I recently needed to research hardware wallets for work. After looking at Ledger, I also wanted to understand OneKey, since it is another mainstream option and worth considering in a technical evaluation.
Supporting a Custom Blockchain
If you want a custom blockchain to use OneKey for secure storage and signing, there are two paths:
- Develop an app under the firmware repository, submit a PR, and once merged, the new chain is supported after users upgrade their firmware.
- Use an official SDK such as the Web SDK to connect the wallet in the appropriate context.
How End Users Use It
- There is no concept of “installing an app” on OneKey. All the user can do is upgrade the firmware.
Ledger vs OneKey Comparison
- Ledger requires installing an app on the device; OneKey does not, but it requires a firmware upgrade. You can think of Ledger as an app store model and OneKey as an OS model.
- Ledger app submission goes through a store listing request. OneKey support is added via a GitHub PR on the open-source firmware repo — once the PR is merged, it is done.
- In development, both use a simulator for non-device testing. For real hardware, Ledger has restrictions and requires a model that supports sideloading, while OneKey has no such restriction, though it still requires a firmware upgrade.
