SafePal S1 review
Last reviewed 2026-08-25
Security warning
The SafePal S1 is a budget air-gapped signer, and its defining feature is what it does not have. There is no USB data connection, no WiFi, no Bluetooth and no NFC. Every transaction crosses between the device and the SafePal app as a QR code read by a camera, which means a compromised computer or phone has no channel to the device at all. SafePal describes the S1 line on its own site as fully air-gapped and 100 percent offline, and sells a newer Bluetooth model, the X1, alongside it.
The one public security event dates to February 2021, when Kraken Security Labs disclosed that the S1's firmware update check could be tricked into accepting an older, weaker firmware version without the user noticing, a time-of-check to time-of-use flaw. Kraken said it was not able to steal cryptocurrency using the flaw during its research, and SafePal shipped a fix. The bug is five years old and patched; what is worth taking from it is the response, because a vendor that accepts an outside report and patches promptly is behaving the way you want.
Be clear about what the SafePal app is, though. It is a broad crypto app: swaps, DeFi, NFTs and an in-app buy feature, covering bitcoin among a long list of chains. That breadth is the argument for the S1 if you hold a spread of assets and want one app, and the argument against it if you hold bitcoin and want the least possible code between you and your keys.
SafePal publishes no list of countries it ships to, pointing buyers to its own store and to an authorized reseller network instead, so no country list appears on this record.
- Made by
- SafePal
- Type
- Hardware device
- Runs on
- iOS, Android
- Who holds the keys
- self-custodial, keys held offline on a device with no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC connection
- Bitcoin only
- No, multi-asset
- Screen
- Small color screen with a camera for reading QR codes
- Connectivity
- QR codes only: no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC
- Coin support
- Multi-asset: bitcoin among a long list of chains and tokens, managed through the SafePal app
Pros and cons
What works
- No USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC: the only channel in or out is a QR code on a camera
- SafePal's budget cold storage line, positioned below the newer Bluetooth X1
- Broad asset support with swap, buy and DeFi features for people who hold more than bitcoin
- SafePal accepted an outside security report from Kraken Security Labs and shipped a fix
What to watch
- Not bitcoin-only, and the companion app is a broad crypto app rather than a focused signer
- The February 2021 Kraken disclosure showed the firmware update check could be downgraded without the user noticing
- Verification happens on a small screen, which makes careful address checking slower
- SafePal publishes no shipping country policy, pointing at a reseller network instead
Worth comparing
- Blockstream JadeBitcoin-only line from $79 to $149 that ships no secure element on purpose: a locked Jade holds nothing worth extracting.
- Keystone 3 ProAir-gapped signing on a 4 inch touchscreen, with three security chips and a fingerprint reader, at $149.
- Tangem WalletA smart card you tap against your phone, sold only in sets of two or three so your backup is another card rather than a written seed.
Frequently asked questions
Was the SafePal S1 hacked?
No theft was reported. In February 2021 Kraken Security Labs disclosed a flaw in how the S1 verified firmware updates, which could let an attacker install older, weaker firmware without the user noticing. Kraken said it could not steal cryptocurrency with the flaw during its research, and SafePal patched it.
How does the SafePal S1 sign transactions without a cable?
By camera. The SafePal app shows a QR code holding the unsigned transaction, the device scans it, you approve on the device, and it displays a QR code back for the app to read and broadcast. Nothing electrical ever connects the two.
What is the difference between the SafePal S1 and the X1?
SafePal describes the S1 line as fully air-gapped and 100 percent offline, while the X1 is a newer open source model that uses Bluetooth. Bluetooth is more convenient and adds a wireless attack surface the S1 does not have.
Does SafePal ship to my country?
SafePal publishes no country list. It sells direct and through an authorized reseller network, so the checkout on its own store, or the nearest authorized reseller, is the only reliable answer.