What a hardware wallet does
A hardware wallet stores the private key inside a secure element on a physical device (Ledger Nano, Trezor, GridPlus). Transactions are signed on-device; the key never touches the internet. The failure modes are physical (device loss/theft), procedural (seed phrase management), and supply-chain (counterfeit devices).
What cryptographic authority does
Cryptographic authority separates the credential from the invocation. A trusted execution environment (H33-Key in H33's case) holds the credential material. Authorized parties present cryptographic authority to invoke actions — the credential itself never distributes. Compromise is bounded by the per-grant authority scope, not by the credential.
The trade at the human layer
Hardware wallets require the human to protect a physical object and a memorized phrase. Cryptographic authority requires the human to designate who can invoke which actions. The first is a physical-security problem; the second is a governance problem. Governance scales, physical security does not.
The trade at inheritance
Hardware wallets fail at inheritance for the same reasons seed phrases do — executors have to find both the device and the phrase. Cryptographic authority integrates with estate flow: named beneficiaries and executors inherit invocation authority, and the credential itself never moves.
Where they compose
Some households use both. Hardware wallets for cold-storage of high-value long-term holdings. Cryptographic authority for daily operations and estate integration. That is a valid design — the choice is per-threat-model, not either-or.
Where H33 fits
H33 is a cryptographic-authority implementation. Every action is authority-invoked, not credential-distributed. Compromise cost is bounded to the specific delegation; revocation is a single step. Hardware wallets can pair with H33 for cold-storage complement.