Self-custody in one page
The order of operations, before a headline forces it. A checklist, not a hardware-wallet review.
On this page
Self-custody means you hold the keys that authorize transfers, so no company can freeze your funds or lose them for you. It also means nobody can reverse your mistakes. This page is the short sequence; the wallet safety checklist explains each step in more depth.
Key takeaways
- Your recovery phrase is the wallet. Anyone who has it controls your funds.
- Most losses come from phishing and rushed transfers, not from broken cryptography.
- Test with a small amount, and verify addresses on the device itself.
The sequence
- Get the wallet from the maker’s official site or app-store listing, and bookmark that address. Search ads are a common phishing route.
- Write the recovery phrase on paper or steel. Do not photograph it, type it into a notes app or keep it in the email account the wallet maker writes to.
- Store the backup somewhere safe from fire, water and casual discovery, and decide who could recover it if something happens to you.
- Send a small test amount first. Verify the receive address on the device screen, and confirm the funds arrived before you send the rest.
- Before signing in an app, read what you are approving. Revoke token approvals you no longer use.
Common traps
- Fake support. Real support teams never need your recovery phrase, a screen share of your wallet or a remote-access app.
- Address poisoning. Scammers send tiny transfers from addresses that look like ones you use, hoping you copy theirs from your history. Check the whole address, not just its first and last characters.
- Unsolicited tokens and airdrops. A token you did not expect can lead to a site that asks for an approval or a signature. Leave it alone.
- Urgent deadlines. Pressure to act within minutes is a sign to slow down.
When a headline hits
A breach at a wallet maker’s email or marketing provider is usually a phishing risk, not a leak of keys. Expect convincing emails and texts urging you to “migrate” or “verify” your wallet. Do not follow inbound links. Open the maker’s site from your bookmark, read its own incident notice, and never enter your recovery phrase where a website asks for it.
Reviews are a separate desk with a written method. This page is the sequence, not a shopping list.
Finished reading?
Mark it complete to track your progress through the learning paths.
Next in Safer self-custody: Self-custody: a practical wallet safety checklist
