Citadel Dispatch CD185: ROB AND ANDREAS - BETTER BITCOIN WALLETS
Dec 2, 2025
Rob, the developer behind Kyoto, and Andreas, the creator of Bitcoin Safe, delve into the world of Bitcoin wallets. They discuss compact block filters and their potential to enhance privacy and streamline wallet synchronization. Rob shares the origins of Kyoto, emphasizing its focus on lightweight, private nodes. Andreas highlights the importance of hardware-only wallets for secure cold storage. The duo also explores multisig coordination over Nostr, addressing the challenges and future of user experience in Bitcoin wallet development.
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Initial Sync Vs Daily Speed
- CBF recovery has longer initial sync time but subsequent daily syncs are as fast as Electrum.
- Andreas reports initial restores take tens of minutes while weekly use feels instant after the first sync.
Why Use A Peer Pool And Your Node
- CBF clients connect to a pool of peers by default but can add a user's own node for speed and redundancy.
- Running your own node in the pool helps latency and provides fallback if the home node goes down.
Test Devices With Small Transactions
- Test every hardware signer with small receive and send transactions during setup before moving large funds.
- Bitcoin Safe's wizard enforces these tests so users confirm all devices work in practice.