If the FTX debacle has taught us anything at all, self-custody of crypto assets is the only way to protect your portfolio. So let’s dig in and find out how difficult or easy it is to keep your crypto all to yourself.
What Are Crypto Assets?
Crypto assets, also called cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies, are bearer assets represented digitally and created through cryptographic technology designed to be secure and anonymous. They can be used for peer-to-peer transactions and cross-border payments without using traditional banks or financial institutions. They also provide users with increased privacy compared to traditional forms of payment such as credit cards or bank transfers.
Types Of Crypto Assets
Crypto assets come in several different forms. The most common type is currency tokens, which can be used as a form of digital cash for peer-to-peer transactions and cross-border payments. Utility tokens are also becoming increasingly popular; these tokens can be used to access certain services or products on blockchain platforms such as gaming platforms or decentralized applications (dApps). Security tokens are a type of token that represent ownership stakes in an asset, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or commodities. These tokens provide investors with exposure to a wide range of asset classes that would otherwise require large amounts of capital to access directly.
Uses Of Crypto Assets
Crypto assets can be used for many different purposes beyond just providing users with an alternative form of payment.
P2p value transfers
Peer-to-peer transactions using crypto assets have become increasingly popular due to their speed and low transaction fees compared to traditional banking methods like wire transfers or credit card payments.
Cross-border payment processing
Cross-border payments using crypto assets have also gained traction due to their low costs and quick processing times compared to traditional methods like international wire transfers which can take days or weeks depending on the country being sent from/to.
Investment opportunity
Furthermore, crypto assets provide investors with exposure to a wide range of investment opportunities, including stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate and more via security token offerings (STOs).
Custody (store of value)
Lastly, numerous digital asset management platforms are available where users can securely store their crypto assets while keeping track of their portfolios on one platform.
Risks Involved With Crypto Assets
As with any investment opportunity, there are always risks involved that must be taken into consideration before investing your hard-earned money into anything; this is especially true when it comes to investing in crypto assets due to the high volatility in the market combined with potential fraud and theft issues associated with certain projects/tokens as well as regulatory uncertainty surrounding certain projects/tokens depending on where you reside geographically speaking.
Self-custody of crypto – an overview
Self-custody is an increasingly popular way for users to take full control and ownership over their digital asset(s). By keeping their cryptocurrency with self-custody, users can send, receive, and store their crypto without relying on any third party and with complete autonomy. This autonomy comes with the responsibility of protecting one’s private keys – essential to unlocking one’s crypto assets – since they can easily be lost or stolen if not stored carefully and guarded diligently. There are two main options to securely store cryptocurrency in self-custody: using a secure hardware wallet or seeking out a third-party custodian service that can help protect a user’s private keys from potential theft or loss.
What is Self-Custody?
First, let us define what self-custody means regarding cryptocurrency ownership. Simply put, self-custody gives users complete autonomy over their cryptocurrency without relying on third-party services or central authorities to store and manage their digital assets. As such, users can make decisions about their crypto holdings according to their own judgment and preferences — as long as they do not violate any applicable laws or regulations in doing so.
At the same time, however, self-custody also means that users are solely responsible for protecting their own private keys, which is essentially like remembering the security code of an ATM since failure to do so could leave one’s digital asset vulnerable to theft or loss by malicious actors or hackers online who might gain access to them if stored insecurely or improperly safeguarded against outside threats.
The nuts and bolts of self-custody of crypto
What Is a blockchain address?
At its most basic level, a blockchain address is similar to an email address in that it serves as an identifier for your cryptocurrency wallet. A blockchain address consists of a unique sequence of numbers and letters that makes each wallet on the network easily recognizable to other users. It can be used more than once depending on the amount stored in the wallet, providing users with multiple ways to send or receive payments securely.
Public key and bank account analogy
One way to think about public keys is by comparing them to bank account numbers. Just as you would use your bank account number to withdraw money from an ATM or make purchases online with your debit card, you can use your public key (blockchain address) to spend crypto from your wallet. However, unlike spending from your bank account, which requires your debit card information or pin code, spending crypto requires access to both the public and private keys associated with the wallet.
The importance of saving a seed phrase cannot be overstated as they are the only way to regain access to coins if something happens, such as forgetting login information or losing access altogether due to hardware failure or damage. Without proper management of these seed phrases, anyone who gains access to them can take hold of coins without authorization which could result in financial loss for those holding cryptocurrency in their wallets. As such, it is essential that users keep their seed phrases secure and away from potential intruders or hackers who may use them for malicious purposes.
Options to self-custody crypto
Fortunately, those looking into self-custody of their cryptocurrency have various options for storing safely and protecting these assets from potential thieves online.
Hardware wallets
One way is through using a secure hardware wallet that stores one’s private key offline in order to shield them from any malicious actors trying to gain access online through phishing scams or other methods of infiltration into computer systems that may contain valuable crypto assets stored inside them without proper protection being applied for security measures against external threats.
Third-party custodial services
Alternatively, those looking for even more secure methods of self-custody can seek out third-party custodian services – such as Coinbase Custody Solutions – which provide additional layers of protection from external attacks by utilizing high-level encryption algorithms proven effective against all sorts of hackers trying to access user data unethically through malicious software programs designed specifically for infiltrating computer systems containing valuable user information stored inside them without proper protection being applied beforehand.
How to take self-custody of your crypto assets
If you want to start taking self-custody of your crypto assets, then here is a step-by-step guide on how you can get started:
Understand the Basics Of Self Custody – including seed phrases;
Purchase a hardware wallet from Ledger Nano X, Trezor, or BitBox;
Set up and secure your wallet with a pin and download the required firmware;
Store your seed phrase offline and never share it with anyone;
Download necessary crypto asset integrations for your device;
Be cautious when sending cryptocurrency to other addresses or connecting with websites for unknown reasons;
Instead of conclusion: why you should take self-custody of your crypto assets
Taking self-custody of cryptocurrency assets is becoming increasingly important as more people invest in digital currencies. Users can securely store their cryptocurrency by self-custody while maintaining complete control over their investments without relying on third-party providers or custodians. With our step-by-step guide above, we hope we have provided enough information so our readers can start taking self custody themselves! In summary, remember that self-custodianship is essential to owning cryptocurrencies – it provides increased security and peace of mind knowing that all decisions related to one’s investments are made solely by oneself!
