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Tangem Wallet Review: Is It a Viable Option in 2025?
The Tangem hardware wallet is a card-shaped self-custodial cold wallet that gives you the power to buy, sell, and store over 6,000 digital assets. The NFC-enabled card is an innovative way of securing crypto that doesn’t rely on a screen or recovery seed. This Tangem wallet review will walk you through everything you really want to know about this hardware wallet, what it has to offer, and where it falls short in our comprehensive review.
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My Tangem Wallet Review Summarized at a Glance
Pros
Intuitive and familiar card-shaped design
Easily fits into a pocket
NFC-enabled for quick operations
Water and dust-resistant design with zero battery or cable requirements
Cons
Relatively new style of wallet
Not as versatile as traditional hardware wallets
Requires a smartphone with no desktop option
How Does the Tangem Wallet Work?
Tangem works differently than traditional hardware wallets. Where traditional hardware wallets are essentially mini computers that store your private keys and give you a small screen to verify information for transactions – this wallet is the size of a credit card and uses NFC to confirm crypto transactions on your smartphone. That’s it. No recovery seed phrase (although you can add one), no battery or cables to speak of. You just tap and go.
This streamlines the traditional crypto securing process significantly, but also opens up some potential dangers. For instance, if you lose your physical Tangem card then your crypto is gone.
Here’s What Users Really Appreciate Most About This Walllet
Let’s get to the good part of this Tangem wallet review, shall we? Over 2,000,000 of these cards have been issued to date, and the brand has become one of the most well-known names in the industry. There is a lot to love about the Tangem wallet, but some of the most important advantages to mention, include:
- Arguably one of the easiest to use wallets for beginners.
- The Tangem mobile app features an intuitive design that is easy to navigate.
- It has a very quick setup process, that should take less than 3 minutes.
- There is no need to worry about keeping a device charged, keeping track of cables or even possible damages to screens and sensitive hardware components.
- You get two or three extra backup cards for your convenience.
- The Tangem Wallet app is available for both iOS and Android devices.
- The app makes on-the-go monitoring simple and straightforward.
- Fairly affordable, with support for thousands of tokens.
- The card’s chip is EAL6+ certified, with private keys generated via a True Random Number Generator (TRNG).
Where This Wallet Falls Short (and What to Know First)
Unfortunately, this wallet is not infallible, and there are some serious drawbacks for you to consider. Here are some of the disadvantages that I uncovered during my research for this Tangem wallet review:
- The card-shaped hardware wallet introduces a higher risk of physical loss or damage compared to traditional hardware wallets.
- Misplacing or damaging the card could lead to the permanent loss of access to your funds.
- You must have an NFC-enabled device to use the wallet.
- The heavy reliance on the Tangem mobile app, means that users are locked into the platform’s ecosystem and might run into trouble if support for the app is dropped, or it is discontinued.
- The dependency on internet-connected devices and NFC-technology, opens the system up to various types of security threats.
- Some part of the brand’s firmware and app are not open-source, which can be a bit of a security concern.
- Exchange fees can be higher than those of traditional exchanges.
- There is no direct integration with DeFi or dApps, which limits users’ access to advanced features like staking and trading.
- Recovery can get complicated without a seed phrase.
Prefer Full Control? Trezor Offers More Advanced Features
Tangem is certainly a great choice if you’re looking to get started quickly and easily – but it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for more transparency and control, the Trezor Model T might be a better option. Especially if you’re a more advanced trader looking to customize the experience.
As an added bonus, this wallet also features a more “traditional” design, with an on-device touchscreen, which allows you to verify and sign your transactions without the need for a mobile device or PC. It also easily integrates with dApps like MetaMask and the Trezor Suite.
- Top-tier cryptocurrency wallet with impressive touchscreen
- Compatible with a number of software wallets
- Store cryptocurrency, passwords and other keys with ease
- Excellent customer support
What Type of Crypto User Is the Tangem Wallet Made For?
To put it simply, this wallet is best suited to beginners who want simplicity and ease-of-use, above all else. If you want a relatively secure option to stow your crypto, and you do not access or move your assets regularly, this can be a great solution.
However, if you’re looking for a top-of-the-range option that will allow you to buy, sell, trade, stake and grow your crypto assets in the long-term – we suggest taking a peek at our best crypto wallets picks instead.
The Final Verdict: Is This Wallet Worth It?
The Tangem cold wallet is certainly one of the most unique wallets that you will come across in this space. Its intuitive card-shaped design, NFC capabilities, and broad cryptocurrency support, definitely makes it a viable option for those intimidated by the more traditional options.
Is it as good as established wallets like Ledger or Trezor? Not necessarily for traders looking for a more enhanced experience. Is it worth your money? That really depends on your personal preferences, how frequently you trade, and the features you are looking for.
FAQ
This wallet is very secure, with safety features that stack up to most of the well-known traditional hardware wallets on the market. It uses a certified EAL6+ secure element chip – the gold-standard for hardware encryption, and bolsters its security with advanced biometrics and access code protection.
No. Even with about two million cards in circulation, no Tangem Wallet has ever been successfully hacked.
Tangem has always been very vocal about their disdain for seed phrase recovery. As a result, early iterations of this card did not have the option for seed phrase recovery at all. Users’ only choice was to use their backup cards whenever something happened to their primary card. However, the brand has now relaxed their stance on the issue, and you can now choose to generate a 12 or 24 word seed phrase for your Tangem Wallet.
Do note that this seed phrase is generated through the Tangem Wallet app and activating this feature, removes the option to generate a private key or your additional cards as a failsafe.
No, there is no subscription or annual fee tied to the Tangem Wallet. Once you have paid for and received your card, you can proceed fee-free. Keep in mind that standard blockchain and service provider fees will still apply to your crypto transactions.
Do not panic. The reality is that possession of the card, alone, is not enough to access your digital assets. Your crypto will remain safe, as they will not be able to access the Tangem app without authentication. If you opted to have multiple cards, you can simply start using a backup card to access your wallet and move them to a new, more secure location.
