Post
Topic
Board Hardware wallets
Merits 2 from 1 user
Re: Anyone use a COLDCARD hardware wallet?
by
o_e_l_e_o
on 26/10/2023, 09:59:54 UTC
⭐ Merited by Pmalek (2)
* Takes open source to the next level: The open source code can be viewed, verified and compiled directly from the device itself.
This is not correct. Coldcard is not open source, but rather, it is "source verifiable".

You can see their license here: https://github.com/Coldcard/firmware/blob/master/COPYING-CC
You can understand why this distinction is important here: https://nitter.cz/sethforprivacy/status/1651039483419058177

Code that is not actually open source is bad for the product and bad for the ecosystem. If no one is actually allowed to use their code in other products, then you are going to have far fewer sets of eyes on the code since there is far less incentive for people to spend their time examining it. Open source code encourages competition which furthers development, which ultimately is good for bitcoin.

I'm getting fed up of various projects claiming to be open source when they aren't, or claiming their not-open-source license is just as good as open source when it isn't. Open source has a very specific meaning and is very important to the ecosystem. Coldcard is not open source.