The NGRAVE ZERO is unlike any other hardware wallet I’ve used. Yes, it is sleek, secure, and puts my mind at ease in a way that most other devices don’t. But, at the same time, it costs almost twice as much as many competitors, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.
So, it’s not a question, is it secure or not, because it is highly secure. The big question is whether the security and user experience justify the premium price.
In my NGRAVE ZERO review, I’ll walk you through my unboxing, setup, daily use, and how it stacks up against Ledger or Trezor’s so you can decide if it’s worth it for you.
I Like the Wallet, But It’s Price is Too High…
I really like the NGRAVE ZERO hardware wallet, as it gives me a strong feeling of safety and full control, which I didn’t feel with my older cold wallets. The way it creates the Perfect Key, adds fingerprint during setup, and includes the Graphene backup makes it one of the most secure hardware wallets I’ve used.
But to be honest, it’s also quite expensive. $398 is too much. On top of that, some features I expected are missing, like no staking, no DeFi access, and it does not even support every blockchain. So, would I recommend it? Actually, yes, but not to everyone.
Well, if you hold a good amount of crypto and care more about long-term cold storage, then you can give it a try. But if you are doing daily DeFi or want a multi-chain cold wallet, maybe a Ledger or Trezor will suit you better, and save some money too.
NGRAVE ZERO Review: Technical Overview
| Criterion | NGRAVE ZERO | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Device Type | Air‑gapped cold wallet | No USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth for transactions |
| Security Certification | Common Criteria EAL7 | Highest level available in consumer electronics |
| Material & Build | Aluminum body with Gorilla Glass touchscreen | Roughly 12×6×1 cm; feels solid like a mini phone |
| Display | 4‑inch color touchscreen (480×800 px) | Bright, responsive, easy to use |
| Battery | 1200 mAh rechargeable battery | Lasts weeks on standby; USB-C for charging only |
| Biometric Features | Fingerprint sensor | Used during setup and unlocking |
| Connectivity | QR code only (no connectivity for signing) | USB-C only for charging and firmware updates |
| Supported Coins | 1,000+ assets on 13 blockchains | Includes BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, DOGE, and ERC-20 tokens |
| Compatibility | Liquid app, MetaMask, Rabby | Uses QR codes for safe offline signing |
| Backup Method | 24-word phrase or optional Graphene plates | Graphene is a two-layer stainless steel backup solution |
| Weight | ~130 grams | Heavier than Trezor or Ledger due to screen and metal body |
| Warranty | Two-year warranty | Longer than some cold wallets |
| Price (2025) | $398 for ZERO, $498 with Graphene | It’s too much |
What exactly is an NGRAVE ZERO?
The NGRAVE ZERO is an air‑gapped hardware wallet created by a Belgian start‑up founded in 2018. So, being air‑gapped means the device never connects to the internet, Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, NFC, or even USB for signing transactions.
Most of the communication happens through QR codes displayed on its screen and scanned by your phone. Your private keys are generated on the device, encrypted, and then kept completely offline, and also, the wallet has the EAL7 certification, which is higher than the EAL5+ or EAL6+ used by most competitors, so it meets stringent standards for tamper resistance.
The way it creates your Perfect Key is very standout. So, during setup, the ZERO uses multiple sources of randomness: your fingerprint, ambient light captured by its camera, and internal sensors. You will get a seed phrase with 100% randomness and uniqueness. No patterns.
Unboxing the ZERO: What’s in the Box?
My package arrived in a plain black box sealed with tamper‑evident tape, which is a reassuring touch. Inside the box I found:
- The NGRAVE ZERO device is wrapped in a protective film
- A USB‑C charging cable (no power brick, so you’ll need your own charger)
- A quick‑start guide and warranty card
- Stickers and a small cleaning cloth
- If you purchase the Combo Pack, you also receive two GRAPHENE steel plates and a punching tool for your backup
Well, everything was organized neatly, and the device itself felt solid and slightly heavy. I appreciated that the company avoids plastic trays and uses cardboard for most of the packaging. Right away, the wallet looked like a premium gadget rather than a cheap USB stick.
First Impressions: Does it really feel as premium as it looks?
Honestly, yes, it really does feel premium. So, when I got the ZERO in my hand for the first time, the aluminum body with its smooth matte finish felt strong and well-made. It didn’t feel like cheap plastic or something fragile. It’s around 12 cm in length and 6 cm wide, so it’s more like a small mobile phone than those small USB wallets. It doesn’t just vanish in your pocket like a Ledger Nano. But it’s solid.
The 4-inch color touchscreen is actually quite bright and works smoothly. I had no trouble seeing the QR codes or menu buttons. There is a fingerprint sensor on the back side, and right next to it, there’s a small camera. During the setup, the device asks you to scan the light around you, and then it uses that randomness to help generate your private key.
The wallet weighs around 130 grams, which is not too heavy, but of course, not too light as well. It gives that “secure device” feeling when you hold it. There is a USB-C port, but only for charging and firmware updates, and you cannot use it to transfer your coins or anything like that. It stays offline, which is the whole point.
On top, there’s a power button. On the side, there’s a speaker and vibration motor. It’s also water and dust-resistant. Yes, the build is tough, no doubt.
Setting Up the NGRAVE Wallet: My Step-by-Step Guide
You can easily set up the ZERO wallet, and it takes around 30 minutes. Also, that’s if you go slow and double-check each step.
So, first, you need to connect the wallet using the USB-C cable that comes in the box. The device turns on fine, and the battery usually comes with about 70% charge, but I would say it’s better to charge it fully. Mostly, it takes around one hour to reach 100%. Now, run a genuine check to avoid supply-chain tampering.
Then press and hold the power button for a few seconds, and you will see it boot up and show you a screen where you have to choose your language. Nothing confusing there.
Then you can easily set an 8-digit PIN. Even though the fingerprint unlocks the device, you still need the PIN when signing a transaction. So it works like a two-factor security system.
After that, pick the option to create a new wallet. The device starts generating what they call a “Perfect Key”, and then it asks you to put your finger on the sensor, and then the camera scans the light in the room. Also, there’s a timer running in the background to add more randomness. All of this goes into creating your private key.
Next is the backup part. Here, you mainly get two options: either write down 24 words on the paper cards they give you, or use the Graphene steel plates. That one is a 64-character hex code, and you have to punch it on the steel manually. It takes time, but it feels safer. Hence, whichever one you choose, keep the backup in 2 or 3 different safe places.
After that, install the Liquid app on your phone. It works on both Android and iPhone. Generally, you’ll need the app for generating receive addresses, checking your coins, and scanning QR codes for sending crypto.
To connect the wallet and the app, just follow the instructions. It’s like the wallet shows a QR code, and you need to scan it using the app. That’s it. No Bluetooth. It’s all done using the camera, which feels safer and simpler.
Generating my “Perfect Key”: how does that work?
You know, most hardware wallets have sort of a pre‑generated seed phrase inside the box. So, that means someone at the factory could, in theory, know your seed. This is just theory…
But with the ZERO, it doesn’t work like that. The wallet creates your private key at the time of setup, and it uses different things to add randomness. These are:
- Your fingerprint: this is taken once and used just for adding extra randomness.
- The light in your room and camera data: it captures random patterns from your environment.
- Internal noise from the secure chip inside the device.
Now, this process mainly produces a truly unique and unrepeatable Perfect Key. I found it reassuring because there’s practically zero chance that my key existed anywhere before I created it.
The fingerprint is not used for identification later; it’s simply part of the randomness mix, and after the key is created, you can still generate a 24‑word recovery phrase if you prefer that traditional method.
The GRAPHENE Backup: Is It really that durable?
I opted for the Zero + Graphene Combo Pack, mainly because I wanted a robust way to store my backup. The GRAPHENE is a pair of stainless steel plates with columns and rows of holes. Here, you have to punch the holes according to the hex characters of your Perfect Key, using a special stylus that comes in the bundle.
The plates feel very strong in the hand, and they say it can survive fire, water, rust, and hard drops. I don’t plan to test it in a fire or anything like that, but it does make me feel more relaxed.
How easy is it to send and receive crypto?
Well, once set up, daily use of the ZERO is really straightforward. The only difference I find here from other hardware wallets is that every transaction involves scanning QR codes instead of plugging in via USB or Bluetooth.
- Open the Liquid app and choose “Receive.” The app displays a QR code representing your receiving address.
- Scan the QR code with the ZERO’s camera, and the device generates the address internally and displays it on the screen for you to confirm.
- Send: Now, when you want to send funds, you generally need to initiate the transaction in the Liquid app or your preferred DApp (let’s say MetaMask/Rabby) and get a QR code containing the transaction details.
- Sign offline: Use the ZERO to scan the QR code. The device displays the transaction details, it can be the amount, destination address, and fees, and asks for confirmation. Next, you need to approve with your PIN and fingerprint.
- Finalize: The ZERO shows a QR code with the signature. Hence, you can eventually scan this with your phone, and the app broadcasts the signed transaction to the blockchain.
Which Coins, Networks, And Features Do You Actually Get?
This part, I would say, was where I felt both good and a bit let down. The ZERO supports more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies across 13 different networks, and yes, that includes all your popular ones like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and more. It also supports ERC-20 tokens and MultiversX ESDT tokens, so you can even add many tokens by using MetaMask or Rabby Wallet.
But one thing I didn’t like is that the number of supported blockchains is still less than some other cold wallets.
Currently, NGRAVE does not support Cardano (ADA), XDC Network (XDC), Hedera (HBAR), SUI, Kaspa (KAS), or Tron (TRX). And even, staking is not supported at this time.
The NGRAVE team said more networks will come later with updates, but right now in mid-2025, that’s the situation. So, if you only use Bitcoin or Ethereum, then it’s okay, but if you trade many altcoins, this might feel limited.
NGRAVE ZERO vs. Ledger and Trezor: My Pick
Now, to see how the ZERO stacks up, I compared it against the Ledger Flex and the Trezor Safe 5.
| Feature | NGRAVE ZERO | Ledger Flex | Trezor Safe 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air-gapped | Yes | No | No |
| Display | 4” color touchscreen | 2.84” E Ink touchscreen | 1.54” color touchscreen |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | No | No |
| Secure Element | EAL7 | EAL6+ | EAL6+ |
| Coin Support | ~1,000+ (13 networks) | 5,500+ coins | 8,000+ coins |
| Recovery Method | Graphene steel plates / 24 words | 24-word BIP39 | SLIP39 & BIP39 |
| Connectivity | QR code only | USB-C, Bluetooth, NFC | USB-C |
| Built-in Staking/Swapping | No | Yes (via Ledger Live) | No |
| Open Source Firmware | No | Partially | Yes |
| Mobile App | Yes (Liquid App) | Yes (Ledger Live) | Yes (Trezor Suite Mobile) |
| Weight | ~130g | ~50g | ~66g |
| Durability (Water/Fire/Shock) | Very High (with Graphene) | Standard | Standard |
| Battery | Rechargeable, 1200 mAh | Rechargeable | No battery (USB powered) |
| Backup Material | Stainless steel (Graphene) | Optional recovery sheet/plates | Optional plates |
| Price (USD) | $498 (combo pack) | ~$229 | ~$169 |
I have also covered many other cryptocurrency hardware wallets, so you can also check out my guide on the best cold storage wallets.
How Fair Is The Price, Warranty, And Support In My Experience?
As I mentioned earlier, the $398 price tag for the ZERO and $498 with the Graphene backup is too much. Now, for comparison, the Ledger Flex costs around $249, and the Trezor Safe 5 costs about $169.
You’re actually paying a premium for the EAL7 certification, air‑gapped design, fingerprint sensor, and steel backup. Also, in terms of warranty, NGRAVE offers a two‑year warranty, which is longer than Ledger’s one‑year policy and Trezor’s one‑year policy.
Well, on the support side, my interactions with NGRAVE were quite positive. I emailed them with some questions about firmware updates and received a detailed response. Even though there’s also an online knowledge base and step‑by‑step guides that are easy to follow.
Who should buy the ZERO, and who should skip It?
Buy the ZERO if:
- You care most about security and don’t mind paying more. The air-gapped design, EAL7 security level, and Perfect Key generation give very strong protection.
- You want privacy and don’t like using Bluetooth or USB to send coins. With QR codes, your private key never leaves the wallet.
- You like big screens and want fingerprint unlock. The 4-inch touch display is big and easy to use. It feels much better than the small screens on other wallets.
- You want a backup that doesn’t break easily. The Graphene plates are made from stainless steel and can handle fire, water, shocks, and rust.
Don’t Buy ZERO if:
- You need support for many different coins. It only works with around 13 networks, so if you trade many altcoins, this can be an actual problem.
- You want built-in staking, swapping, or DeFi features. The ZERO doesn’t do these inside the wallet. So, you must need to connect it to other apps like MetaMask or Rabby.
- You care about price. The ZERO is expensive. You can get something cheaper, like Trezor Safe 5 for similar security, or even Ledger Flex if you want more coin support and extra features.
- You don’t like scanning QR codes again and again. It works fine, but it’s slower than just plugging in with USB or using Bluetooth, and if you prefer quick access, this may feel annoying.
So, to sum up my NGRAVE ZERO review, it’s really a secure cold wallet for storing most of the popular coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, etc., but with this price, it’s not worth it. I would rather go for Ledger, Trezor, or, if you want 100% air-gapped, ELLIPAL Titan 2.0 is the most premium option.
Check out my other guides, like the best anonymous crypto wallets and most secure hardware wallets for Bitcoin.