Keycard is a card-shaped hardware wallet that holds the private keys used to authorize crypto transactions. A software wallet prepares the transaction; the physical card signs it. The card can work with a phone, a computer with a reader, or the optional Keycard Shell device.
Guide scope: the walkthrough below uses Keycard Shell with MetaMask for Ethereum-compatible accounts. It is not the NFC phone-only setup and does not establish support for every network available elsewhere in MetaMask.
Choose how to use the card
- Phone: tap Keycard against an NFC-enabled iOS or Android phone running Status. The card needs no battery.
- Computer: use a USB smart card reader with Status Desktop for Ethereum-compatible accounts, or Sparrow for Bitcoin. Status Desktop is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Keycard Shell: insert the card into a separate device with a screen, keypad and camera. Shell exchanges transaction requests and signatures with compatible software wallets through QR codes. A Shell bundle includes two Keycards.
Shell can connect to MetaMask, Rabby and other supported wallets. These integrations do not mean that the same apps can read a card directly through NFC. Shell requires an inserted Keycard; it does not replace the card.
Keys and transaction review
Keycard identifies its secure element, the chip that stores and uses the private keys, as EAL6+ certified. This designation concerns the chip. The card applet and Shell firmware have public source code. Shell adds a separate screen for reviewing a request before approval; requests it cannot decode are displayed as technical data rather than a full explanation.
A card holds one master wallet key, from which multiple addresses can be derived. Additional cards can hold the same wallet backup or separate wallets. Shell can be shared between cards without becoming the place where their private keys are stored.
Networks and software requirements
Keycard supports Bitcoin, Ethereum and EVM-compatible networks, which use Ethereum-compatible smart-contract technology. The EVM network labels here include Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon PoS and Avalanche C-Chain. The connected software wallet must support the intended network, asset and signing method.
Bitcoin support includes legacy, nested SegWit, native SegWit and multisignature workflows, where several keys approve a transaction. Taproot and Solana are not currently supported. Shell has English interface text; the companion wallet determines the languages available for managing balances and accounts.
Fit and prerequisites
- Useful for: keeping signing keys on a removable card, using the same card with compatible mobile and desktop software, or adding a dedicated review screen with Shell.
- Less suited to: a software-only setup, Solana accounts, or a Bitcoin workflow that requires Taproot.
- Account required: no separate Keycard account is needed for signing. The chosen software wallet has its own onboarding.
- Wallet required: a compatible software wallet is needed to view balances, prepare requests and broadcast signed transactions. You can create a new wallet on the card or restore a compatible backup; owning an existing wallet is not a prerequisite.
Hardware cost and network charges
The card, USB reader and Shell are paid hardware products. The total depends on the configuration and bundle; a card-only purchase does not include Shell. Blockchain network fees are separate from the hardware purchase. Swaps and other services accessed through companion wallets may have their own provider charges.
