Coinkite
Coinkite has announced its latest product, Satslink. The underproduction device sits at the intersection of many different areas of communications and mobile hardware, allowing developers to create a host of different applications.
Rather than relying on an obstinate framework, Satslink takes advantage of the open, flexible hardware locked inside the Coldcard Q1 exterior to provide variety and flexibility to developers. Those who own this device can choose what to do with it and let their builder mentality go crazy with the different possibilities the hardware can offer.
At its core, Satslink is a peer-to-peer hackable multipurpose device. It features a secure element, typical of Coinkite products, that allows the user to securely store private keys within the device. While it shares the external design with the Coldcard Q1, the interior is totally different from the company’s latest hardware wallet. Rather than focusing on isolated security, Satslink aims to bring secure communications to the everyday in ways few would have considered possible.
“Not being satisfied with the connected and DIY options, we felt the need to create a better platform,” Coinkite founder NVK told bitcoin Magazine. “bitcoin is expanding scripting/mpc options and now we have Nostr. “Someone had to create a good portable, connected device for developers and enthusiasts to create the next generation of freedom features.”
Satslink leverages ESP32-S3, a low-power MCU-based system-on-a-chip (SoC) with integrated 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE). It consists of a high-performance dual-core microprocessor (Xtensa® 32-bit LX7), a low-power coprocessor, a Wi-Fi baseband, a Bluetooth LE baseband, an RF module and numerous peripherals. Satslink is programmed in micropython, its source is fully available and it is completely field upgradeable with no locked ROM areas. The Coinkite product also features a MicroSD slot for data transfer.
Coinkite
“The initial target is developers and enthusiasts,” said NVK. “But because of the consumer-friendly form factor, they will be able to start using anything the community creates. Like hot sovereign lightning wallets and Nostr customers!
Nostr, the open communications protocol that went viral after Block CEO and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey began backing and funding the project, tops the list of potential use cases for Satslink. Given its peer-to-peer communication capabilities, Satslink can be used as a Nostr client, and since it can also function as a relay, messages can be sent and received as Nostr posts without them reaching the Internet. Imagine a localized Nostr made up of many Satslink devices that communicate with each other over a kind of mesh network instead of the open web. That could be possible with this device.
Another interesting use case that many bitcoiners could relate to is having a sovereign controller for your bitcoin stack at home. As some bitcoiners run bitcoin nodes and sometimes even self-hosted servers at home, one could program the Satslink to connect to their home stack on demand and perform desired actions remotely and securely given its networking capabilities. Satslink could be used to run a transaction coordinator, for example, or used as a full wallet, although Coinkite does not recommend using Satslink as a cold storage solution for large amounts of bitcoins.
Satslink’s communication features also feature NFC and a QR code reader, enabling even more use cases for its potential users. Notably, this combination, combined with Satslink’s versatility and programmability, could even be used to turn it into a third-party hardware wallet. Whether desirable or not, the truth is that it might be possible to convert a Satslink to Blockstream’s JADE wallet or other similar DIY hardware wallets.
While the possibilities are endless, it remains to be seen what users actually build with this product. The Coinkite device is currently available for pre-order at the company website priced at $189, and it’s still unclear when the product will start shipping to buyers.
