John Sirianni to scale up Tropic Square as new CEO
May 14, 2024
3 min read
Tropic Square, designers of transparent and auditable secure chip solutions, welcomes John Sirianni as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sirianni leads the company to scale up as they approach the pre-production tape out of their flagship product, TROPIC01, this year.
With more than two decades in the semiconductor and cybersecurity industries, Sirianni brings his knowledge and expertise to lead Tropic Square to global scale. His previous experience includes embedded systems security consultation, strategic commercialization, and leading international deep-tech scale ups.
John Sirianni shares his vision for the company, stating “The engineering staff has crafted an industry leading open-hardware and auditable security chip, which enables device design teams to verify advanced security functions as they require. Now it’s time to make it generally available for security sensitive device designers. Device developers of AI-IoT edge devices, gaming & A/R devices, autonomous systems, M2M payment systems, advanced hardware authenticators are in need of open, transparent, and auditable cryptographic processing. Security through Transparency is what we are about at our core. ”
This year, Tropic Square is on route for the pre-production of TROPIC01, a transparent and auditable secure cryptographic coprocessor. Under Sirianni’s leadership and guidance, the team is eager to bring their advanced cryptographic coprocessor chip TROPIC01 to the wider market, to address the growing demand for secure hardware devices.
“I’m super excited to have John on board. We have been very product development focused and now it is the time to advance the business side of our operations. I’m looking forward to working with customers from a broader market, and showing them that there is an alternative to security by obscurity. They can have cars now, instead of just faster horses. Offering this chip to the initial customers will also give us valuable feedback, so we can further refine our product to meet market needs” says Jan Pleskac, CTO.
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About Tropic Square
Tropic Square is a private company founded in 2020 as a response to the need for open architecture secure element chips. We develop and produce secure semiconductor device solutions that enable the auditability of its security implementations. Our chips and IP are tested by experts in the open source community and made available for community use. Tropic Square develops and produces auditable chips that meet the high security requirements of our customer’s design teams.
Staking was launched only a few months ago in May in Trezor Suite.
Service is in collaboration with reputable Everstake.
Only 0.1 ETH required to start staking.
Trezor, the world’s leading open-source cryptocurrency hardware wallet producer, proudly announces that its users have staked a remarkable 100,000 ETH since the company introduced secure staking in its Trezor Suite in May 2024. Through this new feature, Trezor enables users to earn rewards by participating in Ethereum’s network security directly from their Trezor wallets.
Trezor’s staking service, launched in collaboration with Everstake, a well-regarded staking-as-a-service platform, requires a minimum stake of just 0.1 ETH, making it accessible for a wide range of Ethereum holders. With auto-compounding rewards and a user-friendly setup within Trezor Suite, Trezor has simplified the staking process while maintaining top-tier security standards.
“We are thrilled to see such strong adoption of our staking feature,” said Matěj Žák, CEO of Trezor. “Trezor users believe in self-custody, but also want to see their holdings grow. In fact, staking is a great embodiment of that philosophy - holding rather than selling, but earning interest while allowing the community to benefit from the staked coins, all while keeping them maximally secure. We sensed that there was serious interest for such a service, but even we didn’t expect that we’d blast through this milestone within this year. This impressive level of engagement underscores our community’s commitment to both security and network participation.”
For more information on how to stake ETH using Trezor Suite, visit www.trezor.io.
Trezor is the original bitcoin hardware wallet company, founded in 2013. It pioneered the development of the self-custody of crypto assets, empowering individuals with an open-source device that enables anyone to easily and securely hold cryptocurrencies.
Trezor has expanded to offer a whole ecosystem of easy-to-use both hardware and software products that help protect users - from crypto novices to crypto experts. In 2023, the company launched its Trezor Academy initiative which educates grassroots communities across the African continent on safe participation in the bitcoin ecosystem. Trezor is part of SatoshiLabs, a technology holding company with various interests in crypto and bitcoin companies.
Tropic Square, innovators in transparent and auditable secure semiconductors joins the IoT Security Foundation (IoTSF), the global association committed to ensuring the security and reliability of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Tropic Square's IoTSF member badge
IoTSF unites companies worldwide to enhance cybersecurity defenses by collaborating with its members to offer guidelines, best practices, and resources for secure IoT deployments. As IoT devices become more integral in both personal and professional environments, IoTSF tackles the challenge of mobilizing robust security measures.
Tropic Square develops open secure chips that protect IoT devices from advanced attacks. These chips serve as a hardware Root of Trust (RoT), with the security based on transparency. Technical details on the security design and logic are made accessible to the open source community. The openness serves to equip design engineers with components that empower secure product development, as well as cross communication for resolving vulnerabilities.
Tropic Square’s approach aligns with IoTSF's mission to inform the public and ensure the ongoing safety of IoT systems. The joint efforts aim to strengthen security defenses to evolve alongside emerging challenges in IoT devices, while aligning IoT product lifecycle to upcoming legislation like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act and Cybersecurity Act.
Tropic Square is a fabless semiconductor and IP company founded in 2020 as a response to the need for secure open hardware co-processors. We stand for TRuly Open Integrated Circuits by developing and producing secure cryptographic coprocessors and IPs. Our designs are tested by experts in the open source community and made available for community use.
In 2024, Trezor Academy has run 42 educational programs across 21 countries with more than 800 graduates
Trezor Academy supports local educators who teach bitcoin fundamentals. It focuses mainly on Africa
Trezor Academy, a non-profit educational initiative by Trezor, dedicated to promoting Bitcoin adoption in developing regions, made remarkable strides in 2024 in democratizing access to financial knowledge across underserved regions, particularly in the Global South.
In 2024, Trezor Academy achieved significant milestones:
Conducted 42 educational programs, each comprising three consecutive meetups
Expanded to 21 countries, with a primary focus on Africa, as well as programs in South America, Mexico, or the Caribbean
The lectures were conducted in English, Spanish, and French, but also in local African languages
Educated over 800 local participants, equipping them with essential Bitcoin knowledge
Sponsored the Most Impactful African Bitcoiners by African Bitcoiners, recognizing key contributors to Bitcoin education on the continent
Created professional video footage of Trezor Academy lectures in a studio, providing participants with high-quality online education resources.
Driven by its mission to accelerate Bitcoin adoption worldwide, Trezor Academy leverages interactive meetups led by local educators. These sessions, attended by 20-30 participants each, cover Bitcoin fundamentals — explaining its importance, functionality, and practical use for making payments.
Empowering Local Educators Trezor Academy emphasizes local engagement by training and supporting educators to teach in their native languages and adapt content to align with cultural and economic contexts. These educators are provided with Bitcoin literature, resources, and modest financial support to ensure sustainability and impact.
Trezor Academy partnered with grassroots organizations globally, collaborating with initiatives such as Bitcoin Dada in Kenya, Bridgesats in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nova Stars in Suriname, or African Bitcoiners, a Pan-African effort.
“We are proud to see Trezor Academy bring the transformative potential of bitcoin closer to communities that stand to benefit most,” said Josef Tětek, Trezor’s well-known Bitcoin evangelist who is the founder and driving force behind Trezor Academy. “Our mission has only just begun, and we look forward to expanding this initiative globally.”
Looking Ahead Building on its success, Trezor Academy aims to continue its efforts in 2025 and expanding further by reaching new countries and engaging passionate local educators to spread Bitcoin knowledge within their communities.
For Bitcoin educators interested in organizing a Trezor Academy meetup, the initiative offers collaboration opportunities to bring Bitcoin education to local communities.
For more information about Trezor Academy, including upcoming meetups and highlights from previous events, visit academy.trezor.io.
Photos from the Trezor Academy meetups : click here
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About Trezor Academy
Trezor Academy is a nonprofit educational initiative by Trezor, designed to promote bitcoin adoption through grassroots education. Trezor Academy provides localized bitcoin education for communities in underserved regions, equipping individuals with financial literacy and the knowledge to navigate the digital economy securely.
About Trezor
Trezor is the original bitcoin hardware wallet company, founded in 2013. It pioneered the development of the self-custody of crypto assets, empowering individuals with an open-source device that enables anyone to easily and securely hold cryptocurrencies.
Trezor has expanded to offer a whole ecosystem of easy-to-use both hardware and software products that help protect users - from crypto novices to crypto experts. In 2023, the company launched its Trezor Academy initiative which educates grassroots communities across the African continent on safe participation in the bitcoin ecosystem. Trezor is part of SatoshiLabs, a technology holding company with various interests in crypto and bitcoin companies.
Premium device combines color touchscreen with haptic feedback, EAL 6+ Secure Element, and enhanced backup processes
Trezor Safe 5
Trezor, the original bitcoin hardware wallet company, today introduces the Trezor Safe 5, which brings everyday convenience to securely storing, managing and buying cryptocurrencies in a cold-storage wallet. Drawing on more than ten years’ experience of open source security, the Trezor Safe 5 packs an array of powerful attributes that support active, regular management of crypto assets, while maintaining Trezor’s commitment to exceptional levels of usability and security:
Color touchscreen and Trezor Touch haptic engine for a richer interactive experience
NDA-Free, EAL 6+ certified, Secure Element designed to protect sensitive information and perform cryptographic operations
An enhanced, more robust, 20-word backup process offers a seamless upgrade from a standard Single-share Backup to an Advanced Multi-share Backup
All Gorilla-Glass surface protects device from scratches and damage
With a vibrant color touchscreen, the Trezor Safe 5 delivers a visually engaging interface. Its large screen gives users additional reassurance about the transactions they’re processing. The Trezor Touch haptic engine enriches interactions to deliver an experience so intuitive users can feel it.
As with all Trezor hardware, the Trezor Safe 5 is designed on open source security principles, enabling the Trezor community to verify the technology and giving them confidence in the integrity of the wallet. The device’s Secure Element has EAL 6+ certification, confirming that the chip has undergone extensive testing and can withstand sophisticated attacks. The absence of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) covering use of the Secure Element in the device provides a transparent foundation for security to further enhance protection.
The new, enhanced backup standard, which now uses 20 words, improves the user-friendliness of the backup and recovery process. The upgraded wordlist contains carefully selected words that are easily distinguishable from each other.
Most importantly, with the enhanced backup users can seamlessly upgrade from a standard Single-share Backup to an Advanced Multi-share Backup, offering superior security with no single point of failure. The backup is created using Shamir's secret sharing to split the master secret key into multiple unique shares. Users can decide how many unique shares the advanced backup consists of and how many are needed to restore the wallet. Even if some shares are lost, users can still access their crypto.
To protect wallet backup phrases from fire, water and physical damage, Trezor will also offer a 20-word version of its Trezor Keep Metal solution for USD 99 at the beginning of July.
The Trezor Safe 5 will still support other legacy backup processes if users prefer those options, and earlier standards are still functional when recovering from older models.
The high-performance specifications of the wallet are matched in its sleek, appealing design. Available in Black Graphite, Violet Ore and Green Beryl, the device is encased in damage-proof Gorilla Glass, providing durability along with a refined look and feel.
Supporting a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and thousands more, Trezor Safe 5’s extensive compatibility ensures that users can securely store, manage, stake, and use their crypto all in one place via the Trezor Suite desktop and the accompanying mobile app to monitor crypto from a mobile phone on the go. Additionally, users can draw on Trezor’s extensive network of third-party services, empowering them to fully customize their crypto experience according to their unique needs.
Trezor Safe 5 extends the Trezor Safe product family following the launch of the Trezor Safe 3 – an easy-to-use, secure hardware wallet for crypto novices – in October 2023.
Special devices just for bitcoiners
For Bitcoin devotees, Trezor is also introducing a new Bitcoin-only option that removes non-bitcoin related features and code, ensuring a smooth and optimized bitcoin-only experience. After a limited run of Bitcoin-only Trezor Safe 3s sold out in a matter of hours at launch, Trezor will now offer an unlimited edition of the Bitcoin-only Trezor Safe 3 and Trezor Safe 5 – both sporting the familiar fiery orange shade – for general sale.
Trezor Safe 5 Bitcoin-only
Matěj Žák, Trezor’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Understandably, many crypto enthusiasts lack trust in exchanges and are looking for an easy and secure way to interact with their crypto assets. However, with hardware wallets often designed more for ‘hodling’ crypto rather than using crypto on a more regular basis, we saw that there was an opportunity to bring something new to the sector – enter the Trezor Safe 5, the ultimate hardware wallet for crypto users looking for everyday utility along with the highest level of security and effortless usability.”
Matěj Žák launched the Trezor Safe 5 on stage at BTC Prague 2024 where he also introduced new service, Trezor Expert, a service dedicated to building user confidence in self-custody. Trezor Expert specialists provide personalized, one-on-one online onboarding sessions for Trezor customers, helping them to set up their hardware wallets. The service eases customer concerns about making errors and gives them an improved understanding of the security considerations surrounding self-custody.
The Trezor Safe 5 is available for preorder today at a retail price of USD 169. Trezor Safe 5 Bitcoin-only and Black Graphite are also available for preorder with shipping at the beginning of July. Trezor Safe 5 Green Beryl and Violet Ore will be available by mid-August.
Trezor is the original bitcoin hardware wallet company, founded in 2013. It pioneered the development of the self-custody of crypto assets, empowering individuals with an open-source device that enables anyone to easily and securely hold cryptocurrencies.
Trezor has expanded to offer a whole ecosystem of easy-to-use both hardware and software products that help protect users - from crypto novices to crypto experts. In 2023, the company launched its Trezor Academy initiative which educates grassroots communities across the African continent on safe participation in the bitcoin ecosystem. Trezor is part of SatoshiLabs, a technology holding company with various interests in crypto and bitcoin companies.
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