A technical deep dive into Barqly Vault—covering its threat model, envelope encryption design, multi-key access model, and hardware-backed key integration. This post focuses on the concrete tradeoffs and operational decisions that shape recovery, failure handling, and long-term safety.

Bitcoin University

Barqly Vault: Technical Deep Dive (Part 2) - Bitcoin University

This post walks through the technical architecture behind Barqly Vault, including its threat model, envelope encryption design, multi-key access mo...

#bitcoin #selfcustody #security #cryptography Barqly

An introduction to Barqly Vault—why it exists, how it evolved, and how I think about security from a custody perspective. It’s an offline-first, open-source tool for encrypting, recovering, and securely sharing sensitive data, with an emphasis on operational safety and clear tradeoffs.

Bitcoin University

Barqly Vault: Design, Journey, and a Security‑First Mindset (Part 1) - Bitcoin University

Barqly Vault is an offline-first, open-source desktop application for encrypting, recovering, and securely sharing sensitive data. Originally built...

I revisited the ACME protocol today: the system that silently keeps much of the web secure. What was interesting to me wasn’t just the cryptography, but the design philosophy behind it. ACME intentionally separates identity from authorization, and relies on operational proofs (DNS/HTTP) rather than pure signatures. Not because signatures are “less secure,” but because protocols must prove the right thing, in this case, real control of a domain. It’s a great reminder that elegant security design isn’t about choosing the most sophisticated primitive, but the one that perfectly fits the trust boundary. Thanks to Christophe Brocas for the excellent write-up, and to the entire ACME team & community for designing one of the most impactful security protocols on the Internet.

ACME, a brief history of one of the protocols which has changed the Internet Security

ACME, a brief history of one of the protocols which has changed the Internet Security Changelog 03 December 2025: article announced on Mastodon, Li...

#BitcoinCustody #ProtocolDesign #CyberSecurity

🚀 Barqly Vault v0.2.2 is live! This release adds a useful new capability inspired by a question from Rohit on LinkedIn last week: 🔐 Secure Sharing • Encrypt files for other people using their public key • Vault auto-generates two outputs: — Your backup file (full keyset) — A shared file you can safely send • No private key exchange needed 🎨 UI/UX updates • Better key-management flow • Cleaner layout and status indicators ⚙️ Stability improvements • Smoother multi-key operations • Minor performance fixes 🌐 Download:

Barqly Vault - Simple, Secure File Encryption

Encrypt Taproot script trees, multisig wallet descriptors, Lightning node backups, and sensitive documents. Open-source. Cross-platform. Yours to c...

📄 Release notes:

GitHub

Release Barqly Vault v0.2.2 · Barqly/barqly-vault

Barqly Vault v0.2.2 Now with Secure Sharing Barqly Vault now supports encrypting for external recipients. Share sensitive files with family, collea...

#Bitcoin #SelfCustody #OpenSource #CyberSecurity #Privacy #Barqly

🚀 Barqly Vault v0.2.1 — Now Fully Supports Windows 🎉 Windows support is officially live! Barqly Vault now runs seamlessly across macOS, Linux, and Windows — with full YubiKey support, multi-key encryption, and complete recovery workflows. 🔥 What’s new in 0.2.1: Full Windows Support: All core features now work consistently on Windows Improved Stability: Fixes across installers, startup behavior, and shutdown Cross-Platform Parity: Vaults behave identically across macOS, Linux, and Windows More Reliable YubiKey Handling: Better error messaging and smoother operations 🔐 Includes everything from 0.2.0: - YubiKey-based encryption & decryption - Multi-Key Vaults (upto 4 keys: YubiKeys or passphrases) - Recovery bundle for single-key restoration - 100% offline encryption — no telemetry, no background calls - Local-only storage - Theme-aware UI (light/dark/system) Built with ❤️ for the Bitcoin community — simple, offline-first file encryption for everyone. 🌐 www.barqly.com 💻

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Deep-dive posts coming soon.

🚀 Barqly Vault v0.2.0 is live! After months of iteration, debugging, and cross-platform testing — the R2 release is finally here. 💡 What’s new in 0.2.0: • YubiKey Support – Hardware-backed encryption & decryption for tamper-resistant security • Multi-Key Vaults – Encrypt files with up to 4 keys (YubiKey or passphrase) for redundancy & flexibility • Recovery Support – Restore your vault using any one valid key and the included recovery bundle • Offline-Only Operation – 100% local encryption; no network activity, telemetry, or background calls • Local Storage – Files, manifests, and keys never leave your device • Cross-Platform Builds – Available for macOS, Linux, and Windows (testing in progress) • Theme-Aware Interface – Light & dark themes for a better user experience Built with ❤️ for the Bitcoin community — focused on simple, secure file encryption for everyone. 🌐 www.barqly.com 🔗 github.com/Barqly/barqly-vault (Blog and technical deep-dive coming soon!)

In my last post I shared how Barqly Vault was built. Today, I’m publishing the second in the series: ZenAI Programming Rituals — a framework I’ve been refining to structure context, verification, and collaboration with AI while building Bitcoin self-custody security tools.

Bitcoin University

ZenAI Programming Rituals: Turning Chaos into Flow through Context Engineering - Bitcoin University

ZenAI Programming Rituals grew out of the same mindset that shaped Barqly Vault: eliminate repetition, respect context, and build with integrity. I...

After announcing Barqly Vault yesterday, I wanted to share the journey behind it. From playing every role — product owner, architect, programmer, tester, and security — with AI as a partner, to building an open-source tool for Bitcoin self-custody security. Blog:

Bitcoin University

From Lazy Programmer to ZenAI: How I Built Barqly Vault with AI - Bitcoin University

From product owner to architect, programmer, tester, and security engineer — I partnered with AI to play all these roles while building Barqly Va...

Launched 🚀 Barqly Vault v0.1.0 🔐 Free & open-source desktop app for encrypting Bitcoin data + sensitive files: – Script trees (P2TR) – Multisig descriptors – LN backups – Any sensitive data and docs ⚡ Built with Rust + Tauri 🌍 macOS / Windows / Linux 👉 barqly.com Feedback welcome ⚡🧡

MAC users: AMOS malware alert. A new Mac variant is actively stealing crypto wallets and browser data, hitting 300+ targets. If you’re a Bitcoiner using macOS, stay extra cautious about downloads and updates.

Security Affairs

Over 300 entities hit by a variant of Atomic macOS Stealer in recent campaign

Over 300 entities hit by the Atomic macOS Stealer via malvertising campaign between June and August, CrowdStrike warns.

Just published: “Multisig for Individuals: A Real-World Guide to Secure Your Bitcoin” My first hands-on implementation of a complete Bitcoin multisig custody protocol—from device selection and wallet design to inheritance and recovery. Check it out—and reach out if you need help with your own multisig setup! Huge thanks to @mflaxman (btcguide), @Luke Dashjr (Bitcoin Knots), @Start9 (StartOS), and @craigraw (Sparrow Wallet) for the tools, guidance, and inspiration that made this possible. 🙏

Bitcoin University

Multisig for Individuals: A Real-World Guide to Secure Your Bitcoin - Bitcoin University

This hands-on guide walks through a complete 2-of-3 Bitcoin multisig setup for an individual client—from wallet design to backups and inheritance...

I just started learning Rust and it’s been so much fun. I love how the compiler feels like a peer — always guiding me toward safe, correct code. It got me thinking: what if we could plug a local LLM into the compiler, so error messages weren’t just syntax-aware, but intent-aware? In this example, I was experimenting with a const using a hyphen in the name (which is parsed as subtraction). The compiler gave helpful feedback — but didn’t hint I might've meant an underscore. What if Rust had a mode that could say: “Hey, looks like you're naming a variable — try using _ instead of -”? Crazy idea? Or can Rust become RustAI? 🤖🦀

Rethinking Bitcoin recovery—no cloud, no seed phrase exposure, no compromises. I explored using YubiKey’s large blob storage to secure self-custody without the usual tradeoffs. Hardware-backed. Phishing-resistant. Cloudless. #security #bitcoin

Bitcoin University

Cloudless Recovery: Securing Your Bitcoin Seed with YubiKey’s Large Blob Storage - Bitcoin University

What if you could recover your Bitcoin without trusting the cloud—or even writing down your seed? This post explores a hands-on prototype using Y...