Ambire Unveils Ice: An Open-Source Hardware Wallet Designed for Safe Smart Accounts
Ambire, a self-custodial wallet provider, has announced Ambire Ice, a new open-source hardware wallet designed specifically for Ambire and Safe smart accounts. Unveiled on October 30, 2026, in Sofia, Bulgaria, the device aims to address one of the key challenges facing advanced Ethereum users: understanding exactly what they are signing before approving on-chain transactions.
Unlike conventional hardware wallets that can display complex smart contract interactions as difficult-to-interpret signing requests, Ambire Ice focuses on transaction transparency. Its on-device decoding technology reconstructs Safe transactions and presents individual operations directly on the hardware wallet’s screen. This allows users to review transfers, token approvals, and bundled transactions before confirming them.
The approach is particularly relevant for multisig operators, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and treasury managers, who often need to approve complex transactions involving multiple operations and smart contracts. By making transaction details easier to inspect, Ambire aims to reduce the risks associated with blindly signing requests.
Clear Signing and Multiple Layers of Protection
Ambire Ice introduces several security features designed to combine transaction transparency with hardware-level protection.
One of its central capabilities is on-device clear signing. The wallet decodes Safe transactions and displays their individual actions, including transfers and token approvals. It also provides warnings when a transaction involves potentially sensitive changes to Safe configurations, such as modifications to owners, signature thresholds, or installed modules.
The device also features a dual secure-element architecture combining chips from NXP and Infineon. According to Ambire, using two independent secure elements is intended to strengthen protection against different types of physical attacks and improve the security of private keys.
Another notable feature is a physical airgap switch. When activated, it disconnects USB data and cuts Bluetooth power at the hardware level. This enables users to sign transactions offline using animated QR codes, without relying on conventional wireless or wired data connections. USB and Bluetooth connectivity remain available as optional connection methods.
Open-Source Design and Post-Quantum Potential
Transparency is another major part of the Ice design philosophy. Ambire plans to provide inspectable hardware designs, board files, and firmware based on a fork of Trezor’s open-source code.
The wallet also features a transparent enclosure, allowing users to visually inspect its internal components. This approach reflects the project’s emphasis on verifiability and reducing reliance on closed hardware systems.
Looking further ahead, Ambire Ice is designed with a potential post-quantum upgrade path in mind. The proposed approach involves adding a post-quantum signing mechanism through an additional Safe owner. However, this functionality remains subject to further development and network support.
Pricing, Preorders, and Availability
Ambire expects preorders to open shortly after October 30, 2026. The initial release will be limited to 200 devices, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The planned retail price is $150, while the first preorder round will offer a discounted price of $119, including a $10 deposit. Shipping is currently expected to begin in early 2027.
With Ice, Ambire is targeting a growing segment of the Ethereum ecosystem that requires more than basic private-key protection. By combining smart account compatibility, transaction decoding, dual secure elements, and optional offline signing, the company aims to make hardware-based transaction approval more transparent and accessible.
As smart accounts and multisig operations become increasingly important across DeFi, DAOs, and institutional crypto management, solutions that allow users to verify not only who they are signing with but also what they are authorizing could become an increasingly important part of wallet security.
Disclaimer
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About The Author
Ana O. is an editor at MPost, where she focuses on reshaping content across a wide spectrum of topics. With an eye for detail and a genuine interest in storytelling, she helps ensure that the content is both accurate and engaging. Her experience spans multiple areas, providing her with the knowledge to offer insightful contributions to various topics highlighted on the platform.
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Ana O. is an editor at MPost, where she focuses on reshaping content across a wide spectrum of topics. With an eye for detail and a genuine interest in storytelling, she helps ensure that the content is both accurate and engaging. Her experience spans multiple areas, providing her with the knowledge to offer insightful contributions to various topics highlighted on the platform.
