Holding your own keys
Self-custody means the keys that authorize spending exist only on your device, protected by a password only you know, derived from a phrase only you hold.
Nobody is holding a copy for you. Read that sentence twice, because everything below follows from it.
The four facts
Section titled “The four facts”1. There is no password reset
Section titled “1. There is no password reset”Your password unlocks one installation of the extension on one device. It is not an account credential. There is no email link, no identity check, no support override. If you forget it, you reinstall and restore from your recovery phrase.
2. The recovery phrase is the wallet
Section titled “2. The recovery phrase is the wallet”Those words are not a hint or a backup code. They mathematically are every key in the wallet. Anyone who reads them owns everything they control, immediately and permanently, from anywhere.
3. A confirmed transaction is final
Section titled “3. A confirmed transaction is final”Once a Bitcoin transaction confirms, no one can reverse it: not you, not Universe, not the miner, not the exchange on the other end. A wrong address is not a mistake you can appeal.
4. Nobody legitimate ever needs your phrase
Section titled “4. Nobody legitimate ever needs your phrase”Not support, not a verification step, not a wallet upgrade, not a giveaway, not an airdrop claim, not a migration tool, not the person who says they are helping you recover it. There is no exception, and there never will be. See Phishing and impostors.
The habits that make this survivable
Section titled “The habits that make this survivable”- Write the phrase on paper before you fund the wallet. Not in a screenshot, not in a note app, not in a password manager sync you do not control, not in a message to yourself.
- Fund it with a small amount first and move that amount out again, so you have practised the whole loop before it matters.
- Read the approval screen every time, even when you are sure. The one you skim is the one that was different.
- Keep a second wallet for connecting to applications you are trying for the first time, and keep your long-term holdings out of it.
What Universe can and cannot do for you
Section titled “What Universe can and cannot do for you”| Universe can | Universe cannot |
|---|---|
| Serve the balances and asset data the wallet displays | See or store your recovery phrase, keys, or password |
| Ship a build that refuses to spend an asset-bearing coin by accident | Move, freeze, or return your funds |
| Publish which operations a release authorized | Reverse a transaction you signed |
| Answer documentation and product questions | Recover a lost phrase, for anyone, ever |