Self-custody essentials
Every wallet decision reduces to one question: who can authorise a transaction. Custody defines the risk you are taking on and the responsibilities that come with it.
Self-custody means the private keys that authorise transactions are controlled by you rather than by a company. It removes reliance on a third party and moves responsibility for backups, device security and recovery onto the holder.
A private key is the secret value that can authorise spending from an address. Anyone with the key can move the funds, and no one can reverse a transaction that a valid key signed.
Most wallets present a list of words — shown here only as [word 1] [word 2] [word 3] … — that can regenerate every key in the wallet. Treat that list as the wallet itself, and never type it into a website, form, chat or support ticket.
A backup is only useful if it survives loss, theft, fire and water, and if you can locate it years later. Consider where the backup lives, who else can reach it, and how it would be used in a real recovery.
Recovery is the process of restoring access on a new device using existing backup material. It is worth understanding the exact steps before you need them, using official documentation for your specific wallet.
Wallet software runs on hardware you also use for other things. Operating system updates, app source verification, screen locks and limiting installed extensions all affect the risk profile of the wallet.
