Freedom Factory launches PQ1, the first quantum-proof hardware wallet backed by Balaji and Vitalik Buterin

Freedom Factory just dropped what it calls the first hardware wallet built from the ground up to survive the quantum computing era. The PQ1, priced at $179, is designed to protect Ethereum and EVM-chain assets using cryptography that even a sufficiently powerful quantum computer shouldn’t be able to crack.

The company, founded in 2021, counts Balaji Srinivasan and Vitalik Buterin among its backers.

What the PQ1 actually does differently

Here’s the thing about your current hardware wallet: it relies on elliptic-curve cryptography, specifically ECDSA, to keep your private keys safe. The PQ1 sidesteps this entirely by using SPHINCS+, a hash-based signature scheme that NIST standardized in 2024.

Most competitors in the hardware wallet space have focused on firmware updates to bolster quantum resistance. The PQ1 is built so that both the assets it protects and the firmware update process itself are secured against quantum attacks.

The device runs air-gapped by default, meaning it doesn’t connect to the internet or even your computer during normal operation. It uses dual EAL6+ secure elements and splits seed phrases using XOR splitting across those elements. If an attacker compromises one secure element, they still get nothing useful.

The entire stack is open-source. Hardware schematics, firmware, everything. Reproducible builds mean anyone can verify that the code running on their device matches the published source.

The Bitcoin-shaped hole

There’s one notable absence from the PQ1’s feature list: Bitcoin support. Bitcoin’s blockchain currently lacks the post-quantum account primitives necessary for a wallet like the PQ1 to function. Ethereum’s account abstraction capabilities, specifically ERC-4337 smart accounts, give it more flexibility to integrate novel signature schemes. The PQ1 takes advantage of this, incorporating ERC-4337 features that also enable gasless transactions.

Freedom Factory’s bigger play

The PQ1 isn’t Freedom Factory’s first product. The company also produces the dGEN1 and ethOS. CEO Michael Haas presented the PQ1 at an Ethereum Builders Live event.

Pre-orders are open now, with shipments expected in Q4 2026. At $179, the PQ1 sits in a competitive price range alongside existing premium hardware wallets from Ledger and Trezor, neither of which currently offers comparable post-quantum protection.

Blockchain transactions are public and permanent. Every transaction signed with ECDSA is sitting on a public ledger. If a quantum computer eventually breaks that signature scheme, it could allow attackers to derive private keys from exposed public keys.

What this means for investors

For Ethereum holders specifically, the PQ1 represents the first tangible self-custody option that addresses quantum risk without requiring changes to the base protocol. The ERC-4337 integration means users can adopt quantum-resistant security today, on the existing network, without waiting for a hard fork or protocol upgrade.

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