Jan3 technology company CEO Samson Mow has put forward an initiative to revise established terminology in the digital assets industry. The top executive proposed dropping the term "Bitcoin hardware wallet" in favor of the more technically precise name "Bitcoin Signing Device" (BSD). In Mow's view, the new designation would eliminate one of the most widespread misconceptions among novice crypto investors, who mistakenly believe that their digital assets are physically stored inside the hardware device.
From a technical standpoint, bitcoins exist exclusively on the distributed blockchain ledger, while the specialized device stores only the private cryptographic keys required to authorize transactions and confirm ownership of assets. Samson Mow is convinced that the term "signing device" far more accurately reflects the essence of the technology for securely signing transactions. A hardware wallet functions not as a vault for storing valuables, but as a tool for key management and generating cryptographic signatures. Even if the device fails completely, its battery dies, or the screen is physically damaged, the bitcoins remain on the blockchain and are not at risk of being lost.
In the event the device breaks down or is lost, the user retains the ability to restore access to their assets on any compatible hardware provided they have a backup seed phrase. Samson Mow particularly emphasized that the concept of "signing" aligns perfectly with multisignature terminology, which is widely used in corporate and institutional solutions to enhance the security of digital asset management. The Jan3 CEO stated his intention to consistently use the term BSD in professional communications and expressed hope for broad support of the initiative from hardware manufacturers.
The initiative has already received a positive response from leading market players. According to Samson Mow, Ledger and its CEO Pascal Gauthier are already working on incorporating the new terminology into their products and marketing materials. The Jan3 executive expressed confidence that other hardware solution manufacturers, including Bitkey, will join the movement, enabling the formation of a unified industry standard for designating specialized devices used to work with private keys.
This proposal marks another public statement by Samson Mow on the development of Bitcoin infrastructure. Previously, the Jan3 CEO urged Bitcoin Core developers not to rush the implementation of solutions to guard against quantum computing threats. In his view, premature integration of post-quantum cryptography could create serious compatibility issues between network nodes and reduce the overall efficiency of the distributed system, requiring a more measured and gradual approach to protocol modernization.
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This material is prepared for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation.