Secure Element chip and Ledger OS are the engine of this product. These OS have been battle-tested for years by security professionals. As long as your Secret Recovery Phrase remains safe and is only accessible to you, you'll be able access, manage, or retrieve your crypto. You can simply get another Ledger Stax, or any other Ledger, and use the Secret Recovery phrase to gain access to your accounts. Software wallets store private keys on any device or system that is connected to the internet. This makes them vulnerable to all types of attacks. By storing your crypto on an exchange, you are entrusting your private keys to a third-party and allowing them to have no control over your funds. Ledger Stax keeps your private keys offline using a Secure Element chip. This isolates the keys from your computer/smartphone, giving you full control over your assets.