REVEALED! Why You Should Avoid Using a Non-custodial Wallet

Cwallet
Cwallet
Published in
5 min readMay 17, 2023

Having absolute control over your crypto wallet is beautiful. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and right there is the paradox.

Picture this: you’ve worked hard to accumulate your digital wealth, and the last thing you want is to see it vanish into thin air. Just like a physical wallet safeguards your cash and cards, a digital wallet secures your virtual fortune. It’s your digital fortress, protecting your hard-earned assets from cyber threats and potential mishaps.

So, to protect your assets, you get a non-custodial wallet where you hold the private keys as you want full control and independence over your assets. Indeed, this is awesome; however, there is more to the story.

This article explores the risks associated with non-custodial wallets, exploring the nitty-gritty details of why relying solely on yourself might NOT ALWAYS be the best approach when it comes to safeguarding your digital fortune.

Understanding Non-custodial Wallets

Non-custodial wallets are designed to give you complete control over your private keys. They operate without the involvement of third parties, offering a sense of freedom and sovereignty. You become the sole guardian of your keys, which, on the surface, seems empowering.

Imagine a non-custodial wallet as your personal vault, accessible only to you. It’s like having a secret stash of your digital assets right at your fingertips. In a word, only you have the keys to your cryptocurrency kingdom.

These wallets operate on the principle of decentralization, aligning with the very essence of cryptocurrencies. No intermediaries, no middlemen — just you and your digital wealth. With a non-custodial wallet, you can send, receive, and store your crypto assets without relying on anyone else to handle your transactions. It’s all about taking matters into your own hands.

Indeed, this offers you numerous benefits, such as:

  • Optimal privacy and a high level of anonymity.
  • Complete decentralization, as you don’t have to rely on any particular service provider to use your crypto wallet. Within seconds, you can create a wallet on MetaMask, quit using it, and open another on Trust Wallet.
  • Easier access to dApps, making it easy to buy and sell NFTs, connect with decentralized exchanges, and get cryptocurrencies without any limits.

In short, the level of freedom and possibilities attainable with non-custodial wallets offer numerous opportunities, but as we peel back the layers, we’ll reveal the potential pitfalls that come with this level of control.

The Risks Associated with Non-custodial Wallets

While the freedom and huge potential of non-custodial wallets may portray them as the holy grail of digital asset protection, there are a few things you need to be aware of.

Now, don’t get the wrong notion; non-custodial wallets can be perfectly safe if you take the necessary precautions and are well-versed in the world of cybersecurity. But for the less tech-savvy, here is what you should be wary of.

  1. Lack of Third-Party Protection: You are on your own! When it comes to non-custodial wallets, you are solely responsible for safeguarding your private keys.
    As mentioned earlier, with great power comes great responsibility; however, the paradoxical part is that if you lose your private keys or get careless with them, your coins could be gone forever. There’s nothing like “forgot password?” or any support team who can vet the security status of your wallet. Any slight mistake can lead to huge regrets.
  2. Target For Scams: Non-custodial wallets are often bigger targets for scams and other fraudulent transactions because these malicious attackers can program several prompts with smart contracts and other pieces of technology that could expose your wallet, even without your knowledge. Even without losing your private keys, interacting with a malicious smart contract could cause your wallet to be wiped out without even informing you.
    Typically, regular custodial wallets may prompt you to confirm your login with a 2-factor authentication code or send you a mail to inform you about an unauthorized login. However, non-custodial wallets abdicate everything regarding your security to you.
  3. Technical Complexities and Potential for Human Error: For beginners, and even some experienced users, managing the security measures of a non-custodial wallet can be difficult. It could be complex, with a lot of technical jargon you may not understand as a casual user.
    This could lead you to unknowingly approving transactions or signing malicious contracts. One wrong move, one slip-up, and poof! Your digital assets might vanish forever into the vast void of the blockchain.

The truth is for most users, non-custodial wallets could be dangerous to hold all your assets, especially if you are not well-versed in interpreting technical terms. Worse still, if your assets are stolen from a Non-custodial wallet, it may be gone forever; however, if you have any issues with custodial wallets, their support team is more likely to help you get a solution that mitigates your losses.

Now the question is? Should you stop using Non-custodial wallets? Absolutely not.

However, to avoid being a victim of heavy losses, you should:

  • Use both custodial and non-custodial wallets; you may use custodial wallets to execute basic deposits and withdrawals (where it may be cheaper) and use non-custodial wallets to interact with dApps and smart contracts.
  • Avoid keeping all your assets in a single wallet. You should have multiple custodial and non-custodial wallets and spread your assets across. In case one is compromised, you can quickly tighten your security.
  • If you often claim airdrops by connecting to unknown websites, ensure that you use an empty wallet, where you will never keep your long-term holdings.
  • If you are a beginner, use non-custodial wallets sparingly.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert, protecting your assets should be a top priority. If you haven’t diversified your holdings yet, you should try out Cwallet.

With Cwallet, you can switch between custodial and non-custodial wallets with a single tap, diversifying your assets with your previous holdings and saving yourself from trouble.

Indeed, the prospects of making huge gains with cryptocurrency are exciting; however, it’s crucial to navigate it with caution and make informed decisions. By choosing Cwallet, you can embrace the best of both worlds — security, and convenience. So, don’t wait any longer — take the leap and safeguard your digital assets with Cwallet NOW!!!

--

--

Cwallet
Cwallet

https://cwallet.com is the combined custodial & non-custodial crypto wallet. Manage and trade 800+ crypto and in one place using multiple tools and bots.