Self custody without the lecture

Holding your own coins means holding the key that moves them. Everything else follows from that.

The seed phrase

Those twelve or twenty four words are the key, written in a form a human can copy. Anyone with the words has the coins. Lose them and nobody can help, because there is nobody who has them.

• Write them on paper or metal. Not in a photo, not in a notes app, not in email.
• Keep at least two copies in different places.
• Never type them into a website. No legitimate service will ever ask.

A sensible minimum

A reputable software wallet is enough for everyday amounts. Once the balance would genuinely hurt to lose, a hardware wallet keeps the key off a machine that browses the internet.

Why it matters here

A no account exchange pays out to an address you control. That only protects you if you actually control it, which means a wallet whose seed phrase you hold rather than an account on another service.