BitcoinKeys.guide

Independent · Bitcoin-only · nothing to sell you

Hold your own Bitcoin —
and understand every step.

Your Bitcoin isn’t really yours until you hold the keys. This is the plain-English guide to doing that safely — from your first wallet to inheritance-grade cold storage.

Start from zero → See the setups
no device to sell

We don’t make or sell hardware, so we can compare every wallet honestly.

no keys held

We never touch your coins or your keys. This is a guide, not a service.

Bitcoin only

No altcoins, no “yield,” no distractions. Just holding Bitcoin well.

The one idea the whole guide is built on

The rule

The best self-custody setup is the simplest one that adequately covers your threat model — not the most impressive, not the one a vendor recommends. The simplest one that defends against the risks you can actually name, that your future self can recover, that your heirs can inherit, and that you have actually tested.

More security isn’t better. Complexity is the single biggest cause of lost Bitcoin. Most people belong on the lower rungs and should stay there until a real reason pushes them up.

The ladder

Every serious setup fits on one ladder of rising complexity. Find the lowest rung that covers you — then stop climbing.

  1. 1 Single-signature hardware wallet One device, one seed, one backup. The simplest self-custody that isn’t negligent. Most newcomers · modest stack relative to net worth
  2. 2 Single-sig + BIP-39 passphrase Add a secret “25th word.” The seed alone opens a decoy; seed + passphrase opens the real wallet. Holders worried about seed-phrase exposure or coercion
  3. 3 SLIP-39 / Shamir backup Split the backup into shares — any M of N reconstruct it. No single share reveals the seed. Holders who want split backups without running multisig
  4. 4 DIY 2-of-3 multisig Three keys, any two sign. No single key — lost or stolen — can move or lose your coins. Substantial, hands-on holders willing to learn the tooling
  5. 5 Collaborative 2-of-3 multisig You hold two keys; a service holds the third — for signing help and inheritance, not custody. Inheritance-minded holders who want a professional safety net
  6. 6 3-of-5 multisig Five keys, any three sign. Maximum resilience — and maximum complexity. A small minority: large holdings, distributed trustees, real institutional needs

More rungs open as the guide fills out. Read the full ladder →

Two doors in

I’m brand new to this →

Just bought Bitcoin on an exchange and want to hold it yourself for the first time. Start with the reassuring, step-by-step path.

I already self-custody →

You have a working setup and your stack has grown. Re-check where you belong on the ladder and whether to move up.

The skills, in plain English

Whatever setup you land on, these are the hands-on skills of holding your own Bitcoin. Each is a short, jargon-free how-to.

Hot vs cold storage →

Some of your Bitcoin should be easy to spend. Most of it should be locked away. This page shows you how to split the two, and why.

How to choose a hardware wallet →

There is no single best hardware wallet. There is only the one that fits how you'll actually use it. This page walks you through how to think about the choice.

Back up your seed phrase →

Your seed phrase is the master key to your Bitcoin. If the only copy lives on one device, or on a scrap of paper in a drawer, you are one accident away from losing everything. Here is how to back it up so it survives.

Test your backup before you trust it →

A backup you have not tested is a hope, not a backup. The one step that turns a setup into a real one is proving you can actually get your Bitcoin back.

Send Bitcoin without losing it →

Sending Bitcoin is simple, but a few careful habits keep your coins going exactly where you intend. The cryptography is rock-solid. The mistakes are human. Here's how to send with confidence.

Stay safe day to day →

Almost every real Bitcoin loss comes down to a human mistake, not broken math. A handful of calm, repeatable habits protect you from the great majority of them.

Stay safe in the physical world →

The strongest thing you can do to stay physically safe is simple and free: don't be known as someone who holds Bitcoin. Privacy does more for you than any gadget or heroics.

Protect your privacy →

Bitcoin is not anonymous. Every payment lives on a public ledger that anyone can read forever. But with a few simple habits, you can keep that ledger from being tied back to you — and you can do most of it for free.

Make sure your Bitcoin survives you →

Most Bitcoin that gets lost forever isn't stolen. It's misplaced, forgotten, or left behind with no instructions. This page shows you how to make sure the people you love can actually find your Bitcoin and move it — even when you're not there to help.

Run your own node →

A full node is your own copy of Bitcoin's records that checks the rules for you — so you can confirm your money is real without asking anyone else. It's the most advanced step here, and it's completely optional.

Why trust this one?

Almost every self-custody guide is written by someone with something to sell — a hardware brand, a custody service, an exchange, an affiliate link. That doesn’t make them wrong, but it bends the advice. We hold no keys and sell no device, so the only thing we’re steering you toward is the setup that actually fits you.

Every page carries the date it was last checked against reality, and the whole thing is built in the open. More about how this works →