Is an iPhone a Better Hardware Wallet Than a Ledger? - Uneasy Money

The discussion argues that hardware wallets are vulnerable not because the devices are inherently bad, but because crypto holdings have become valuable enough to justify supply-chain attacks. The host and guests frame the core problem as extreme asymmetry: a device that costs about $100 may protect assets worth millions, which makes traditional consumer distribution a weak model for security.

One guest makes the case that AI could trigger a resurgence in DIY hardware and Linux-style tinkering, making it easier for people to build or verify their own secure setups. That same argument extends to using a new iPhone bought from an official Apple Store as a potentially safer hardware wallet than a dedicated crypto device, because the Apple supply chain is too broad to be an efficient target for most attackers.

The practical conclusion is not to trust a single device. The host emphasizes splitting risk across multiple Ledgers, Trezors, paper backups, and multisig so that one compromise does not wipe out everything. The guests repeatedly return to the idea that crypto users need layered security because the economics of attack now justify serious effort from adversaries.