Swiss email provider Proton debuts self-custody Bitcoin wallet

Swiss tech company Proton has introduced its self-storage digital wallet that supports cryptocurrency transactions via email.

Proton AG, a Swiss technology company known for its privacy-focused online services, has introduced an open-source, self-storage digital wallet called Proton Wallet. The new solution is currently in early access and is available on web, Android, and iOS platforms, according to a press release shared with crypto.news.

Proton says the wallet will initially only support Bitcoin (BTC) but may add support for “other currencies” including fiat in the future “depending on user feedback.”

Proton Wallet interface | Source: Proton AG

With the product, users can send crypto using their email addresses, even if those addresses are not connected to Proton Mail, Proton’s encrypted email service. The company has already secured integrations with onramps that allow users to buy Bitcoin in over 150 countries, but it has not disclosed its partners.

“By enabling us and the entire Proton community to more easily adopt payment instruments that are not controlled by central institutions, we are better insulating Proton from the risks posed by traditional finance.”

Proton

Proton is also developing a paid version called Proton Wallet Plus, which will include Proton Sentinel, a “special security program” for users who are “at higher risk of being cyber-attacked.” The release description did not provide details on the technical specifications or availability timeline for this version.

Founded in 2013, Proton has long been committed to blockchain-related initiatives. In late 2023, Proton Mail announced a feature that automatically compares users’ public keys, generated when they compose an email in Proton, with their intended recipients on a blockchain to ensure emails go to the right destination. The mail service has also held Bitcoin on its balance sheet since 2017 and continues to accept the crypto as a payment method.