There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing your digital assets are truly yours, locked away securely, immune to online hacks, and recoverable only by you. That’s the strong side of hardware wallets like OneKey, and if you’re in the Nexa ecosystem, there’s good news: OneKey uses the exact same 12-word seed standard as wallets like Wally and Otoplo, and yes, the wallets are compatible, no strings attached. This guide will walk you through getting started with OneKey, explain how it fits into the Nexa world, and help you understand what it means to hold your coins offline, on your own terms.
Getting Your OneKey Wallet
Visit the official OneKey website (https://onekey.so), this is where you’ll find the different hardware models:
- OneKey Classic — your standard secure option.
- OneKey Touch — fancier, with a touchscreen.
- OneKey Mini — small, simple, and affordable.
Stick with the official store or verified resellers and don’t risk buying used or unsealed devices. Hardware wallets are all about trust, and that starts with where you get them.
Setting Up
Once your OneKey device is in your hands, you’re about to take a step into self-custody. Here’s what to do:
- Download the OneKey App from OneKey App: Crypto DeFi Wallet | Multi-Chain Wallet with Risk Detection. It’s available for desktop and mobile (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS).
- Plug in your device and follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new wallet.
- You’ll be shown a 12-word recovery phrase, stop everything and write it down by hand, not on your phone, not in a text file, only on paper.
- Confirm the phrase on-screen to make sure you wrote it down correctly. Then store that backup somewhere safe, better yet, store it in multiple places.
This phrase is your wallet. If someone gets it, they get your coins, if you lose it, they’re gone. There are no support tickets or password resets.
OneKey and Nexa
Here’s where it gets interesting, that 12-word phrase you just wrote down follows a standard called BIP39, which Wally Wallet and Otoplo also use, and that means:
- If you create a OneKey wallet today, and in six months you want to check your Nexa balance in Wally, you can just import the same seed phrase.
- Or maybe you started on Wally or Otoplo, that seed works in OneKey too.
The OneKey hardware wallet is fully compatible with the Nexa ecosystem, the only catch is that it uses a single address, whereas other wallets like Wally support multiple addresses. The best recommendation is to generate a new seed phrase when setting up a new wallet, this keeps it offline on the device, without exposing it to hot (online) devices.
Sending, Receiving & Checking Your Coins
Managing your Nexa coins with OneKey is simple, secure, and fully self-custodial. The OneKey app lets you send, receive, and manage Nexa directly, with your private keys staying offline on the hardware device at all times. And if your phone or computer is lost, just import your 12-word recovery phrase into a fresh OneKey device. Your funds will reappear, safe, sound, and exactly where you left them.
To receive coins, open the OneKey app and generate a Nexa address linked to your hardware wallet. You’ll need to confirm the address on your hardware wallet screen first. Then you can share that address, and any Nexa sent to it will be safely stored in cold storage, accessible only with your device and seed phrase. To send coins, use the OneKey app to enter the recipient’s address and then confirm the transaction on your hardware device. The signing takes place directly on your OneKey, keeping your private keys fully offline. You can also view your balance, manage your account, and access all other native OneKey wallet features.
Don’t Skip Security
The real power of a hardware wallet is that it keeps your private keys offline, locked behind a device PIN and your own discipline. A few tips:
- Set a strong PIN on your OneKey device.
- Always keep your seed phrase offline and never in the cloud, notes app, or screenshots.
- Most importantly, make multiple backups.
There’s no cloud login, no recovery or account reset, you’re the only one in charge.
Final Thoughts
Using OneKey with Nexa means you’re combining the solid offline security of a hardware wallet with the decentralization and permissionlessness of the Nexa ecosystem. OneKey signs transactions offline, with your private keys never leaving the device or being exposed to online environments. You are the sole holder of your assets, and your sovereignty.
Disclaimer: This guide is provided solely for educational purposes. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by OneKey or its developers. Always do your own research and exercise caution when using third-party hardware or software.
