Why Self Custody

Why holding your own keys matters, what custodians can and cannot do, and how to think about Bitcoin ownership.

Self-custody means controlling your Bitcoin private keys directly. Without it, you own a claim against someone else's balance, not bitcoin itself.

Exchange failures have cost Bitcoin holders billions. This article documents the collapses that make the case for holding your own keys.

Learn to build a Bitcoin security threat model: what you are protecting, who might threaten it, and what measures are proportionate to the risk.

Bitcoin custody exists on a spectrum from exchange accounts to air-gapped hardware. Learn what each arrangement means and who controls the keys.

Bank deposits carry inflation, counterparty risk, and capital controls. Learn how these structural risks compare to Bitcoin self-custody.

Hardware wallets keep private keys permanently offline. Learn why the distinction between online and offline key storage defines Bitcoin security.