Why build a wallet: focus over features

"My problem with the core side has been what we talked about with the people that are technical and don't have the empathy or understand what it was like before you were [technical]. The core people are so dismissive and the hubris is so high that they dismiss these people that are not technical but understand Bitcoin as money right.

"I always say, like my Twitter phrase, Bitcoin is not open source software. Obviously that doesn't mean it's not open source, it's just so much more than that. It's not just a piece of software, it is money."

~ Praveen Perera

Managing private keys remains one of the steepest learning curves for new Bitcoiners. How do we get people off exchanges and into self-custody without the terrifying risk of user error?

I sit down with Praveen Perera, the builder behind Cove Wallet, to talk about his unique approach to simplified backups using Passkeys and encrypted cloud storage. We discuss the philosophy of building focused, single-purpose tools versus the 'super app' trend, and dig into the technical trade-offs of his architecture.

We also wander into the implications of 'vibe coding' with AI, the contentious debates around network spam, and why maintaining a diverse ecosystem of wallet implementations might be crucial for Bitcoin's resilience.

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Guest Links

• Praveen on X (Link: https://x.com/PraveenPerera)
• Cove Wallet on X (Link: https://x.com/covewallet)
• Cove Wallet Website (Link: https://covebitcoinwallet.com/)
• Cove Wallet on Github (Link: https://github.com/bitcoinppl/cove)

Host Links

• ⁠Guy on Nostr ⁠(Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney)
• ⁠Guy on X ⁠(Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann)
• Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann)
• Guy on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann)
• ⁠Bitcoin Audible on X⁠ (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible)
• The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839)