When it comes to protecting serious crypto wealth, not all hardware wallets are created equal. Enter the NGRAVE ZERO, a hardware wallet engineered from the ground up for sovereign self-custody, featuring an air-gapped architecture, biometric authentication, and the world’s first EAL-7 certified operating system. If you've outgrown your Ledger or Trezor and are looking to build a fortress around your Bitcoin, Ethereum, or XRP holdings, this deep-dive review will tell you exactly why the NGRAVE ZERO is more than just a wallet—it's a vault.

This review also examines how the ZERO stacks up in 2025 against other air-gapped hardware wallets, and whether it deserves a place in your cold storage strategy if you're serious about establishing your own crypto reserves or buying the best coins for the next cycle.

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Pros & Cons

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NGRAVE Zero Product Specs

• Manufacturer: NGRAVE (Belgium)
• Type: Multi-asset air-gapped hardware wallet
• Release Year: 2020
• Price: From €398 / $398
• Connectivity: QR codes & firmware via USB-C (update mode only)
• Display: 4-inch color touchscreen, 480x800 pixels
• Security: Air-gapped, EAL7 certified OS with EAL5+ certified secure element, anti-tamper (4-layer with auto-wipe), "Perfect Key" generation (biometric, environmental randomness), IP55-certified (water and dust resistant)
• Backup/Recovery: 64-character "Perfect Key" (on-device generated, biometric/randomness)
• Mobile/Desktop Support: NGRAVE LIQUID mobile app (iOS/Android) for QR transaction signing.
• Firmware: Partially open-source (gradual approach, core secure element and EAL7 OS are closed)
• Supported Assets: 15 Blockchains including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), BNB Chain (BNB), Zcash (ZEC), XRP, Dogecoin (DOGE), Solana (SOL), MultiversX (EGLD), and others. 
• Special Features: 
  
  • Highest security certification (EAL7) for a financial product
  • Truly air-gapped (no USB data transfer except for firmware updates in specific mode, no Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, 4G)
  • "Perfect Key" unique key generation
  • Biometric (fingerprint) sensor for key generation and authentication
  • Tamper-proof design with automatic key wipe
  • Durable alloy casing (zinc, aluminum, magnesium, copper)
  • Optional GRAPHENE physical backup solution

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How I used the NGRAVE Zero

I’ve used hardware wallets for years—Ledger, Trezor, even the more niche ones—but nothing prepared me for the experience of setting up the NGRAVE ZERO. It was, frankly, unlike any other cold wallet I’ve ever handled. I knew it was touted as the most secure crypto wallet in the world, but I didn’t expect it to feel so different from the moment I unboxed it.

Verifying the Device: From Hype to Trust

Before touching any crypto, I made sure to verify the authenticity of my NGRAVE ZERO. That process was oddly reassuring. The device came with a tamper-proof seal and verification steps that walked me through confirming the wallet hadn’t been compromised. In an age of sophisticated phishing and supply chain attacks, this felt essential. I double-checked the serial against NGRAVE’s site and confirmed it via the companion app—no red flags.

Generating My Perfect Key

Now here's where things got really interesting.

I’m used to 24-word mnemonic phrases—the standard BIP-39 type you write down, stash away, and hope you never need to use. But NGRAVE’s “Perfect Key” is something else entirely. It’s not just generated. It’s crafted by me. A fusion of biometric data, environmental randomness, and personal input.

The seed generation process used:

• Entropy from the light entering the ZERO’s camera,
• My fingerprint, scanned and encrypted locally,
• And my manual interaction, where I shuffled and re-rolled parts of the seed using the device’s touchscreen.

It felt personal. Almost ceremonial. I wasn’t just generating a seed; I was forging a cryptographic identity that was uniquely mine, without ever touching the internet. Not once.

Updating Firmware and Getting Started

Next step: firmware update. You download the NGRAVE Firmware Updater from the official site, download the latest firmware, and plug into the ZERO via USB and enable the Update mode. A couple of minutes later, I was running the latest firmware.

After that, pairing with the NGRAVE LIQUID app was surprisingly seamless. I scanned a QR code with the ZERO and instantly linked the devices. The connection was faster than I expected—no delays, no glitches. That stood out.

My First Transactions: Smooth, Transparent, Secure

Receiving Crypto

To receive my first transaction, I opened the LIQUID app and generated a Bitcoin address. I scanned the QR code with the ZERO’s camera. The wallet’s 4-inch display was a breath of fresh air. Full addresses are shown in one go—no scrolling, no abbreviations, no guessing. I’ve always hated confirming long addresses on tiny screens (looking at you, Ledger Nano), but this was crystal clear.

I tested with BTC and then tried Ethereum and XRP. Everything worked flawlessly.

Sending Crypto

Sending funds is where most wallets get clunky—or dangerous. With the ZERO, it was refreshingly straightforward and verifiably secure.

I entered the transaction details in LIQUID, scanned the QR on the ZERO, reviewed all the details (amount, address, fee) offline, signed the transaction with my PIN and fingerprint, and scanned the signature QR back into the app.

At no point did the ZERO ever touch the internet. My private key remained offline—always. That’s the kind of guarantee you want when you're locking away your very own XRP crypto reserve or securing your Bitcoin.

Battery Life: One Minor Letdown

Now, for the only downside I’ve encountered so far: battery life.

While the ZERO isn’t designed to be on for hours, I did notice the battery drained faster than expected during setup and use. It's not a dealbreaker—it charges quickly and holds enough juice for standard sessions—but at €400, I expected more longevity. Cold wallets shouldn’t be something you need to keep an eye on battery-wise, even if you use them infrequently.

Wallet Segmentation: 100 Vaults, One Device

This feature turned out to be more useful than I thought.

The ZERO allows up to 100 accounts, all derived from the same seed, ideal for:

• Long-term Bitcoin holdings
• My XRP crypto reserve
• Meme coins like Wall Street Pepe WEPE & WIF coin - dogwifhat 
• Crypto presales for those early-stage tokens, depending on the chain.

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Rating (overall 4.4/5)

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NGRAVE ZERO: The Most Secure Wallet Ever—But Is It Worth €400?

After spending real time with it, I can confidently say this: the NGRAVE ZERO is the most secure hardware wallet I’ve ever used; almost to the point of overkill.

The level of attention given to every part of the experience—from offline seed generation using camera-based entropy and biometrics, to its full air-gapped transaction flow and massive display—proves that this device was designed with one goal in mind: uncompromising security. And it delivers on that promise, all while never once exposing your private keys to a networked device.

But that kind of security comes at a cost; €400, to be exact.

At that price point, it’s worth considering that you could pick up two air-gapped hardware wallets instead: one dedicated to long-term Bitcoin storage, and another for altcoin holdings like Ethereum, XRP, and other ERC-20 tokens. That kind of compartmentalization can actually enhance your security model by reducing attack surfaces and spreading risk.

Still, if you’re the kind of person who wants a vault, not just a wallet—something you could build a generational XRP crypto reserve in, or pass down through inheritance—then the NGRAVE ZERO isn’t just justified. It’s ideal.

Yes, it’s overbuilt. Yes, it’s expensive. But if you're serious about cold storage and want the most secure solution money can buy, then the ZERO lives up to its name: zero compromise.

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FAQ

• Does NGRAVE ZERO support XRP?

Yes, the ZERO natively supports XRP for sending, receiving, and secure long-term storage. Its full-screen display makes verifying long XRP addresses easy.

• Is the NGRAVE ZERO better than Ledger?

For security-focused users, yes. It’s fully air-gapped, EAL-7 certified, and features biometric unlock. Ledger still uses USB/Bluetooth, which introduces potential attack vectors.

• Can I store presale tokens or use DeFi?

Not directly. ZERO supports about 15 chains and popular tokens, but lacks integration for newer chains common in crypto presales or DeFi ecosystems.

• What happens if I lose my Ngrave Zero?

You can recover your assets using the 24-word seed + passphrase. If you’ve stored them on the Graphene plate or another metal seed phrase backup solution, even physical damage to the ZERO won’t result in loss.

• Is the Ngrave Graphene plate necessary?

Optional, but highly recommended. It adds physical robustness for long-term HODLing and inheritance planning.

• Can I convert a NGRAVE Perfect Key to a 24-word seed phrase and vice versa?

Yes. The NGRAVE Perfect Key is a 64-character hexadecimal string that represents the same 256-bit private key as a standard 24-word mnemonic seed phrase. You can convert between formats directly on the ZERO device by going to Settings → Display Secret Key. If needed, you can also use the trusted BIP39 tool by Ian Coleman — but only offline. Never input your private key or mnemonic into a live website. Download the tool, run it locally, and for maximum security, move your funds to a fresh wallet afterwards.

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Testimonials

Special thanks to The Crypto Dad and Cyber Scrilla for their in-depth tutorials. Their content was invaluable in helping me confidently set up and use my NGRAVE Zero the right way:

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The Crypto Dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KspVwt-zGz8

Cyber Scrilla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbjTGuNEE2Q

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