Aegis

What it does

Aegis is a stylish wearable hard crypto wallet that solves the problem of insecure online cryptocurrency storage. It offers effortless, secure, and accessible digital asset management by keeping private keys offline, protecting against scams and malware.

Your inspiration

The primary motivation was to address the critical challenge of providing secure and user-friendly digital asset management in the face of rising cryptocurrency-related crime like malware, phishing, and theft. The idea came from identifying a gap between cumbersome but secure traditional hardware wallets and convenient but vulnerable online wallets. The solution was to create Aegis, a stylish, wearable device that combines the high security of offline "cold storage" with the ease of use and accessibility of a "hot wallet" for daily life.

How it works

Aegis stores your cryptocurrency private keys in a secure chip within a wearable titanium device. When making transactions, you use the companion app to send details via encrypted Bluetooth to your Aegis device. The chip signs transactions internally without exposing your private keys, requiring physical confirmation on the device before transmitting only the signed data back. This "cold storage" keeps keys offline and safe from hackers while the wearable design with tap-to-pay NFC makes daily crypto use as convenient as contactless payments. The system includes social savings features and supports multiple cryptocurrencies through its mobile app, all protected by tamper-resistant hardware that maintains bank-grade security in a stylish, everyday wearable format.

Design process

Our design process began with a week-long design sprint starting with intensive material and chipset research, where we selected premium titanium for durability and identified certified security chip requirements for cold storage architecture. Days 1-3 focused on form factor exploration, creating physical mockups to test wearable dimensions and weight distribution across different wrist sizes, iterating through multiple strap mechanisms before settling on the swappable design for personalization. Days 4-5 involved technical integration, housing the security chip with Bluetooth and NFC components while developing UI prototypes for the companion app to test core wallet functions and social savings pools concept. We mapped the complete transaction flow from initiation to physical confirmation, then spent days 6-7 refining the design by combining ergonomic findings with technical constraints and creating comprehensive visualizations. Post-sprint development refined the concept based on sprint learnings, leading to our 2025 Indigo Award recognition, though we're currently addressing commercialization challenges including specific security certifications, supply chain establishment, and brand differentiation.

How it is different

Aegis is the first truly wearable hardware wallet, eliminating the need to carry separate devices by staying on your wrist for instant access. Unlike utilitarian competitors like Ledger and Trezor, our premium titanium construction with swappable straps transforms security into a fashion statement. We integrate tap-to-pay NFC for contactless crypto payments and introduce social savings pools for collaborative finance - features absent in traditional hardware wallets. While competitors like Coldcard prioritize maximum security through air-gapped isolation, we balance certified chip security with seamless Bluetooth connectivity for daily usability. Most hardware wallets focus purely on individual asset storage, but Aegis creates a comprehensive lifestyle platform combining security, style, and social features, bridging institutional-grade protection with consumer-friendly daily crypto use.

Future plans

Our immediate priority is transitioning from award-winning concept to market-ready product through securing manufacturing partnerships and finalizing specific security certifications (FIPS/EAL levels). We're developing a clear commercialization roadmap with defined pricing and distribution while establishing distinct brand identity to differentiate from other "Aegis" products. Long-term, we aim to catalyze mainstream crypto adoption by making digital assets as accessible as traditional payments, expanding DeFi integrations and merchant partnerships for widespread tap-to-pay acceptance.

Awards

Reddot Design Concept 2025 Indigo Design Awards Gold Winner 2025