Device Creation

Before you can create a wallet, you need to register the devices that will hold signing keys. A device in Sigvault represents a key source — either a hardware wallet you control or a system-managed key.

Device Types

Type	Description	Key Location
Hardware Wallet	Physical signing device (BitBox02, Ledger, Trezor, etc.)	On the device
System Device	Server-generated key	Sigvault server
Mobile	Mobile phone or tablet	On the phone
Desktop	Desktop computer	On the computer

Registering a Hardware Wallet

Prerequisites

• The Sigvault desktop application installed and running
• Your hardware wallet connected via USB
• The hardware wallet initialized with a seed phrase and PIN

Steps

1. Navigate to Devices in the Sigvault web app
2. Select Add Device
3. Choose the hardware wallet type (BitBox02, Ledger, Trezor, etc.)
4. The desktop app detects your connected device
5. The device exports its extended public key (xpub) and fingerprint
6. Give the device a name (e.g., “My Ledger”, “Office Coldcard”)
7. Confirm the registration

What Happens During Registration

When a hardware device is registered:

• The device’s extended public key is extracted at a standard derivation path
• The fingerprint (first 4 bytes of the master key hash) is recorded
• Only public key material is stored — private keys stay on the device
• The device is associated with your Sigvault account

Creating a System Device

System devices are created automatically or on demand:

1. Navigate to Devices and select Add Device
2. Choose System Device
3. Sigvault generates a new key pair on the server
4. The device appears in your device list, ready to use

System devices don’t require the desktop app or any physical hardware.

Device-Specific Notes

BitBox02

• Requires the Bitcoin-only firmware
• Uses multipath descriptor format (<0;1>/*)
• Connected via USB HID

Ledger

• Open the Bitcoin app on the device before registration
• Enforces coin type in derivation paths (mainnet paths with Bitcoin app, testnet paths with Bitcoin Test app)
• No unlock step needed if Bitcoin app is open

Trezor

• Supports both Model One and Model T
• Standard BIP32 derivation paths
• May prompt for passphrase on device

Taproot Limitation

Trezor devices can only sign simple single-key taproot wallets (tr(key) without a script tree). They cannot be used as the primary keypath signer in taproot vaults or any wallet with recovery spending conditions. This is because the Trezor firmware does not apply the merkle root tweak required for keypath spending of outputs with script trees. Use a BitBox02, Ledger, or Coldcard as the primary signer for vaults and advanced wallets.

Coldcard

• Can export xpub via USB or SD card
• Supports air-gapped operation

Jade

• Connected via USB serial
• Requires network-aware authentication
• Supports mainnet, testnet, or both depending on firmware

SeedSigner

• Fully air-gapped via QR codes
• Export xpub by scanning the QR code displayed on the device

Using Devices in Wallets

Once registered, devices can be assigned to wallet spending conditions:

• Single Signature — One device as the sole signer
• Multisig — Multiple devices with a threshold requirement
• Taproot Vault — Different devices assigned to different spending conditions

A single device can be used across multiple wallets.

Managing Devices

From the Devices page you can:

• View all registered devices and their fingerprints
• See which wallets a device is associated with
• Rename devices for easier identification
• Remove devices that are no longer in use