Self-custody

Only this is real ownership

Self-custody is a core property of Bitcoin. Only when you hold your own keys does the Bitcoin truly belong to you.

Everything else is just a promise on Bitcoin, not Bitcoin itself.

These paths don't put it in your hands

• ETFs like IBIT: you hold a share, not the coins.
• MicroStrategy and co.: only an indirect, passive stake.
• Bank products: Bitcoin as a derivative, essentially an IOU. No own key means: not your coins.

100 % control, 100 % responsibility

Full power demands full responsibility. Anyone who wants complete control over their wealth must carry it themselves.

In today's system you hand it off: to a bank, to institutions, to a safe deposit box.

With real self-custody it rests with you. Freedom and duty at once.

12 or 24 words

During setup you receive 12 or 24 words, the seed phrase. They are the key to your entire holdings.

• Whoever has these words has full access.
• Never store them digitally, no photo, no cloud.
• Never share them with anyone.

Cold storage, offline

A hardware wallet stores your keys offline. They never leave the device, not even when you pay.

Separated from the internet, so no attacker can reach them.

From simple to advanced

• Single-sig: one key, the simplest form.
• Passphrase: an additional word as extra protection.
• Multisig: multiple keys required, no single point of failure.
• Shamir and splits: the key is broken into several parts.

Store it properly

A backup of the words is mandatory. Without it, everything is gone if you lose them.

• Not just on paper, it burns and fades.
• On steel plates, safe against fire and water.
• Store in several separate places.

Where you set it up matters

• Your own, clean computer, not a device you don't own.
• Your own, trusted internet.
• A VPN as extra protection.