TL;DR
The BitBox02 Nova works in a Sparrow multisig the same way as the original BitBox02: over USB, with the multisig registered on the device so its address check is one you can trust. Sparrow recognizes both Nova editions. Bluetooth is only for iPhone and iPad, and Sparrow doesn’t use it. Make sure the firmware is 9.25.0 or newer: that January 2026 update fixed two Nova-only chip issues.
I use the original BitBox02, and the BitBox02 step-by-step applies to the Nova almost word for word. I haven’t used a Nova in this setup myself. This page lists what’s different, based on BitBox’s product pages, firmware changelog and security announcement, and Sparrow’s device code, checked October 2026. Still choosing between the two? See BitBox02 vs BitBox02 Nova.
What’s different on the Nova
| BitBox02 | BitBox02 Nova | |
|---|---|---|
| Secure chip | ATECC608B | OPTIGA Trust M V3, CC EAL6+ |
| Display | 128 x 64 white OLED | 128 x 64 white OLED with a glass top |
| Connection | USB-C | USB-C, plus Bluetooth Low Energy |
| Works with | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Same, plus iPhone and iPad (iOS 16+) |
| Adapters in the box | USB-A | USB-A and Lightning |
| Price at BitBox (Oct 2026) | €149 | €175 |
| In Sparrow | USB, registers the multisig | USB, registers the multisig |
Note the display row. The glass makes the screen more scratch-resistant and, according to BitBox, easier to read. It has the same resolution as the original, so a multisig address still scrolls and you still compare it piece by piece.
Does Sparrow support it?
Yes, over USB. Sparrow’s hardware wallet library lists four BitBox02 editions and tells them apart by the product name the device reports: BitBox02, BitBox02 Bitcoin-only, BitBox02 Nova Multi and BitBox02 Nova Bitcoin-only. Everything on the BitBox02 page still applies: Sparrow 2.5.4 and newer needs firmware 9.4.0 or later, and the BitBoxApp should be closed while you use Sparrow.
Bluetooth is a different story. Sparrow’s device code only knows USB-type connections, so it can’t reach the Nova wirelessly. That’s fine: the signing laptop and the cable are the setup. BitBox runs Bluetooth on a separate chip that has no access to wallet secrets, and says all Bluetooth communication can be switched off if you don’t need it. If you’ll never use the Nova with a phone, I’d switch it off.
Firmware: what to have
The Nova runs the same firmware line as the original. The current version is 9.27.1 (August 31, 2026). The one that matters for the Nova is 9.25.0, shipped in BitBox’s “01.2026 Marmorera” update on January 26, 2026.
A Trezor researcher had reported two issues in how the Nova’s firmware configured its secure chip. One let an attacker with the device in a lab read a configuration slot; BitBox says redundancy made it harmless. The other let an attacker guess the device password beyond the 10-attempt limit, but doing so erases the key that decrypts the seed. So that password was only useful against a second device with the same password. Both need physical access and serious equipment. The original BitBox02 isn’t affected. The same release also improved the Nova’s password stretching.
- Install any firmware update the BitBoxApp offers before you add the Nova to Sparrow.
- Check the version in the BitBoxApp under device information: 9.25.0 or newer.
- Give every hardware wallet its own device password. In a 2-of-3 that’s good practice anyway.
Setting it up for this guide
- Pick the Bitcoin-only edition. Both Nova editions cost the same. BitBox notes they’re different products that can’t be converted later. Why it matters: Bitcoin-only firmware.
- Skip the microSD backup. The Nova also ships with a microSD card. As with the original, choose to write down the 24 recovery words instead, and put them on metal in step 5. Anyone who finds an unprotected microSD backup can restore your wallet.
- Register the multisig. The first time you click Display Address, the Nova registers your wallet under its Sparrow name (cut to 30 characters) and keeps it. Check the keys against your notes before you confirm. From then on it’s one of the two devices you rely on in step 8.
- Passphrase. On the original you switch it on in the BitBoxApp and type it on the device. The BitBox02 page has the steps; I haven’t checked them on a Nova.
When the Nova makes sense here
For a 2-of-3 signed from a laptop at home, the original does everything the guide asks, for less. The Nova is worth the extra €26 if you want a sturdier screen, the newer certified chip (on the Nova the secure chip itself enforces the 10-attempt limit), or if you’d like to use the same device with the BitBoxApp on an iPhone for something else. None of that changes how it behaves in Sparrow.
Buying
Buy from BitBox’s own shop or from Amazon.com itself (“Ships from and sold by Amazon.com”), never from a reseller (why). Do the tamper check when it arrives. BitBox’s shop showed euros when I checked; prices change.
Buy the Nova from BitBox · Buy on Amazon
Common mistakes
- Trying to connect Sparrow over Bluetooth. Plug in the cable.
- Running firmware older than 9.25.0 on a Nova.
- Using the same device password on the Nova and your other devices.
- Ordering the Multi edition by accident. It can’t be turned into Bitcoin-only later.
- Keeping the microSD card “as an extra backup”.