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Use Keycard directly with a software wallet
22 Feb 2026

Keycard is a versatile smart card that works in multiple configurations. While you can use Keycard with Shell, you can also connect Keycard directly to a compatible software wallet — either on mobile or desktop.

When using a mobile software wallet, interaction is simple and wireless: just tap your Keycard against your phone's NFC area to authenticate or sign transactions. No additional hardware is required.

When using a desktop software wallet, you'll need a USB smart card reader to connect your Keycard to your computer.

Any smart card reader compliant with ISO 7816 will work with Keycard. This includes both contact readers (where the card is physically inserted) and NFC/contactless readers.

We sell a compact card reader that works great with Keycard: Buy it here

Our reader has a simple rotating mechanism. Here's how to use it:

  1. 1
    Start with the reader closed.
  2. 2
    Rotate the inner part to open the card slot.
  3. 3
    Insert your Keycard with the logo facing up.
  4. 4
    Plug the reader into your computer's USB port.
How to use the USB reader: 1. Take the USB reader, 2. Open it, 3. Insert the card, 4. Insert in PC.
note
Steps 3 and 4 are of course interchangeable — you can plug the reader into your computer first and insert the card afterward, or insert the card first and then connect.

If your card reader is not automatically detected on Linux, you may need to ensure that the pcsc service is installed and pcscd is running.

note

Linux commands to install and run pcsc might depend on your Linux distro. The one below apply to Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions.

sudo apt-get install pcscd
sudo apt-get install python-usb
sudo systemctl enable pcscd.service
sudo systemctl start pcscd.service
sudo systemctl status pcscd.service
Last edited
22 Feb 2026