Self-Custody Guide

When your Bitcoin sits on an exchange, the exchange holds the keys — you hold an IOU. Self-custody flips that: you hold the private keys directly, so no company failure, freeze, or hack can take your coins. The trade-off is responsibility — there's no password reset, so your backups matter.

Wallets split into hot and cold. Hot wallets (mobile or desktop apps) are connected to the internet and convenient for spending and small balances. Cold wallets (hardware devices) keep keys offline and are ideal for long-term savings. A common approach is a small hot-wallet 'spending' balance with the bulk in cold storage.

Hardware wallets are the practical standard for securing larger amounts. They sign transactions offline so your keys never touch an internet-connected device, and buying directly from the manufacturer — never second-hand — avoids tampered devices. Set it up yourself and let the device generate the seed.

The moment to move off an exchange is when the amount is more than you'd be comfortable losing to an exchange failure. Withdraw to your own wallet, confirm the address with a small test first, and store your seed backup securely. Custody is a spectrum — match it to how much you hold.