trezor-firmware VS TordlWalletProtocols

https://trezor.io/ - Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're.

Added (November 2021): https://github.com/trezor/trezor-firmware/pull/1903

Next thing to have is a hard wallet if you haven’t already like a Ledger or a Trezor and let it sit there. That’s the safest thing to do! Also, there’s always been a risk of KYC (Know Your Customer) on CEXes as mentioned several times. This was all meant to be decentralized and keep our identity under wraps and retain that anonymity that crypto was originally designed for… and you get a hold of your keys.

https://trezor.io/ - Easy to use, no matter how new in Bitcoin you're.

where "x.y.z" is the VERSION of trezor (aka TrezorCTL) you are trying to install. See the version history when picking a version. "Oldest" is not necessarily "best". You'll want to pick a version that was released around the same time your Trezor-1 was last updated.

I've purchased a Trezor model T from what I believe is the official Trezor website (https://trezor.io/). Is it rational for me to have a slight fear that it isn't a legit trezor and maybe the chip is compromised, possibly being able to send off my seed to an unknown party?

I really recommend you read a well designed guide for storing bitcoin like The Tordl Wallet Protocols. It gives very helpful guideance on how and why store your bitcoin in certain ways.

I highly recommend you follow a guide like The Tordl Wallet Protocols which are holistic guides to storing your bitcoin. They include guidance on inheritance that will make it so your wife can access your bitcoin - in the worst case scenario with help she is informed to be careful about.

Coldcard works great. Tho I'm pretty disappointed coldcard renegged on having its firmware open source. I might recommend that if you have multiple types of hardware wallets, you might want to consider a multisig wallet that incorporates your ledger and your coldcard. The Tordl Wallet Protocols have holistic guides on how to do that. A ledger+coldcard multisig wallet is far far more secure than a single-sig wallet of any kind.

While you're thinking about ways to level up, you might be interested in reading through some of The Tordl Wallet Protocols, a holistic set of guides for how to securely store your bitcoin. Its got info in there about multisig bitcoin storage, inheritance, and other nice info. Coldcard is nice, but if you really want to elminate all single points of failure, you need to go multisig. If you have more than $5000 in bitcoin, I'd recommend thinking about it.

Muun doesn't seem to have very clear documentation, but it definitely supports Trezor at least. I'd definitely recommend you upgrade your security using a hardware wallet. The Tordl Wallet Protocols are a good resource for that.

First of all, yes, the largest thing you didn't mention is legal transfer of your Bitcoin. I'm many jurisdictions, a holographic will is probably your easiest solution to this (tho not all jurisdictions recognize them, so check). I'd recommend reading the inheritance guidance in the Tordl Wallet Protocols.

You should first study methods that security experts have developed and published. A good resource for everyone is the Tordl wallet protocols: https://github.com/fresheneesz/TordlWalletProtocols

Definitely record where you've put any wallet information where your heirs can access it. Definitely use a metal plate for your seed. Its pretty cheap generally too (eg the blockplate or steelwallet)

You could also go full self-custody by following a guide like The Tordl Wallet Protocols.

I like electrum on desktop (lots of nice featuers and battletested) and Phoenix as a mobile lightning wallet. If you're trying to figure out a good way to self-custody I'd recommend checking out The Tordl Wallet Protocols - holistic guides to how to self-custody your bitcoin.