Foundation has announced the beta launch of the Universal Ethereum Signer on its Passport hardware device, marking a significant expansion of the open source security platform beyond Bitcoin. The app was developed by Nicolas Bacca, co-founder of Ledger and now CEO of ZKnox, with funding provided through an Ethereum Foundation grant to ZKnox. Built on Foundation's KeyOS operating system, the signer allows users to review and approve Ethereum transactions directly on dedicated hardware, keeping private keys away from internet-connected devices. Investors and developers in the hardware security and digital assets space may be watching whether the open development model attracts further third-party applications to the Passport platform.

Key Points

  • Foundation (FNEWS) — maker of open source Human Authority Hardware devices
  • Universal Ethereum Signer beta launched on Passport Prime, developed by ZKnox CEO Nicolas Bacca with Ethereum Foundation grant funding
  • Passport Prime is available starting at $349; wider app catalogue distribution is planned for winter 2026
  • Investors should watch adoption of KeyOS by independent developers and the rollout of additional hardware platform integrations already described as in development

How KeyOS Enables Permissionless App Development on Passport Prime

Foundation began building KeyOS in late 2022 specifically to allow independent developers to create security applications without being granted access to all data stored on the device. The operating system assigns each app its own protected environment, storage, and permissions. The Universal Ethereum Signer, for example, receives its own signing keys by default, entirely separate from those used by other applications. This architecture means users can add Ethereum signing capability to the same device they already use for Bitcoin, login credentials, and private files, without compromising the security boundaries between those functions.

Nicolas Bacca's ZKnox Builds Ethereum Signing Capability With Verifiable Signing Feature

The app was developed by Nicolas Bacca, who co-founded Ledger and now leads ZKnox, with the work funded by an Ethereum Foundation grant. The signing process operates entirely via QR code: users prepare a transaction in a compatible wallet, scan the QR code with Passport's camera, and review transaction details on the device's screen before approving. Passport then generates a digital signature displayed as a QR code, with no USB or Bluetooth connection required. The app also implements Verifiable Signing, displaying a cryptographic fingerprint of additional transaction data that users can compare against an independently verified value prior to approval.

Beta Availability, Pricing and Planned App Catalogue Distribution for Winter 2026

The Universal Ethereum Signer is available immediately in beta as an optional, manual installation on Passport Prime. Foundation has stated that distribution through its app catalogue is planned for winter 2026. Source code and installation documentation have been published in the Ethereum GitHub organisation. Passport Prime, assembled in the United States, is priced from $349 and is available at foundation.xyz. Developer tools and documentation for building additional KeyOS applications are accessible at foundation.xyz/developers, underscoring Foundation's intent to grow a broader third-party developer ecosystem around the platform.

Ethereum Foundation Strategy Team Confirms Further Hardware Integrations in Development

The announcement includes a statement from Nicolas Consigny, a member of the Ethereum Foundation's Strategy Team, confirming the organisation's support for ZKnox's work. The disclosure states that additional hardware platform integrations beyond Passport are already in development, suggesting the Universal Ethereum Signer is intended as a cross-platform tool rather than a Passport-exclusive application. The launch also follows the earlier introduction of Legacy Mode on Passport, which brought existing open source apps originally developed for Ledger hardware to the Foundation platform, progressively widening the range of capabilities available to Passport owners.