Following recent security incidents, the idea of using a hardware wallet like a Ledger (such as a Nano S, Nano X) for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
Beyond standard hardware authentication, a key concept here is setting custom requirements for access—such as requiring the Ledger (hardware MFA) to hold a specific token or to have completed a minimum number of transactions (I suggest LDO but you can choose the token that you prefer) with that token before approving authentication.
Technical Mechanics
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Cryptographic Challenge-Response: Instead of relying on SMS or temporary 6-digit codes (TOTP), authentication uses cryptographic keys secured inside the device’s Secure Element chip.
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Physical Action Required: To authorize access, you could unlock the Ledger with your PIN, launch the security application on the device, and manually press its physical buttons.
My Honest Assessment
To be completely honest with you, as a non-developer, trying to build a custom MFA system that checks for specific tokens or minimum transaction histories is going to be extremely difficult. Standard FIDO2/WebAuthn protocols do not natively verify blockchain data during a login process. Creating custom backend logic to query the blockchain for token balances or past transactions before granting access requires advanced engineering, and doing this without coding experience will consume a massive amount of my time, you can try to make a better version.
The idea in mine but i’ve usede Gemini to translate, don’t blame on me for the grammar
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Hardware MFA is essential for securing DAO interactions and operator accounts against phishing attacks.
From an infrastructure perspective, browser WebAuthn is only half the battle. Integrating hardware-backed security keys into SSH workflows (like using ecdsa-sk key types) alongside browser 2FA is what truly hardens remote node management against compromised operator machines.
Great initiative—it would be awesome to expand this framework to cover hardware-backed SSH authentication for node sysadmins in a future part.
Excellent thoughts!!! Some of my experiences with hardware tokens and real world usage- they do work- but I’ve seen far more failures(either dead or battery dies, or lost or “misplaced”) to the point I use them as a backup MFA method outside of DUO(my preferred mfa) certainly there are now more extreme methods of verification(think MS Intune with 2-people auth) that could very well be more secure- but certainly we need to continue the discussion on how to secure things- which is why a lot of the new discussions surrounding quantum-resistant blockchains are happening.
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Actually this Is even a Better use case
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After checking, I realized that similar solutions already exist. An approach is using a Ledger hardware wallet as a FIDO2 security key to protect SSH access on Port 22. However, I’m always up for continuing the conversation to talk about and explore cybersecurity concepts. or opening a thread on quantum cryptography would also be interesting. it is a hot topic!"
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Glad to hear you checked out FIDO2 for SSH!
Regarding @crypto2z’s point on hardware failure—yeah, devices die, but as a home staker I try to avoid centralized services like Duo. The workaround is just enrolling two hardware keys from day one (like a primary Ledger + a backup YubiKey). If one breaks, you’re not locked out.
Also, I’d definitely join a discussion on post-quantum crypto if you end up opening that thread!