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Self-custody is the act of assuming personal responsibility for your assets.
When you hold the private keys to your bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrency, you ensure you alone can transact with your assets without having to trust a third party, such as an exchange or a custodian.
Self-custody protects your digital assets from third-party risk. Exchanges and custodians have historically struggled to keep bitcoin, ether, and other assets safe. With the right tools, you can be the best custodian for your assets.
First, you must create a self-custodial wallet with cold storage, which stores your private keys offline when you are not actively transacting.
Today, this is best done with a hardware wallet, a dedicated electronic device that houses your key and allows you to sign transactions.
Once you’ve created your self-custodial wallet, you can withdraw your assets from exchanges and/or custodians.
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Using multiple private keys is a smart way to enhance the security of your assets. This system, also known as multisig, allows you to maintain access to your funds even if one of your keys is lost or stolen. This provides better protection against a typical software or hardware wallet.
You don’t have to be tech-savvy to hold your keys with Casa. Our app, available on iOS and Android devices, is designed with a smooth user experience so sending and receiving crypto comes naturally, and our team of experts is on standby to help with your security questions.
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Just because you hold your keys doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Choosing a crypto wallet with available support can really come in handy in case of emergency or if you ever need troubleshooting. Casa has a team of advisors ready and willing to assist you.
Because Casa only holds one key on your behalf, we do not have the ability to move funds on our own. This means we are non-custodial.
Our team has long understood that if we were custodial, we would be a single point of failure and susceptible to pressure from outside forces. So, we don’t have control of your assets. Instead, we help you provide extra protection with more keys, so you can have peace of mind and control over your assets.
Learn more about why Casa is different here.
When you first buy bitcoin, ethereum, or any other asset, what you have is an IOU. The exchange is obligated to furnish you with the asset once you start a withdrawal. Usually, you can withdraw your assets from these organizations without any problem, but every once in a while, something goes wrong.
Exchanges and custodians have a poor track record of keeping assets safe from hacks, accidents, and malfeasance. Some prominent examples include the early bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox and the more recent collapses of FTX and Prime Trust.
This doesn’t have to happen with crypto assets. We have tools to protect them and you can verify your ownership on the blockchain. There’s just no way to know what is going on behind the scenes at a crypto exchange or custodian. If you want to have peace of mind and full visibility, the best solution is to hold your assets with a set you control. The answer is self-custody.
Securing cryptocurrency is different from securing other funds. When you allow another entity to secure your crypto, the same threats that face you as an individual still face the third party, but you no longer have control. Custodial services carry many threats to your assets:
Holding your own keys allows you to sidestep these third-party risks.
An important part of holding your keys is avoiding single points of failure. You do not want a single unforeseen event to jeopardize your wealth.
Casa vaults use a multisig design that protects your assets with multiple keys. This ensures that your assets remain secure even if one of your devices is lost, stolen, or broken. Each vault is crafted so you can hold your keys on multiple devices in multiple locations for distributed protection. Redundancy is key.Our calling card has long been providing security and usability in tandem. It’s not enough to have a complex solution that leaves your bitcoin and ethereum inaccessible. Complexity is the enemy of security. To this end, we strive to keep the
Casa app as simple and natural as possible and we encourage you to perform health checks on your keys every six months to ensure they are in proper working order.
Learn more about why Casa is different here.
Casa holds one key on your behalf to aid with recovery if one of your keys are compromised, and we offer varying levels of support to assist you with replacing a key. This means that while you’re holding your keys, you’re not completely shouldering the security risk of securing wealth on your own.
To access the Recovery Key, you or someone you trust must first verify data. We also have a required waiting period for recovery signatures to discourage attackers from putting you under duress.
Additionally, self-custody with Casa does not mean you are solely dependent on Casa. Our Sovereign Recovery features allows you to use open-source software to recover your bitcoin independently outside of the Casa app, and we provide these instructions upon the creation of your vault.
Due to the sheer amount of threats to one’s bitcoin or ethereum, many holders will opt for a custodial wallet — one where *another entity* owns their private keys — in an effort to shoulder less risk. If a custodial solution (e.g. an exchange, family office, wealth fund, lender, etc.) holds your funds, it’s their responsibility to secure it.
Unlike custodial crypto wallets, a non-custodial wallet is one in which *you* own the associated private keys. By using a non-custodial wallet, you gain the freedom to do as you wish with your assets while simultaneously taking on the responsibility of securing it. This is why non-custodial wallets are often called self-custodial wallets.
Members can store bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) in their vault at this time. We believe private keys have a bright future in the years ahead, and adoption will eventually surpass even crypto storage. Our team is working to add support for other use cases with a security-first, meticulous approach.