Swiss Bitcoin Wallet Relai Integrates Keyless Privacy-Preserving Biometric Authentication

Swiss-licensed Bitcoin wallet Relai has announced the rollout of Keyless’ biometric authentication across its app.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, July 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Relai, the Swiss-licensed Bitcoin wallet making crypto investing simple and accessible, has announced the rollout of Keyless’ biometric authentication across its app.

Keyless now authenticates Relai users when they log in, recover their account, or delete their wallet. In an industry where privacy is paramount, the integration of Keyless’ noted privacy-preserving technology demonstrates that crypto wallets can leverage biometrics to improve security without losing user trust - crucial in the industry.

With over 500,000 downloads and $1 billion in trading volume, Relai handles thousands of logins, transactions, and account actions daily. The company recently expanded its footprint across Europe, including France, applying for new licenses that required full multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Previously, Relai used a combination of local biometrics (such as FaceID) and SMS OTPs to secure these actions - but neither approach met these more stringent MFA requirements. Local biometrics don’t meet MFA criteria as multiple users can register on a single device, and if the biometrics fail, the check falls back to the phone’s PIN number. SMS OTP texts are single factor - they only prove device possession. SMS texts are also very vulnerable to SIM-swap attacks and device theft.

Keyless met Relai’s MFA requirements by independently authenticating two factors: the user's face via passive liveness and face matching, and the user's device, ensuring the device used for authentication matches the one used for enrollment.

Keyless now protects Relai users in three key areas, with additional use cases planned for the future. For login, users scan their face using their phone camera instead of entering a PIN, taking less than half a second. For step-up authentication, actions like deleting an account require verification of the user’s device and face, ensuring they match those used during the account setup. Additionally, for account recovery, users can scan their face as an extra factor alongside the existing seed phrase, providing enhanced security.

Privacy and user control are essential for crypto projects. Keyless was selected in part because its technology uniquely doesn’t store biometric data anywhere, either on the device or the cloud. Known as Zero-Knowledge Biometrics™, biometric templates are instead transformed on the device and stored on the cloud in an unreadable form. They can only be accessed with a key held on the user’s device. Keyless authenticates users by matching the keys, so never sees the user’s biometric data itself. So even if the cloud server is compromised, the data remains unusable - addressing the privacy concerns that are especially sensitive in the crypto space.

Adem Bilican, Founder and CTO at Relai, said: "We chose Keyless because it delivers true multi-factor authentication - independent, secure, and quick. The crypto community expects high privacy standards, but strong authentication doesn't have to come at the expense of privacy. We’re excited to be one of the first in the crypto space to make privacy-preserving biometrics the default."

Andrea Carmignani, Co-Founder and CEO at Keyless, added: "We founded Keyless on the belief that biometrics must be private, not just secure. The crypto community shares this value, so we're incredibly proud to be working with Relai. We hope this partnership sets a new standard for how biometrics, implemented correctly, can better protect crypto wallets."

As the crypto industry expands and more users turn to self-custody apps, the need for stronger, more user-friendly authentication will only increase. With this integration, Relai is setting a new standard - proving that it's possible to deliver robust security without compromising on privacy.

About Relai
Relai is a Swiss startup founded in 2020 in Zurich by Julian Liniger and Adem Bilican. Their Bitcoin-only app is designed to be simple and intuitive, allowing anyone to buy and sell Bitcoin within minutes. Relai stands out in the crowded cryptocurrency market with its unique approach to self-custody. Unlike other platforms, Relai does not hold user funds; instead, it empowers users to control their financial futures with an easy-to-use self-custodial wallet. Relai is a Swiss-licensed financial service provider with $1 billion in trading volume. In 2024, Relai was named one of the fastest-growing startups in Europe, and the company is regularly listed among the top 50 Swiss startups. Learn more at www.relai.app

About Keyless
Keyless is the leader in privacy-preserving biometric authentication, trusted by banks, fintechs, enterprises and governments to reduce account takeovers, secure high-risk actions, and improve operational efficiency. Available via app and web, its unique Zero-Knowledge Biometrics™ technology delivers multi-factor authentication in one glance in 300 milliseconds without storing biometric data anywhere. Keyless is ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and ISO 30107-3 accredited, and is the only company to hold both FIDO Biometrics and FIDO2 certifications. The company also meets the requirements of ETSI TS 119 461 and 319 401 standards for digital identity and trust services in Europe. Keyless operates globally across four offices in the UK, Italy, Singapore and the US. Learn more at www.keyless.io

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