Interview with Trezor’s Lucien Bourdon: Educating Bitcoiners on Security and Sovereignty

We had the opportunity to talk to Lucien Bourdon, the Customer Success Lead at Trezor, about his journey from falling down the Bitcoin rabbit hole to leading community meetups and one-on-one guidance at Trezor. He shares insights on demystifying hardware wallets, the importance of self-custody, and his vision for open-source, user-centric security tools that empower financial sovereignty.

1. Let’s start with your personal story. How did you get involved with Bitcoin and end up becoming a public educator at Trezor?

My journey with Bitcoin really kicked off in 2020, when I fell deep into the Bitcoin rabbit hole. Shortly after, my wife and I became active members of the UK Bitcoin community. We attended lots of meetups, met incredible people, and eventually set up our own local Bitcoin group to build connections closer to home. From the beginning, I felt drawn to Bitcoin’s promise of self-custody: the idea that anyone could truly control their own financial destiny. I started collecting hardware wallets, writing simple how-to articles to help newcomers, and I found myself drawn to the idea of helping people feel confident using Bitcoin.

Trezor was hiring for their new Trezor Expert service, a role designed exactly around helping newcomers securely set up their wallets and navigate Bitcoin confidently. It felt like a perfect match, and that's how I ended up at Trezor, turning my passion into a professional mission to help people embrace self-custody.

2. You often speak about "self-custody," but many crypto holders still keep their assets on exchanges. Why do you think that is?

People come to Bitcoin and crypto from many different backgrounds, and everyone’s path looks a little different. Often, there’s a series of steps involved: first hearing about Bitcoin, getting curious, perhaps buying a bit, and eventually thinking about self-custody. Exchanges feel convenient at first because they handle the responsibility for you, even though it’s not the ideal long-term solution. Taking full control of your coins can feel intimidating initially because it means having the full responsibility.

So it’s totally understandable that people hesitate. Self-custody feels important, but it can also seem complicated. That’s why a lot of people put it off — not because they don’t care, but because they want to do it right and aren't sure where to start. Sometimes it gets delayed for months, until something urgent happens like an exchange freezing withdrawals or going out of business.

In the end, it’s really about confidence and education. That’s why guiding people through this transition is so important. When you give someone the tools and knowledge to take control, it can change how they think about Bitcoin entirely.

3. What’s the most common misconception people have about hardware wallets?

The most common misconception I hear is that hardware wallets solve all your security concerns. Hardware wallets definitely offer the highest level of security for self-custody because your private keys stay completely offline, safe from internet threats like viruses or malware. But there’s still a human element to security. You have to stay vigilant about scams, fake support agents, or phishing attempts aimed at tricking you into giving away your seed phrase.

4. Trezor is known for its focus on open-source and user empowerment. What does that look like in practice, from your perspective?

In practice, open-source means that anyone can inspect the code running on both your Trezor device and the companion app, Trezor Suite. It’s fully auditable and completely transparent. Any user or developer can check the apps to ensure there are no hidden surprises, no backdoors, and no secret sharing of personal information. When we say your private keys never leave the device, you don’t have to just trust us; this can be verified.

This kind of transparency brings real peace of mind and aligns with Bitcoin’s original values of openness and user sovereignty. It also means we’re not trying to lock anyone into our ecosystem. We want to build tools that empower users, not trap them. That’s why we support industry standards and interoperability, because freedom of choice is part of what self-custody is all about.

5. What’s your take on the current state of Bitcoin education? Are we making progress?

We’ve definitely made real progress, but there’s still more to do. Bitcoin education today is far better than even a few years ago. People are increasingly aware of common pitfalls and scams, similar to how early internet users eventually learned to avoid email scams or giving away their bank details.

However, we need to keep working at it, continually refining how we teach about Bitcoin so new users feel more confident and safe. I think each year we’re getting better, but education is a continuous process rather than a finish line.

6. You’re closely involved in the Trezor Expert program. What is it exactly, and how does it reflect Trezor’s approach to education and community?

Trezor Expert is our personalized onboarding service designed to make self-custody approachable and easy, especially for newcomers. We understand that getting started with hardware wallets can feel overwhelming, so we offer one-on-one guidance sessions where users can set up their wallets live with an expert. It’s like having a friendly guide by your side, ensuring you feel confident every step of the way.

Trezor’s approach is always about empowering individuals rather than holding their assets or personal data. We provide tools, education, and support, but the user always stays in control. Trezor Expert has been incredibly rewarding because we’ve seen firsthand how personalized guidance builds confidence, knowledge, and independence.

7. If someone is just starting out with Bitcoin today, what’s your top piece of advice?

My number one piece of advice is simple: if you have some money to get started, spend part of that on a hardware wallet first, and then use the rest to buy some Bitcoin. This lets you start safely and slowly. Take the time to set up your wallet, transfer a small amount of Bitcoin to it, and ease into things at your own pace.

It’s also good practice to buy Bitcoin slowly and consistently over time (this is called Dollar-Cost Averaging or DCA). This approach helps build confidence, reduces stress about price fluctuations, and makes your Bitcoin journey smoother.

And if you have questions, always reach out to professionals rather than strangers online who might be scammers or just give bad advice.

8. The crypto space has changed a lot over the past year, from growing institutional interest to renewed regulatory pressure. How does Trezor see these market shifts, and do they influence your roadmap or priorities?

Our primary mission has always been helping individuals take safe and independent custody of their own assets, which doesn’t change with market trends or regulatory pressure. That said, we do keep an eye on broader industry developments and ensure our products remain compatible with various applications and cryptos people want to use.

Institutional shifts don’t significantly affect our roadmap since institutions typically use custodians, unlike individuals who benefit most from direct self-custody. As for regulatory pressure, it tends to affect custodial platforms more directly than us, since we produce hardware and don’t hold customer funds.

9. Trezor has been a pioneer in the self-custody space for over a decade. Looking ahead, what are the company’s priorities or focus areas for the coming months?

We’ve got something exciting coming up that will push hardware wallet security and transparency even further. To be the first to know, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or join our newsletter!

10. BTC Prague is just around the corner, and Trezor is one of the event’s main partners. What can we expect from the company at this year’s conference?

BTC Prague is an opportunity for us to engage directly with the Bitcoin community, answer questions in person, and showcase some exciting things we’ve been working on. Come by our booth, say hello, and experience firsthand the community spirit that drives everything we do.

Stay tuned to CoinCarp Social Media and Discuss with Us:

X (Twitter) | Telegram  | Reddit

Download CoinCarp App Now: https://www.coincarp.com/app/