Our take
We have a two-card Tangem set in hand. Both cards open the same wallet, the second one being the backup, and by default there is no recovery phrase: lose both cards and the funds are gone. You can choose a seed phrase, but only during the very first setup. That design is the whole trade-off: no words for a burglar or a phishing page to steal, but your backup is now a physical object you have to store somewhere else.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Nothing to charge or plug in: tap a card on your phone and sign
- Backup is a second (or third) physical card rather than 12 words on paper
- EAL6+ chip, the same certification level as the Ledger Nano S Plus
- Cheapest secure-chip hardware wallet we review
- Survives water and dust better than devices with screens and ports
Cons (the real ones)
- No screen: you check the transaction on your phone, so the phone becomes part of what you trust
- Without a seed phrase, losing every card means losing the funds — and the seed option is only available at setup
- Card count and seed-or-seedless are fixed at setup; changing your mind means starting a new wallet and moving funds
- Card firmware is closed source (the app is open source)
- Phone-only: no desktop app
Specifications
| Maker | Tangem (Tangem AG, Zug, Switzerland) |
| Price | $54.90 for the 2-card set, $69.90 for 3 cards (official store, Oct 2026) |
| Assets supported | ~14,100 |
| Connection | NFC (tap the card on your phone) |
| Companion app | Tangem app (iOS and Android, open source) |
Security
- EAL6+ certified secure chip (Samsung S3D350A on earlier cards)
- private key generated on the card and never leaves it
- firmware reviewed by Kudelski Security and Riscure
- no battery, no cable: powered by the phone's NFC
- seed phrase OPTIONAL — only offered when the wallet is first created
Before you buy
Buy only from the manufacturer's own store or an authorised reseller, and never a device that arrives with a recovery phrase already filled in — that is a known scam. Expect phishing: since Ledger's 2020 customer-data leak, fake “security update” emails and even posted letters asking for your recovery phrase have been common. No genuine company will ever ask for it. Our guide on securing your crypto covers the rest of the setup.
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Tangem Wallet: quick answers
How much does the Tangem Wallet cost?
$54.90 for the 2-card set, $69.90 for 3 cards (official store, Oct 2026). Prices change with promotions, so check the official store before buying, and only buy from the manufacturer or an authorised reseller — never second-hand.
Is the Tangem Wallet safe?
EAL6+ certified secure chip (Samsung S3D350A on earlier cards); private key generated on the card and never leaves it. No screen: you check the transaction on your phone, so the phone becomes part of what you trust. A hardware wallet removes exchange counterparty risk, but you remain responsible for your PIN and backup. Not financial advice.