Self-Custody
SECURITYDEFINITION
Holding your own private keys instead of trusting an exchange or custodian — the property that makes bitcoin different from every other financial asset.
Every other asset you "own" is an entry in someone else’s database — a broker, a bank, a registrar. Self-custodied bitcoin is the exception: keys in your possession are ownership no institution can freeze, lose, or lend out. Exchange-collapse history (Mt. Gox through FTX) is the case study.
The craft is doing it without becoming your own single point of failure: hardware wallets, tested seed backups, and — at serious size — multisig. Our wallets section and self-custody guide exist for exactly this.
IN A SENTENCE
“After the withdrawal cleared to her Coldcard, the coins were finally hers in the only sense that matters.”
Key facts
Common questions
Is self-custody risky?
It transfers risk from institutions to you. With a tested backup and a hardware wallet, most people are safer than on any exchange.
Do I have to self-custody?
No — ETFs and custodians exist for a reason. But understand what you hold: exposure and IOUs are not bearer money.