Self-Custody

Self-custody is the foundational principle of true ownership in crypto, best summarized by the phrase:

"Not your keys, not your assets."

What it Means

It means you, and only you, hold the private keys (the cryptographic secret) that grant access to and control over your crypto assets.

When you self-custody your funds, you eliminate the need to trust a third party (like an exchange or a central bank) to hold your assets for you. You have complete, autonomous control to send, receive, and manage your assets anytime, without permission or potential interference.

The Trade-off

Self-custody means you have full responsibility over your assets, you are your own bank. You can freely use your assets, but If you lose the access, those funds are lost forever. No one, not PIVY or your wallet provider, can get them back for you.