Swiss Bitcoin wallet app Relai has introduced biometric security through its partnership with Keyless, adding a passwordless multi-factor authentication system designed to enhance both user privacy and the safety of digital assets. While the new system removes the need for passwords and PINs in daily use, Relai continues to rely on the traditional 12-word seed phrase for complete account recovery, with the biometric solution providing an additional layer of protection for accessing this sensitive information.
The new authentication process leverages facial recognition technology, enabling users to unlock their wallets and authorize critical actions without typing credentials or relying on SMS codes. Keyless’s platform uses liveness detection and device-binding techniques to ensure that biometric data remains private and secure, processed locally on the user’s device rather than stored centrally.
Relai emphasizes on its website that Keyless is not a replacement for users’ recovery phrases but rather an additional security measure that controls access to recovery features.
This upgrade comes at a time when traditional methods like SMS-based authentication are facing increased scrutiny due to rising costs and vulnerabilities to phishing and SIM-swap attacks. Relai’s adoption of biometric technology aims to mitigate these risks while maintaining its non-custodial wallet model, ensuring that users retain sole control over their private keys and funds.
Unlike conventional account recovery processes that often rely solely on passwords, email, or SMS codes, Relai’s updated system introduces biometric verification as an extra gate before users can access their 12-word seed phrase. This approach significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access stemming from social engineering attacks, while keeping the wallet fundamentally non-custodial and user-controlled.
This development reflects broader trends in digital security, as Keyless was recently recognized as a luminary in passwordless authentication by Acuity Market Intelligence’s Deepfake & Synthetic Identity Prism report.
Relai’s integration of biometric security parallels similar moves by other financial services platforms, signaling the cryptocurrency sector’s growing emphasis on advanced security solutions. The partnership specifically targets common threats such as phishing and credential theft, seeking to provide users with a more secure and seamless experience as digital asset adoption continues to grow.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
