Depbit is crowdfunding ZeroKeyUSB on Crowd Supply, a small USB-C device that stores passwords offline and types them into login forms by presenting itself to the host as a USB keyboard. As of October 20, 2026, the campaign had raised $7,153 against a $2,500 goal (286%) from 35 backers. The single tier is $99 at launch, plus $8 shipping in the US or $18 worldwide. The campaign is funded but the product is not shipping: the estimated ship date is April 14, 2027, an estimate rather than a commitment.
What the device does
The pitch is a password manager with no software footprint on the computer it plugs into. Because it enumerates as a keyboard, Depbit says daily use needs no drivers, browser extensions, companion apps or cloud accounts, and no internet connection. Credential management, backups and firmware updates are handled through a local, browser-based WebTool. The user unlocks the device with a PIN, picks a credential using the OLED display and capacitive touch controls, and the device types the credential into whatever login field has focus. Multiple keyboard layouts are supported.
Depbit's campaign page and its GitHub repository list:
- MCU: SAM D21 Arm Cortex-M0+
- Storage: up to 64 encrypted credentials in EEPROM
- Encryption: AES-128, with PIN-based authentication and signature verification
- Interface: USB-C, operating as a USB HID keyboard
- Display: 128x32 OLED screen
- Input: five capacitive touch buttons
- Size: approx. 55 x 15 x 4 mm; weight approx. 5 g
- Power: USB-C bus powered, no internal battery
The encryption and authentication scheme is Depbit's own design and description; buyers evaluating the device for sensitive accounts should weigh it on that basis.
Campaign status and dates
Depbit posted its first update, "Our Campaign is Now Live!", on September 22, 2026. On October 1 it reported that the first production batch had been built, and on October 6 it described an optional browser extension that finds the right credential for the user. Funding closes on November 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST, 16 days after October 20. The April 14, 2027 ship date falls a little over five months after the campaign closes and remains an estimate.
The Zamek connection
ZeroKeyUSB follows a Crowd Supply project that did not reach production. In a July 10, 2026 update on the Zamek campaign page, Crowd Supply wrote that "The Zamek team has decided not to move forward into production". The same update said that "one of the project's earliest followers and contributors has launched a new campaign for a Zamek-inspired product", and named that product as ZerokeyUSB.
Check the license before you build on it
The campaign page describes the hardware and firmware as open source and points to the Depbit-lab/Zerokey repository, which contains PCB and 3D folders alongside the firmware and web tools. The repository's README, however, now applies noncommercial terms. Software (firmware, bootloader, tools and web tools) is under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 license, and hardware and documentation are under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Owners may run the official firmware and web tools for any purpose, including at work. Commercial use requires a separate commercial license from Depbit. Versions published before the license change remain under MIT.
For personal use, study and modification, the files are available. For anyone who planned to fork the design into a product, sell assembled units or ship modified firmware commercially, the current terms rule that out without a commercial agreement. The only route to permissive MIT terms is the code published before the change.
What It Means for Makers
- Who it suits: people who want a credential store that works on machines where they cannot or would not install software, since the host only sees a USB keyboard.
- Compatibility: the device has no battery, so it runs only while plugged in. Check that your keyboard layout is among those supported before relying on it for passwords with special characters.
- Hacking on it: design and firmware files are public, but current versions are noncommercial; personal projects are fine, while commercial derivatives need a license from Depbit.
- Backups: use the WebTool's backup function rather than treating the device as the only copy of a credential.
- Getting one: back the $99 tier on Crowd Supply before November 5, 2026. Delivery is estimated, not guaranteed.
