Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Interface to Stop Accepting New Devices

The Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Interface (HWI), a widely used interface for connecting wallet software to hardware signing devices, is effectively in maintenance mode and will no longer accept new devices or features beyond work needed for MuSig2.

HWI's maintainer expects to make a release that will likely be the project's last, then keep HWI in minimal maintenance until a suitable drop-in replacement is ready.

BHWI, a Rust implementation of HWI, aims to preserve HWI-style command output and has already demonstrated compatibility with several hardware devices. However, its production handoff remains uncertain, and it is still not clear if BHWI will be the final replacement for HWI.

The transition from HWI to BHWI may be complex, as many wallet teams and vendors rely on HWI and will need to adapt to a new interface. Some teams, such as Specter Desktop, have pinned specific versions of HWI in their dependencies, which will require them to repackage and retest the replacement.