Bitbox02 Multi Review (2025): Oddly Designed Cold Wallet

Key Takeaway

Pros

• Top notch security
• Simple design
• Tons of BTC features
• Lightweight
• Straightforward setup

Cons

• Pricy
• Difficult for new users
• App design is basic
• Awkward touch controls
• Small screen

What‘s Inside The Box?

Bitbox02 Multi Is A Compact, Lightweight Device

Bitbox02 is built from a material called polycarbonate, which is said to be practically unbreakable. This is the same material used in bulletproof glass, safety goggles, and even car headlights.

It bascially feels like a USB stick.

The screen is a standard 128 x 64 pixel white OLED display. Nothing too crazy here and common amongst other competitors.

Instead of physical buttons, it uses technology called capacitive touch sensors, meaning it senses when something that conducts electricity, such as a fingertip, is in contact with the screen.

Instead of a removable cable, BitBox02 Multi has a built-in USB-C plug. It runs purely off USB power.

Durability-wise, the device comes with a 2-year warranty.

And for color options, it’s black only.

Simple Bitbox02 Multi Setup With Awkward Touch Buttons

Setup is the usual hardware wallet experience.

First,ly download the BitBox app and plug in the device.

Unfortunately, we had to remove our phone case to connect it directly. Kind of annoying, but probably could’ve just used the included extension cable.

Once plugged in, the device automatically installs the latest firmware.

Afterwards, Bitbox02 can be set up the following ways: create a new wallet, restore from backup, or restore using a microSD or recovery words.

Backups with Bitbox are done a bit differently. Instead of writing down a seed phrase on paper, it saves your backup onto the included microSD.

This means recovery words are never get exposed to world. And also there’s no more blaming bad handwriting.

But if we lose the SD card, we lose our backup, which is the same as losing a seed phrase. But now in even smaller form to keep track of!

Setup was tedious at first.

The touch controls really took some time getting used to. Sometimes it registered side touches, making it easy to mess up which letter I wanted to press.

On mobile, using BitBox02 meant constantly flipping the device to confirm transactions and read any of the prompts.

Also the USB-C connection felt a little loose in the phone, making stability a worry.

Bitbox App: Basic Design With Additional Bitcoin Features

Inside the app we can manage our crypto assets in the usual manner: buy, sell, receive and send.

There’s another built-in 3rd party app for Bitcoin insurance called Bitsurance. Cool name, but only available in Germany.

If third-party wallet support is needed for dapps, we must download BitBox Bridge, which is a bit of a pain.

Privacy-wise, anyone can connect to a full Bitcoin node.

Also, users can route transactions anonymously through Tor to manually control which coins are spent in transactions.

Another useful feature is BIP85 child key derivation, which allows the owner create new wallets without exposing your original seed phrase.

Bitbox02 Supports Bitcoin & Ethereum

The app only supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, ERC-20 tokens and Litecoin.

Litecoin doesn’t really count, does it?

Through downloading third-party apps, you get access to 1500+ tokens.

And with that, there’s no NFT support.

Bitbox02 Multi Security: A Proven Track Record

There have been zero recorded hacks with Bitbox, which is incredible for a company created in 2015.

However in 2020, there was a newsletter email leak due to a third-party provider called ActiveCampaign.

Who hasn’t leaked our data by now right?

Under the hood, Bitbox is running a dual-chip setup.

The microcontroller (ATSAMD51J20A) stores an encrypted seed and runs open source firmware, while the secure element chip (ATECC608B) handles cryptographic operations such as generating private keys.

Additionally, USB communication on Bitbox is encrypted using noise protocol to stop malware.

The device has been audited by Census Labs. But do note it’s not clear what was specifically reviewed and tested, as the results don’t seem to be publicly available.

Bitbox is completely open-source, including its firmware, software, and even its hardware, which was x-rayed. View their Github here.

Biotbox02 Multi Reputation & Reviews

Bitbox was founded in 2015 in Switzerland. The Bitbox02 cold wallet wasn’t released until September 2019.

In terms of reviews, the brand holds a mind boggling 4.8 out of 5 with 2,000 reviews on trustpilot.com.

For the Bitbox02 Multi device specifically, the wallet scored a 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.com, 9.4 out of 10 on hardware-wallets.net and a 6 out of 10 on bitdegree.org.

Here’s what users are saying about the Bitbox02 Multi:

To get a true representation of Bitbox’s reputation, consult their socials, metrics and read what other users are saying.

And for those in need of help, there’s two ways to contact customer support: through chatbot and contact form.

Bitbox02 Multi Vs. Other Crypto Wallets

How does the Bitbox02 Multi ($149) differ from other popular hardware wallets?

Trezor

• Trezor Safe 3 ($79): BTC-only option, USB-C only, 2 buttons, more token support

Cardware

• Cardware BTC-only: ($77): BTC-only, larger size, better app, fun setup

Ledger

• Ledger S ($59): similiar to Bitbox, USB only and small screen, better token supoort
• Ledger X ($149): battery powered, bluetooth or USB-C connection, better token support
• Ledger Flex ($249): bluetooth or USB C, larger screen, better token support
• Ledger Stax ($399): essentially same as Flex, but with a curved screen and label binding

Tangem

• Tangem card ($50): NFC, less security, more portable, better token support
• Tangem ring ($160): NFC, less security, more portable, better token support

OneKey

• OneKey Classic 1S ($99): 4 buttons, bluetooth or USB C, better token support

Coolwallet

• Coolwallet Go ($69): NFC, less security, more portable
• Coolwallet Pro ($149): battery, small screen, clunky, slow, more portable

Safepal

• Safepal S1 ($50): QR codes for transactions, slower transactions, similar build quality, more token support

Cypherock

• Cypherock X1 ($149): USB-C only, joystick, 4 card backups

Secux

• Secux Neo X ($179): bulky, similar build quality

Final Thoughts: Not Good Enough In 2025

There’s so much to say here about this wallet.

We really liked some parts of the design, such as the use of a micro SD to secretly store your keys.

Security practices of the Shift Crypto team are top class, and their track record and reputation proves this.

Some of the advanced features in setup and on the app were great to see, which could come in handy for more advanced users.

But there’s a few things I just can’t get past.

Putting the USB C port directly on the device makes sense in theory, but due to how wide it is, it can block other ports.

Also, the capacitive touch sensors were cool at first but theyre more finicky than just using physical buttons or a touchscreen.

Additionally, the app UI just isnt up to par for a 2025 crypto app experience.

So should you buy the Bitbox02 Multi?

As a modern multi chain hardware wallet, there’s just too much lacking compared to competitors at this price range.

Saying that, Bitbox02 could be a very solid option as a dedicated Bitcoin only hardware wallet.

If you want to grab one, check my link below.

Thanks for reading and catch ya in the next review!