editions on their walls. There’s no shortage of options available, but we were impressed by Muse Frame’s offering when London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery showcased its collection of NFT artwork, a milestone for the art world’s adoption of the technology.
Available in sizes up to 55 inches with a rotating mount, 4K display, HD speakers, and anti-glare screen, Muse Frame pairs with a smartphone app to put digital art in and out with a swipe.
Trezor Keep Metal
Cryptocurrency hardware wallets are also vulnerable to theft or damage, so it is recommended that you back up your mnemonic recovery seed. A metal wallet is one of the best ways to do this. More durable than paper, it’s an ideal way to keep your seed stationery safe from fire, floods, and anything else life can throw at it. Includes maximum hydraulic press and acid bath.
New this year is a product from Trezor. Made from aerospace-grade stainless steel, Trezor Keep Metal lets you type the first four letters of each word in your 12-word recovery phrase. Can be sealed with a tamper-evident sticker for added security.
Nike x RTFKT Dunk Ghost Edition and Dunk VOID Edition
Nike and its cryptocurrency subsidiary RTFKT have released sneaker merchandise before, but the launch of the RTFKT Dunk Genesis sneaker was different. Previous drops required users to purchase NFTs to get actual kicks, but that’s not the case with this drop. But it’s still tied to NFTs, with built-in near-field communication (NFC) chips that allow users to acquire digital collectibles and connect products with virtual twins.
This is an interesting move by Nike, and signals its intention to broaden the reach of its NFT service beyond the narrow niche of cryptocurrency-savvy sneakerheads. Could this be the moment when Web3 fashion goes mainstream?
Vertu Metavertus II
Solana Saga Located at the exact opposite end of the smartphone market, the Metavertu II is, at first glance, an incredibly stupid idea. Targeting the 0.1%, Web3 smartphones cost up to $9,300 and come wrapped in alligator leather. But with cryptocurrency nouveau riche Appealing to this new luxury consumer, which shows no signs of disappearing, makes sense for resurgent boutique smartphone brands.
And of course Vertu has gone above and beyond to include Web3 smart features. The phones feature a new I-DID identity verification system that links the phone’s IMEI number to the user’s decentralized identifier, creating a “passport to the Web3 world,” said the company’s CEO Gary Chan. decryption. The secure element chip adds signing and anti-ZK smart features, and the Web3 dapp is managed by a separate parallel OS.
“Some of our product features are ahead of current user adoption, which allows us to offer features that users may not be able to take advantage of right away,” Chan said. These features may make their way to mainstream devices in the next few years, but for now, you have to work to stay ahead of the curve.
meta quest 3
Mark Zuckerberg’s virtual land grab has seen his company Meta claim the term “metaverse”. This has led Web3 gaming companies like The Sandbox and Animoca Brands to push the idea of an “open metaverse” as opposed to Meta’s “walled garden.” draw close.
Of course, we are still a long way from the promised land of a decentralized metaverse where virtual goods can be ported to one platform or another as NFTs. That said, for the time being, the simplest way to experience the Metaverse is through Meta’s own consumer-friendly products.
Selling at an aggressive price thanks to Meta’s deep pockets, the Quest 3 is simple to set up and has top-end specs, including 2064×2208 resolution per eye, up to 512GB of storage, a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, and 8GB of RAM. For the first time in the Quest line of headsets, mixed reality capabilities are also available.
