I spent 2 hours this morning helping a grandma set up a multisig wallet. I directed her to the service provider that I believe has the best UX out there. The easiest and most friendly environment possible. It was grueling. I am drained after that experience. Don't get me wrong. I have no regrets and I'd do it again. In fact, I keep a running list of people to help. That's what it means to be an Uncle Jim. Helping people achieve financial sovereignty is one of the best and most important things you can teach someone these days. However, I don't believe we can achieve meaningful levels of self custody with the current generation. We need to be focusing mostly on the next generation. I didn't get my first email address until I was in my 20s. My kids get an email address automatically when they enter Kindergarten. These days it's just a life skill that everyone learns. Likewise, bitcoin self custody will become a basic life skill. The move to financial self-sovereignty will be a generational shift. I see a lot of frustration at the slow uptake of these trends. My message to those folks is simple: lower your time preference. Medieval cathedrals took many generations to build. The workers who started the foundations did it knowing they would never see the completed project. We are building a cathedral. We're only 15 years in. Lower your time preference.

Replies (21)

For friends and family I've found that Block's Bitkey has the best UX + security. Actually caught them on sale for $25 each not to long ago.
The few people I’ve tried being an Uncle Jim for didn’t even have the discipline to safely store their passphrases after being instructed specifically how to do it. Good luck having them remember how to generate and sign psbt’s and broadcast tx’s. We have a couple decades to go at least.
Once your bitcoin stack is big enough multisig is a requirement. People need to store life savings levels of wealth in bitcoin in order to avoid the coming fiat apocalypse. It's a difficult path but I don't see any other good options.
Need it to be ready for the next generation first without them all needing to go to custodial solutions. Imo then focus on merchants.
Assuming you mean 4 single sig wallets. If you already have three secure locations you should use multisig to protect yourself from key loss. Right now if you lose access to one wallet you lose a portion of your savings. It will happen sooner or later. Multisig fixes this. You spend from the remaining two keys and transfer to a new multisig setup. All you lose is the transaction fee.