Defcon badges debut Baochip-1x, an open-source chip that doubles as a security token

At this year’s Defcon, attendees received badges that house the Baochip-1x, a microcontroller created by Andrew “bunnie” Huang and released through his company Baochip. The chip’s design is mostly open source, with source code for its operating system, firmware, processor core and crypto engines publicly available. Unlike typical chips encased in opaque plastic, Baochip-1x’s packaging permits infrared light to reveal its internal structures, enabling direct visual verification of the silicon.

The badge’s removable module functions as a hardware security token, supporting time-based one-time passwords, password storage and QR-code scanning via a low-resolution camera. Huang built the chip by piggybacking on a Crossbar wafer, sharing a manufacturing run while disabling the proprietary ARM core in his version. The device runs a Rust-based OS, includes secure boot, a true random number generator and resistive RAM to hinder physical data extraction, and is capable of running MicroPython and potentially Linux in the future.