Wallets & Self-Custody
Not your keys, not your coins.
A crypto wallet stores the private keys that control your assets on a blockchain. Two flavors:
- Custodial — exchange holds the keys (convenient, but you trust them)
- Self-custody — you hold a seed phrase (sovereign, but you bear all risk)
Write your 12 or 24 word seed phrase on paper or metal, never store it in cloud notes or screenshots. If you lose it, the funds are gone forever. If someone else gets it, the funds are theirs.