ELLIPAL X Card Review: Air-Gapped Card Wallet, At Least They Claim It

Watch my video review

What Is The ELLIPAL X Card?

The ELLIPAL X Card is making waves in the crypto wallet space as a credit-card-sized cold wallet. With plenty of buzz around it, I decided to give it a thorough test to see if it lives up to the hype.

Many early adopters are calling it revolutionary, and the convenience factor is undeniable. Here is the real truth behind this wallet.

One thing to understand up front, because the product has moved since I first reviewed it: Ellipal now describes the X Card as an NFC cold wallet. You activate the card offline with a separate device, the X Card Starter, then connect to the ELLIPAL app by tapping the card to your phone. Signing happens on the card. The private key never leaves the secure chip. My original setup notes below describe the flow I used when I tested it, so some details may differ from what you get in the box today.

What Is In The ELLIPAL X Card Box?

Ellipal lists the retail package as one X Card, one X Card Starter (the offline device used to create your wallet), one Recovery Card and a Quick Start Guide. My box was a pre-order package that also included:

• ELLIPAL X Card (credit card-sized wallet)
• Leather card case (Premium Limited Edition)
• User manual and setup guide
• Additional exclusive gifts for pre-order customers

The case is a separate product in Ellipal's store now, so do not assume it is included.

How Does The ELLIPAL X Card Work?

The X Card works on an air-gapped design, and here is how I walked through using it when I tested it.

Step-By-Step Setup Process

• Step 1: Download the ELLIPAL App. Get the ELLIPAL mobile app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Make sure you download the official app from Ellipal directly.
• Step 2: Initial card activation. I powered on the X Card by tapping it to my phone's NFC area. In my test the card showed a QR code on its small screen for initial setup. The current retail kit does the offline activation on the X Card Starter, so follow the Quick Start Guide that comes in your box.
• Step 3: Create a new wallet. In the app I chose Add Wallet, then ELLIPAL X Card, and paired the devices.
• Step 4: Generate the seed phrase. The seed phrase is generated offline, away from any phone or computer. Write your backup words on the recovery sheet.
• Step 5: Set your PIN. The Card-PIN is set on the card. It cannot be recovered or bypassed, so pick one you will remember and others cannot guess.
• Step 6: Verify the setup. The app prompts you to confirm everything is configured.

How To Receive Bitcoin

• Step 1: In the ELLIPAL app, select your Bitcoin wallet and tap Receive.
• Step 2: The app creates a QR code with your Bitcoin receiving address. You can also copy the address as text.
• Step 3: Verify the address against the card where the flow allows it, to guard against address spoofing.
• Step 4: Send the address or QR code to the person paying you. The transaction appears in the app once the blockchain confirms it.

How To Send Bitcoin

• Step 1: In the app, open your Bitcoin wallet, tap Send, and enter the recipient address and amount.
• Step 2: Review the details, including fees, carefully.
• Step 3: The app prepares the unsigned transaction.
• Step 4: Tap the card to your phone so the card can sign it, and check the details it shows.
• Step 5: Approve with your PIN on the card.
• Step 6: The signed transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin network. It will appear on the blockchain once confirmed.

What Extra Features Are Worth Mentioning?

Multiple card backups. Ellipal says you can give each card its own wallet, or join several cards to the same wallet as a backup. That means a spare card kept somewhere safe, or a card for a trusted family member as part of inheritance planning. The Duo add-on is a two-card set with one standard card and one unmarked privacy card, and it needs the X Card Starter to activate.

Multi-wallet support. Separate cards can hold separate wallets, for personal funds, business crypto or different strategies.

Cross-chain compatibility. Ellipal lists 10,000-plus tokens across 45-plus blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, BNB Chain and Polygon. My first review said 40-plus blockchains, so the list has grown.

Emergency recovery. If the card is lost or damaged, you can restore everything from your seed phrase onto a new X Card or any BIP39-compatible wallet.

Stealth. The card looks like a bank card, so nobody knows you are carrying a wallet.

Transaction history. The card does not store history. The ELLIPAL app keeps the record for portfolio tracking and tax.

The design aims to keep your private keys off any internet-connected device while giving you hot-wallet convenience for regular transactions.

Is The ELLIPAL X Card Safe?

I rate its security design highly. The CC EAL6+ chip is described by Ellipal as one of the highest ratings a chip can earn, the same class used in passports and bank cards, and the key is generated and stored inside it. With the card's own design, there is no battery and no connection of its own, so nothing for a remote attacker to reach. The Card-PIN adds a layer, and after 10 wrong attempts the card wipes its stored wallet data. Because the wallet follows BIP39, your seed phrase can restore it elsewhere, so a single lost card is not a single point of failure.

Two honest cautions from my testing. First, I found the seed phrase verification weak: the check that you wrote the words down correctly is not strict, so double-check your backup by hand. Second, the wallet is newer technology, and the dApp integration is more limited than on the older, bigger brands. Neither is a reason to avoid it, only a reason to start with a small amount.

Hardware wallets are for people who hold crypto for the long term. If you are still choosing where to buy, see my best crypto exchanges for Canadians, and for other options compare my best crypto wallets.

What Are The ELLIPAL X Card Pros And Cons?

Is The ELLIPAL X Card Worth It?

The ELLIPAL X Card is not just innovative, it is practical innovation that solves real problems. It brings cold wallet security to a form factor that makes sense for daily use. The tap-to-go convenience and credit card size make it the first cold wallet I would actually want to carry every day.

It has limitations and it is newer technology, but the security impressed me and the convenience is hard to beat. Backing up to multiple cards gives serious holders solid redundancy.

Both newcomers who want strong security and experienced users who want portable cold storage will find value here. The X Card bridges the gap between security and usability that has plagued hardware wallets for years. If you want a cold wallet you will use regularly, not only for long-term storage, it deserves serious consideration.

Has ELLIPAL Had Security Problems?

Here is every documented security issue I could confirm for ELLIPAL, newest first, with what it meant for owners and what was done about it.

• Jun 25, 2019: Ledger Donjon seed extraction from Ellipal. Donjon found several flaws, including one letting an attacker with physical access extract the seed and others allowing a backdoor for supply-chain or evil-maid attacks. Needs physical access; no remote exploit reported. Disclosed responsibly to the maker; see Ledger's write-up. (source)

How Does ELLIPAL X Card Compare?