In Bitcoin We Trust Newsletter

In Bitcoin We Trust Newsletter

Is Your Bitcoin Safe? A 7-Point Security Checklist.

The responsibility of being your own bank is the price of true financial freedom.

Sylvain Saurel
Aug 20, 2025
∙ Paid

You’ve done it. You’ve journeyed down the rabbit hole, spent countless hours learning, and finally converted your fragile fiat currency into the world’s first truly finite digital asset. A feeling of profound relief and excitement washes over you. You own a piece of the future.

Then, as the initial euphoria subsides, a new feeling begins to creep in. It often arrives in the quiet of the night. It’s a nagging question that whispers from the back of your mind: “Is it safe?”

You’ve heard the horror stories—the exchange hacks, the forgotten passwords, the elaborate scams. Suddenly, you realize that owning Bitcoin isn’t like owning a stock in a brokerage account. There is no company to call if you lose your password, no government insurance to bail you out. Bitcoin’s greatest strength—its complete decentralization and resistance to censorship—is also the source of its greatest responsibility. You are your own bank.

This responsibility doesn’t have to be a source of anxiety. It can be a source of empowerment. Securing your Bitcoin is a methodical process, a series of layers you can build to create a financial fortress. This checklist is your blueprint. Work through it step by step to move from a state of worry to one of well-deserved peace of mind.


The Stablecoin Paradox: Why a $3 Trillion Revolution is Happening Behind the Scenes, Not at Your Supermarket.

The story of Stablecoins will be written by professionals.


1. Get Your Coins Off the Exchange (The Golden Rule)

This is the absolute, non-negotiable starting point. If your Bitcoin is still sitting on the exchange where you bought it, you don’t truly own Bitcoin. You own an IOU, a promise from that company to give you Bitcoin when you ask for it.

Why It’s Critical: History is a graveyard of exchanges that have failed, been hacked, or have frozen customer withdrawals with little warning. From the historic implosion of Mt. Gox to the modern collapses of firms like FTX and Celsius, the lesson is written in the stone of the blockchain: if you don’t control the private keys, you don’t control the coins. An exchange can go bankrupt, your account can be frozen by a government order, or the entire platform can be compromised by a single hacker.

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© 2025 Sylvain Saurel
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