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AnchorWatch
8.2/10 · SCOREDAnchorWatch changes the custody conversation by making insurance scope part of the product thesis.
Pick caveat: Operating live custody for under two years (since Dec 2024) — the loss-history factor reflects a short window.
High control. Manageable friction.
Custody is two trade-offs: how much control you keep, and how much operational friction you accept. AnchorWatch sits in the high-control half — you, or keys you personally hold, keep real signing authority, with low day-to-day friction.
Editorial positioning — not a numeric scoring axis. Grey markers are reference archetypes, not the full universe.
You hold 3 keys. They hold 2. Either party alone can't move funds.
The protocol is 3-of-5 multisig. To move Bitcoin you need 3 valid signatures. AnchorWatch holds 2 keys (geographically distributed, HSM-stored). You hold 3.
AnchorWatch vs the other custody options.
The org, the research angle.
AnchorWatch belongs in custody research because it asks users to evaluate something more specific than “secure storage”: collaborative custody plus an insurance narrative. That means policy scope, exclusions, and claims logic matter as much as the signing setup itself.
The 8-factor breakdown.
Live custody operations since Dec 2024 (Lloyd's coverholder Nov 2024); no client-asset loss event reported; Lloyd's-syndicated insurance on AM Best A+ rated paper explicitly covers theft and key-loss scenarios, up to $100M per vault and binding authority up to $500M per customer.
The receipts.
Every figure on AnchorWatch traces to a primary document. These are the ones we read — open any of them.
- AnchorWatch — FAQs ↗Verified
Custody model: Trident Vault miniscript 'multisig of multisigs' — customer keyset (1 key, or client-side 2-of-3) + AnchorWatch independent institutional keyset, both must sign; AnchorWatch is a required co-signer while the vault is insured; uninsured/sovereign backup path via Bitcoin Core
Insurance: Lloyd's of London syndicates, AM Best A+ rated paper; covers theft (coercion/wrench attack/kidnapping/burglary), loss from catastrophe (fire/flood/tornado/wildfire), fraud & collusion; up to $100M per vault and up to $500M per customer; premiums ~0.6%–0.8%/yr
Regulatory status: Lloyd's of London Coverholder (announced Nov 18, 2024); live operations began December 2024; serves customers holding $250K–$100M in BTC; qualified-custodian status stated as expected 2026 (not yet achieved)