Born in 2001 in Argentina as the country began to experience a devastating economic crisis, Amanu founder Gianluca Minoprio saw firsthand how traditional banking systems can fail their users. This experience shaped his mission to create a new type of crypto wallet, one that aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and blockchain technology.
Fresh from multiple wins at the Consensus 2024 hackathon in Texas in May, Amanu is now challenging conventional ideas of what a crypto wallet should be (if you want to apply for the EasyA Hackathon at Consensus Hong Kong 2025, please go here). The startup is developing a set of features that go beyond traditional wallet functionality: users will soon be able to send crypto payments via their keyboard through any messaging app, create contactless that transfers through ultrasound technology and manage transactions without dealing with gas bills or having to choose a blockchain.
One of the biggest barriers to crypto wallet adoption remains the complexity of seed phrases — the string of random words that users must securely store to retrieve their funds. This fundamental challenge led Amanu to rethink wallet security beyond the non-custodial core. Amanu’s wallet uses biometric signatures, eliminating seed phrases entirely.
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“The only way to trigger the signature is through your authorization,” Minoprio explained. “The exciting part about Amanu is that it can be closed source and you’ll still know how the key is managed because every time we want to trigger the key, you have to accept it.”
This represents a significant departure from traditional wallets like MetaMask where private keys are stored at the software level. However, questions remain about important features such as wallet recovery if a device is lost or damaged — an important consideration for any hardware-based biometric system.
A major change?
Expanding beyond basic wallet features raises questions about the future of crypto payments. Is Amanu’s experimental approach — combining messaging, contactless payments and simplified key management — a sign that the unique characteristics of crypto require us to rethink digital wallet? Or will these features merge back into more traditional wallet interfaces?
The name of the project offers a clue to its ambitions. Derived from “amanuensis,” the name for a medieval monk who preserved knowledge by copying texts, Amanu is meant to serve as a bridge between complex blockchain technology and everyday users. “Today’s modern amanuenses are the developers of the blockchain because we are the few who can read and write inside (the blockchain),” Minoprio explained.
In the crowded crypto wallet space, where established players already command significant user bases, Amanu’s success depends on whether its innovative features truly solve user pain points, or just adds unnecessary complexity. As a result, the company’s development strategy is ruthlessly user-focused. “If you pitch the feature to people and they’re not excited about it, you can quickly decide what to focus on or not,” Minoprio said.
Seven months in development, Amanu’s vision of making crypto payments “as easy as sending a text” is about to face its first major test with the upcoming launch of a feature that allows users to send crypto via text message. Whether this reimagining of the crypto wallet will satisfy mainstream users remains to be seen, but it represents a bold experiment in pushing the boundaries of digital payment systems.
