Block’s new crypto wallet can only be purchased with real cash
Block, the Jack Dorsey-led payment company, has released its long-in-the-works Bitcoin hardware wallet — but you can’t use cryptocurrency to buy it. You can only purchase the $150 Bitkey wallet with your credit or debit card, a sign that crypto might not be as prevalent as its designers had anticipated.
Block first introduced a prototype of the wallet in 2022 before opening preorders last December. The self-custody Bitcoin wallet, which Dorsey nicknamed “rockey,” lets users store cryptocurrency outside of an exchange to protect the funds from a potential collapse.
Bitkey is paired with a mobile app and recovery tools in case users lose the wallet or their phone. There’s a fingerprint sensor on top of the device, a USB-C charging port,...