People purchase hardware wallets because they know the most secure way to store their private keys is to take them offline into cold storage. All hardware wallet services need a means of communicating between offline storage and online terminals. While the cold end (offline storage) is responsible for storing private keys and signing transactions, a hot end (online terminals) is needed to obtain data from the blockchain, construct transactions for the cold storage end to sign, and broadcast signed transactions to the blockchain.

In transmitting signature outputs, the majority of cold storage hardware uses data cables, Bluetooth, or even NFC. Because of the opacity of their data transmission, these methods make signature outputs extremely difficult to audit. An overlooked means of cold storage hardware communication is the QR code, a “what you see is what you get” solution. The QR code is the ideal means of data transmission between cold ends and hot ends because data output by QR codes is transparent. This enables users to easily ensure each unsigned transaction that is transmitted to the cold storage device is valid, as well as ensure signature outputs from the cold end do not reveal private keys or sensitive information in any way.

How many hardware wallets use QR codes to make transactions?

Without a secure element, the hardware wallet cab be easily hacked with side channel attack. Check this: https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2019/12/10/cryptocurrency-shapeshift-keepkey-wallet-cold-hacker-voltage-attack/

If someone wanted to identify you, I doubt if they would send dust to an empty address. Since everything is on the blockchain, they would send dust to addresses that have a fairly decent amount of crypto. If that address gets linked to another address that is linked to a person's identity, then they now know the person behind it. But then again, if you're really not bothered about privacy as such, a dust attack wouldn't affect you.

I'm a fan of Cobo products, very focused on security. Picked up the Cobo Tablet during their Black Friday sale and am impressed! So affordable at 39 bucks, and solid build quality.

This is a metal tablet to store recovery seeds, so there's no need for a private key. And it's fire-proof, can handle temperatures wayyy above house fires.

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You should check it out. I would recommend it any day over the others.

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True that, you have to store it in a place nobody can find it. Even better to split the seed and store it. Good for you that paper lasts that long. To each his own, it's steel for me.

This one apparently is a scam! Sad because it looks so good. Please read this article that points out a lot of flaws in this hardware wallet: https://medium.com/@caffeine93/asicvault-asicfuel-ico-new-upgrade-to-an-old-scam-46e47478177b

I have one and it's an absolute winner, so much cheaper than cryptosteel or other products. They have some really good reviews on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cobo-Tablet-Storage-Compatible-Supports/dp/B07RZW8CWY

It's not close to 0. Trezor has already been a victim of counterfeiting: https://cointelegraph.com/news/trezor-one-wallets-forgery-reveals-new-techniques-used-to-steal-crypto. I'm a strong advocate of open source, but in this case maybe it's not such a good idea to have everything out in the open, that even hackers can access.

I think essentially most countries that are currently against crypto will go that route.

This is probably because people are using a different address for every transaction, which is a smart thing to do.

Through mainstream adoption of Bitcoin. If that can happen, Satoshi might very well be the most influential person of the millennium, maybe.

I'm all for HODLing Bitcoin because I don't think that it's going to fade away. And I don't believe it will replace fiat or is a virtual placeholder for fiat, instead I think sometime down the line it will be another form of accepted payment along with fiat.

I can see centralized mixers being subjected to some kind of KYC regulations. There have been instances of mixers being used to obfuscate the trail of stolen coins, but such instances are very few, Chainalysis has some data on that: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/chainalysis-most-mixed-bitcoin-not-used-for-illicit-purposes.

Regarding decentralized mixers, Wasabi and Samurai wallets have something along those lines - this article might help shed some light on it - https://medium.com/cobo-vault/bitcoin-mixing-a-brief-research-into-centralized-vs-decentralized-390ea83fa6ad

Bitcoin is not anonymous, in fact every transaction that you make can be traced on the blockchain, so it's already traceable. The only thing here is, while they can trace the transaction to the address, tracing the address to the individual might require some sort of authority. Exchanges now have KYC in place, so if government entities want to trace a suspicious address to the individual, they can actually do so.

Everybody knows, uses and is comfortable with fiat, but Bitcoin is relatively new. While it has a lot more obvious advantages, it's still got a long way to go before it gets to mass adoption. Right now, most people are not aware of its advantages as such.

Honestly, I doubt if most people would want to spend their bitcoin.

I doubt if that will happen. What's more likely is fiat and crypto existing alongside each other in complete harmony.

Eventually, all crypto will be regulated, and it looks like that's where most countries are headed.

Basically, just do what you think is right. Buying bitcoin is always a great thing to do especially if you're planning on holding it long time.

I would gift a Cobo Tablet. Secure backup for recovery seeds, can be used with any software or hardware wallet that supports BIP39 - https://shop.cobo.com/products/cobo-tablet