Tangem, founded in 2017, makes a battery-free, screenless hardware wallet in a bank-card (and newer ring) form factor that signs transactions via NFC tap against a companion phone app, with a certified secure-element chip inside the card. It uses a multi-card backup scheme rather than a written seed phrase. It is self-custody, cold storage. We have not completed a hands-on test and publish no current price until confirmed on Tangem's own site.
Card form factor and secure element
Tangem's design departs sharply from the typical hardware wallet: instead of a device with a screen and buttons, the private key lives inside an EAL6+ certified secure-element chip embedded in a card (or, in a newer form factor, a ring), with no battery and no screen of its own. Signing happens via an NFC tap against the Tangem companion app on your phone, which displays and lets you verify the transaction while the card itself performs the cryptographic signing.
This removes the USB/Bluetooth data-connection attack surface entirely — there is no wireless data protocol between the card and the world beyond the NFC tap — at the cost of relying on your phone's screen (rather than the wallet's own screen) to display what you are signing.
Backup without a seed phrase
Rather than a single written seed phrase, Tangem ships a set of 2–3 backup cards, each holding an independent copy of the key material set up at the same time as the primary card, so losing one card does not mean losing access. This trades the classic seed-phrase model (portable, but a single point of failure if photographed or found) for a multi-card model where the cards themselves must be kept safe and separate.
Everyday use
The Tangem app handles portfolio view and native staking for select assets. There is no browser extension and no dedicated desktop signing flow — the device is built around the phone-tap interaction — so users who need heavy browser-dApp interaction may find a USB/Bluetooth hardware wallet paired with MetaMask a better fit. We publish no current price; check Tangem's own site.
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- No USB or Bluetooth data connection at all — signing is via NFC tap only, removing a class of remote attack surface.
- EAL6+ certified secure element inside a durable card (or ring) form factor.
- Multi-card backup avoids a single written seed phrase as the sole point of failure.
Limitations
- No screen on the card itself — you verify transactions on your phone's screen via the companion app, not an independent device display.
- No browser extension or dedicated desktop signing flow, which limits heavy browser-dApp use.
- We have not completed a hands-on test and publish no current price.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tangem use a seed phrase?
No — Tangem uses a set of 2-3 backup cards, each an independent copy of the key material, instead of a single written seed phrase.
How does Tangem connect to a phone?
Via NFC tap only — there is no USB or Bluetooth data connection, which removes those specific attack surfaces present on some other hardware wallets.
Can Tangem be used with browser dApps?
It has no browser extension of its own; it is built around the phone-tap companion app rather than direct browser-extension dApp connections.