The team provides an extensive comparative analysis of the two primary methods for securing Bitcoin: custodial and self-custody. It establishes that Bitcoin is a digital bearer asset, with ownership tied to possession of a cryptographic private key or its seed phrase. The text details the convenience and professional security offered by custodial solutions, such as centralized exchanges, while highlighting the major risk of counterparty failure through case studies like Mt. Gox and FTX. Conversely, the team argues self-custody for granting absolute financial sovereignty and censorship resistance but stresses the burden of sole responsibility, illustrating the risk of permanent loss due to human error. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that the choice requires a personal assessment of which risks—institutional control or personal error—an investor is more willing to accept, advocating for a hybrid, tiered storage strategy for most new users.
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