Blockstream Jade
Open-source hardware wallet by Blockstream. Designed for flexible operation: offline (airgapped) or online (with Pinserver).
Models
Four device generations exist. The firmware repo builds one target per
model (README.md on Blockstream/Jade master, as of September 2026):
| Model | Build target | MCU | Input | Camera | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jade 1.0 | jade | ESP32 | Selection wheel | Yes | No |
| Jade 1.1 | jade_v1_1 | ESP32 | Rocker / jog-wheel | Yes | No |
| Jade Plus | jade_v2 | ESP32-S3 | Left/right buttons | Yes | Yes |
| Jade Core | jade_v2c | ESP32-S3 | Left/right buttons | No | No |
The README describes jade_v2c as "Jade Plus without camera and
battery"; both v2 targets build against the ESP32-S3 toolchain.
As of September 2026 blockstream.com/jade lists only Jade Plus ($169.99) and Jade Core ($99.00) for sale — the first-generation Jade is no longer listed there.
Jade Plus (launched 3 January 2025)
- ESP32-S3; display 66% larger and 25% brighter than the original Jade (1.9" IPS LCD, 320x170, per blockstream.com/jade as of Sep 2026).
- Camera GC0308 640x480. Built-in battery. 65x30x12mm, 30g.
- Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth, SD card / USB drive.
- Genuine Check — device authenticity verification when pairing with Blockstream Green.
- Air-gapped firmware upgrades (via SD / USB drive, or the optional JadeLink accessory).
- Secure Boot + Anti-Exfil.
- Launch pricing: $149 (plastic) / $169 (metal, Lunar Silver or Genesis Grey); original Jade continued at $79 at that time.
Jade Core (announced 28 April 2026)
- Jade Plus board without camera and battery; 20g. Connectivity listed on blockstream.com/jade (September 2026) is USB-C and Bluetooth only — no SD card / USB drive row, unlike Jade Plus.
- Comparison table there (as of September 2026) marks Genuine Device Check "Yes" for Jade Core, but both Air-Gapped Transactions and Air-Gapped Firmware Upgrades "No" — it has neither a camera nor an SD card / USB drive transport to carry them.
- No camera means no BCUR QR airgap on this model.
Hardware (original Jade)
- Color display.
- USB-C.
- Camera (for QR scanning).
- ESP32 microcontroller.
- No SD card slot.
SD / USB storage is gated to ESP32-S3 silicon in firmware, not to a
product name: CHANGELOG.md on Blockstream/Jade master lists "fw
upgrade and psbt signing using connected usb-storage (eg. sd card
reader) for esp32s3 devices" under 1.0.32 (11 October 2024). The same
split shows in the docs — help.blockstream.com "Jade overview" (updated
12 August 2026) marks the SD card / USB drive air-gap "Jade Plus
only" and names three connection types (USB, Bluetooth, QR), and the
store technical specifications give USB Type-C as the original's only
connector (store.blockstream.com, as of September 2026).
Secure Element
None of the models ship a certified Secure Element. Blockstream markets
the blind-oracle Pinserver scheme as a "Virtual Secure Element"
(blockstream.com/jade wording, as of September 2026) — key material
stays encrypted in flash and the remote oracle supplies half of the
unlock secret under rate limiting. See pinserver-flow for the
protocol.
Modes
Offline (BCUR)
- QR-based airgap via "Animated QR" (BCUR encoding).
- Device camera reads, display shows signed result.
- Compatible with Sparrow, Specter, BlueWallet (offline mode).
Online (Pinserver)
- Device communicates with Pinserver (Blockstream-hosted) for PIN protection.
- "Blind oracle" — Pinserver doesn't see seed but provides rate-limiting on PIN attempts.
Coins
- Bitcoin (BTC).
- Liquid (LBTC + Issued Assets).
Backup
- Standard 24-word BIP39.
- CompactSeedQR — recovery phrase hand-transcribed onto paper or metal as a QR code, re-loaded through the camera.
- No SD-card backup on the original Jade (see Hardware above).
CompactSeedQR is firmware, not a Jade Plus feature: CHANGELOG.md
0.1.38 (21 September 2022) adds "Support scan and import/recovery of
SeedSigner 'CompactSeedQR' codes" and "screens to facilitate export (ie
manual copy) of CompactSeedQR code", over two years before Jade Plus
shipped. The help-centre walkthrough "Create a SeedQR from your
recovery phrase" (updated 6 August 2026) is framed around Jade Plus.
API
jade-py Python wrapper:
from jadepy.jade import JadeAPI
with JadeAPI.create_serial(device='/dev/ttyUSB0') as jade:
xpub = jade.get_xpub('mainnet', "m/84h/0h/0h")
Third-party: HWI, Sparrow, Specter (with QR airgap), Wasabi.
HWI 3.2.0 (10 February 2026) is the first release with Jade Plus support and Jade native PSBT signing — earlier HWI releases do not enumerate Jade Plus.
Compared
| Aspect | Jade | Coldcard | Trezor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open-source | Fully | Partial | Fully |
| Liquid support | Yes (native) | Limited | Yes |
| QR airgap | Yes (not Jade Core) | Q only | Limited |
| Secure Element | No (blind oracle) | Yes | Yes (Safe series) |
| Price | Mid | High | Low-mid |
Common issues
- No SE: in theory more vulnerable to physical attack; rely on secure boot + BCUR airgap mode for high-value. Blockstream's "Virtual Secure Element" (as of September 2026) is the blind-oracle scheme, not certified silicon.
- Wrong model assumed: Jade Core has no camera, so any QR/BCUR walkthrough fails on it. Confirm the model before scripting an airgap flow.
- BCUR animation speed: too fast loses frames; use slower framerate.
- Pinserver dependency in online mode: if Pinserver down, can't unlock without offline-only mode.