Bitcoin (self-custody)
What it's for A digital money you hold yourself, without going through a bank.
Why it matters
In self-custody (your keys in a wallet only you control), no one can freeze or block your funds. Its privacy isn’t perfect (the ledger is public), but it escapes banking censorship, useful the day a payment is refused.
For whom & when
Guarding against account freezes or de-banking, and paying anonymously for a service like a VPN.
Install & use
- Get some bitcoin (an exchange, or peer-to-peer).
Move them right away to a wallet you control: a hardware wallet (Trezor, ColdCard) or an open-source app. Don’t leave them on the exchange.
- Back up your recovery phrase on paper, never as a photo or online.