Tuesday, November 12, 2021

Video Review: Cryptotag Zeus

In this video review, Bitcoin Magazine tests the Cryptotag Zeus, a 100-percent titanium, recovery seed storage device. 

The Zeus allows users to make a virtually indestructible, seed-phrase backup plaque in less than five minutes. Essentially, they engrave a series of numbers that correspond to a 12- or 24-word seed phrase provided by their hardware or software wallet onto a titanium surface. 

How Do You Use It? 

When a user sets up a bitcoin wallet, a set of 12 or 24 words is provided, known as a recovery seed, for the user to write down in a safe place in case they lose access to their wallet. 

Unlike the earlier version of the Cryptotag, which required you to hammer in each letter of each word in your seed phrase, the Zeus uses a list of numbers that correspond to the BIP 39 open-source list of seed words. Inscribing these numbers into the titanium plate is easier than writing out full words.

Each of the 2,048 words included in BIP 39 corresponds to a four-digit number, per Cryptotag’s system for the Zeus. For example, the word “abandon” corresponds with the number 0001. Once the words are converted into their corresponding numbers, a center punch tool is used to punch in each digit into the titanium Zeus plate.

Cryptotag provides a sheet of paper to write down the conversion numbers for your 12 or 24 unique words so that you can have the numbers ready to go before you need to punch them in. It also provides a set of matches with the Zeus, so you can burn this sheet once the information is embedded into the plate and reduce another point of failure. 

Once your numbers have been punched into the two, 6 mm-thick titanium plates, the setup of the Cryptotag Zeus is complete. 

Looks and Design

The Zeus comes in a really neatly packaged, small, white box that you’ll see in the review video above. The messaging on the outside — “This is for the HODLers” — makes you feel like an individual, while also part of a much bigger movement. The branding of the entire product is minimalistic, which is nice and translates well to set up for the Zeus. 

As a seed-phrase storage device, the Zeus is an ideal choice for a Bitcoin beginner or expert who has only one hardware wallet. 

The Zeus is available for $99 USD on Cryptotag’s website. 

This is an editorial hardware review by Bitcoin Magazine. All opinions expressed are the writer’s own without express approval or input from the manufacturer.

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https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/video-review-cryptotag-zeus