Technical Approach

The Open Source Secure Element (OSSE) project takes a comprehensive technical approach to developing a secure, transparent, and insurable hardware wallet. This section outlines the key technical components and methodologies that will be employed throughout the project.

OpenTitan Framework

At the core of the project is the OpenTitan framework, an open-source silicon root of trust (RoT) project that provides a transparent and secure foundation for hardware development. OpenTitan offers:

Open-source Hardware: Fully transparent and auditable hardware designs
Security Features: Secure boot, key management, and cryptographic operations
Industry Support: Backed by Google and other major technology companies
RISC-V Architecture: Based on the open RISC-V instruction set architecture

By leveraging OpenTitan, the project ensures that the hardware wallet’s most critical security components are transparent, auditable, and built on industry-standard security practices.

Hardware Components

The hardware wallet will be developed using:

ChipWhisperer CW340 FPGA Board: For initial prototyping and development
RISC-V Architecture: For the main processor, using the Ibex core from OpenTitan
Secure Element: Based on OpenTitan’s silicon RoT design
Display: For showing transaction details and wallet information
Input Mechanism: For user authentication and transaction approval
Communication Interfaces: USB and potentially Bluetooth for device connectivity

Software Architecture

The software architecture will include:

Firmware: Low-level code running on the secure element
Wallet Application: User interface and transaction management
Cryptographic Libraries: For key generation, signing, and encryption
EIP-712 Implementation: For secure and transparent transaction signing
Blockchain Integration: For interacting with Ethereum and other blockchains

Security Features

The wallet will incorporate several security features:

Secure Key Generation: Using hardware-based random number generation
Encrypted Key Storage: Protecting private keys at rest
Transaction Verification: Displaying transaction details on-device
Address Whitelisting/Blacklisting: For enhanced security and insurability
Social Recovery Options: For key recovery in case of device loss
Supply Chain Documentation: Using blockchain to verify hardware components

Development Approach

The development will follow these methodologies:

Open-Source Development: All code and hardware designs will be publicly available
Security-First Design: Implementing security at every layer of the stack
Iterative Prototyping: Building and testing incrementally to identify issues early
Community Engagement: Involving the open-source community in development and review
Comprehensive Testing: Including security audits and penetration testing

The technical approach balances security, transparency, and usability, ensuring that the final product meets the needs of both individual users and the broader Ethereum ecosystem.