# What's happening with Coldcard? (2026) - Verdict

**Coldcard is still live** - but our sensors flagged 2 dated, sourced signals. Status: Degrading. There is no official sunset announcement. We do not predict deaths; a "dead" status is set by a human.

Category: Hardware Wallets

## Timeline of facts

- **Aug 2, 2026 - Sales halted, competitors recommended.** In its August 2, 2026 update Coinkite said shipments were halted when the vulnerability was confirmed and that it destroyed its remaining Coldcard inventory manufactured with the vulnerable firmware. The same post names Bitkey, Ledger, Trezor, Jade and BitBox as reputable alternatives while customers decide next steps, and asks owners to keep affected devices and old backups because they may become essential if funds are recovered. SOURCE: Coinkite official blog (August 2, 2026 update) - https://blog.coinkite.com/update-sunday/
- **Jul 30, 2026 - Seed RNG flaw exploited.** On July 30, 2026 Coinkite published a security advisory: a build integration error introduced in firmware 4.0.1 (March 2021) made Coldcard devices generate wallet seeds with a software PRNG instead of the hardware TRNG, leaving about 72 bits of entropy instead of the expected 128 on Mk4/Mk5/Q; TRM Labs (August 5, 2026) put effective strength at as little as 40 bits. Attackers drained about 1,816 BTC (roughly USD 116 million) from over 5,200 addresses in four waves starting the same day, per TRM Labs and Fortune. Fixed firmware is out for every model line (Mk2/Mk3 4.2.0+, Mk4/Mk5 5.6.0+, Q 1.5.0Q+). Any seed generated on affected firmware (roughly March 2021 to July 2026) must be treated as compromised unless it came from at least 50 independent dice rolls or is protected by a strong, unique BIP-39 passphrase. Coinkite's instruction: update the firmware, generate a new seed on the updated device, verify the backup, then move all funds now. SOURCE: Coinkite official blog (Coldcard Security Advisory) - https://blog.coinkite.com/coldcard-mk3-seed-generation-warning/

## What you can do now

Coldcard is live, so there is no need to rush. If it powers a critical workflow, export a recent backup, note your renewal date, and shortlist a live alternative below.

## If you need to move (live alternatives)

- **Ledger** - The most widely used hardware wallet line; named by Coinkite itself as a reputable alternative in its August 2, 2026 update. → https://verdict.tools/go/ledger (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **Trezor** - Open-source hardware wallet by SatoshiLabs with a long security track record; on Coinkite's own list of alternatives. → https://verdict.tools/go/trezor (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **Bitkey** - Hardware wallet by Block; listed first among the alternatives Coinkite named in its August 2, 2026 update.
- **Blockstream Jade** - Bitcoin-only hardware wallet with open firmware; the closest match for Coldcard's Bitcoin-only focus and named by Coinkite.
- **BitBox02** - Swiss-made hardware wallet with a dedicated Bitcoin-only edition; also on Coinkite's list of alternatives. → https://verdict.tools/go/bitbox (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## FAQ

### Is Coldcard shutting down?
There is no official sunset announcement for Coldcard. What we can confirm are the dated, sourced signals above. We do not predict deaths; a "dead" status is set by a human after confirmation.

### Should I switch away from Coldcard now?
Not necessarily - it is live. But if it is business-critical, keep an exportable backup and a shortlisted alternative ready.

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Canonical: https://verdict.tools/signals/coldcard