Cryptotag Review and User Guide
Last Updated: 1/15/22
Cryptotag is a premium seed phrase backup solution in the form of a titanium tablet. It keeps your seed phrase safe and indestructible. In this post I’ll review the product and also explain how to use it.
Post Summary
Cryptotag allows you to engrave your seed phrase on virtually indestructible titanium plates. The product is amazingly designed with one main flew in my opinion – unlike competitors in this field, it’s not reusable. Meaning, if you change wallets or make a mistake while engraving you will need to get new plates.
If you want a more detailed review of Cryptotag keep on reading. Here’s what I’ll cover:
- What are premium backup solutions?
- The Cryptotag titanium plate
- Cryptotag’s Price
- Cryptorag Competition
- Conclusion – Is the Cryptotag worth it?
Don’t like to read? Watch this 1 Minute tutorial instead
1. What are Premium Backup Solutions?
When setting up a cryptocurrency wallet you initially receive a seed phrase which acts like the password to your wallet. The seed phrase, comprised out of 12-24 words (depending on the wallet), is the only way you can recover funds inside the wallet in case the wallet gets lost, stolen or destroyed.
Since the phrase acts as a password to your wallet, if someone gets their hands (or eyes) on your seed phrase they can gain control over the coin inside your wallet. That’s why this phrase should be kept extremely private and safe.
This brings up the issue of how do you keep a backup safe? The obvious thing to do would be to keep it on a file in the cloud, but that’s a security disaster as you’re potentially allowing hackers remote access to the seed phrase.
Therefor, smart Bitcoiners keep their backup offline on a piece of paper which is kept hidden in a safe location. But what happens if this location (e.g. your house), burns down, gets flooded or struck by any other disaster?. These issues brought up the need for premium backup solutions such as Cryptosteel and now Cryptotag.
The idea behind a premium backup is to write your seed phrase on a substance that is durable and can handle extreme conditions like fire, water and gravity. Personally, I find these solutions necessary if I want to make sure my seed phrase stays safe.
Here’s how robust the Cryptotag is:
2. The Cryptotag Titanium Plate
The Cryptotag is basically a titanium plate on which you engrave your seed phrase. You don’t engrave the whole phrase, only the first 4 letters of each word. This is standard practice on most premium backup tools, as the first 4 letters are enough to make up the whole word according to BIP39 (the protocol used to create seed phrase backups used by most hardware wallets).
The Crpytotag comes with a very massive setup kit; The Cryptotag team has been influenced by goldsmiths, metal workers, the aviation industry and old engraving techniques. These influences are visible in the components which include a heavy hammer and titanium punching letters and anvil.
Everything you’ll need to engrave is included in the Cryptotag box (including earplugs for the noise). The whole process of engraving a 24 seed phrase takes about 15 minutes. Here’s how it’s done:
3. Cryptotag’s Price
At the moment the Cryptotag starter kit which allows you to backup two 24 word seed phrase wallets costs €169.99, with the expansion kit which includes additional plates for another two wallets costing €99.99.
In comparison, other companies offer the same amount of backups for about $150, which is a bit cheaper.
Shipping costs an additional €15, and depending on where you live there may be custom charges as well.
4. Cryptotag competition
There are currently two main competitors to Cryptotag: Cryptosteel and Billfodl. I’ve reviewed Cryptosteel in the past and found it to be a very good product. Billfodl creates a similar product to Cryptosteel with some improvements such as laser engraved tiles and better steel.
Both competing products have one major advantage over the Cryptotag – their solution is reusable. Unlike Cryptotag, with these products you don’t engrave, you merely enter tiles with letters.
If, for example, you made a mistake in your seed phrase with the Cryptosteel, you can just replace the tile. This is not an option in the Cryptotag. Also, if you’ve switched to a different wallet, you can just replace the tiles. With Cryptotag, you’ll need to use a brand new plate for this.
Why then did Cryptotag go with this option? To prevent the danger of losing tiles due to moving parts or the thin metal its competitors use. Also, under pressure tiles can move out of place as well. See below the difference between the two products:
Having said that, I personally tested the Cryptosteel under some extreme conditions and found it very durable.
5. Conclusion – Is the Cryptotag worth it?
Cryptotag indeed lives up to its name as a premium backup solution. The packaging is absolutely stunning, with an “Apple-ish” feel to it, and the whole process of setting up the backup is easy, simple and even fun.
However, my main concern with this product is the fact that it’s not reusable. If you’ve made a mistake engraving – you need a new plate. If you’ve switched wallets – you need a new plate. Other products, while not as attractive as the Cryptotag on the outside, allow reuse simply by exchanging letters instead of engraving them.
Personally, I’ll stick with my Cryptosteel for now, but the Cryptotag is a worthy competitor indeed.
Cryptotag
€169.99
Pros
- Extremely durable
- Fun and Easy to Use
- Amazing Design
Cons
- Not Reusable
