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Install Wallet

How It Works

Bold protects your Bitcoin by splitting control across your own devices — with no seed phrase, no servers, and no company in the middle.

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Think in “locks”, not keys 🔐

Most Bitcoin wallets give you one secret.

If that secret is:

  • stolen → Bitcoin gone

  • lost → Bitcoin gone

Bold works differently.

Instead of one secret, Bold creates a lock that needs multiple devices to open.

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Seedless by design — where your wallet really lives

Bold uses Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS).

That means:

  • no seed phrase

  • no master private key

  • no single point to steal or lose

Each device holds a key share. The full private key never exists anywhere, not even during signing.

On-chain, the result looks like a normal single-signature Bitcoin transaction — no multisig fingerprint, no privacy leak.

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Backups without compromise 🧠

Because Bold is seedless:

  • each device holds its own key share

  • each key share can be backed up independently

  • backups can be stored in different physical locations

Stealing one device or one backup:

  • cannot reconstruct the wallet

  • cannot spend funds

  • does not expose the full key

Security comes from separation, not secrecy.

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Choose how many devices protect you

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Option A — 2 devices (2-of-2)

  • both devices are always required

  • permanent loss of one device → funds are unrecoverable

Pros

  • maximum control

  • no recovery paths

Cons

  • no forgiveness for loss

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Option B — 3 devices (2-of-3) ⭐ Recommended

  • any two devices can approve

  • one device can be lost or destroyed

  • funds remain fully accessible

Pros

  • no single point of failure

  • no custodian

  • real-world resilience

Cons

  • extra device needed for the setup

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How devices communicate 🌍

Bold devices communicate directly and bidirectionally.

They use:

  • Nostr relays (public or self-hosted)

  • NIP-44 end-to-end encryption

  • multiple relays in parallel

    (NIP-44 encrypted, bidirectional)

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Why this matters

  • messages flow both ways

  • no single relay can block signing

  • relays never see keys or transactions

  • you can run your own private Nostr relay

Relays are transport only, not trusted parties.

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Signing paths: online, local, and air-gapped

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Online signing

  • devices coordinate over Nostr

  • messages sent over multiple relays in parallel

  • resilient across networks and borders

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Local signing

  • devices connect over local Wi-Fi / hotspot

  • no internet required

  • ideal for nearby devices

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Air-gapped capability - signing (PSBT via QR)

Air-gap applies to PSBT workflows, not device coordination.

  1. Transaction created in a watch-only wallet

  2. PSBT shown as animated QR

  3. Bold scans and signs offline

  4. Signed PSBT returned via QR

Signing still happens using:

  • local device cooperation

  • no internet

  • no servers

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Seeing your balance — no company backend

Bold does not run wallet infrastructure.

You choose how blockchain data is fetched:

  • public mempool.space

  • your self-hosted mempool

  • a mempool connected to your Bitcoin node

If a service disappears:

  • switch endpoints

  • wallet keeps working

  • funds remain safe

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Signer-only mode (advanced users)

Bold can act as a pure TSS signer.

  • wallet exported as watch-only using output descriptors

  • PSBT created in Sparrow, Electrum, or BlueWallet

  • Bold signs — nothing else

This enables:

  • cold storage

  • audits

  • infrastructure separation

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What Bold deliberately avoids 🚫

Bold does not:

  • generate seed phrases

  • store master keys

  • hold recovery secrets

  • run signing servers

  • depend on one relay

  • rely on unverifiable hardware

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If Bold vanishes tomorrow, nothing breaks.

Bold is software — not a service.

  • ✅ Your wallet still works There are no Bold-operated servers, accounts, or backend dependencies.

  • ✅ Your Bitcoin remains yours Funds are controlled exclusively by your devices using threshold signatures (TSS).

  • ✅ Fully open-source The entire Bold codebase is public, auditable, and verifiable on GitHub.

  • ✅ Decentralized app distribution The Bold APK is not tied to a single store and is available via:

    • GitHub Releases

    • F-Droid

    • OpenAPK

    • ZapStore

    • Community mirrors and more others

  • ✅ No app store or vendor lock-in You don’t need Google Play, Apple services, or Bold infrastructure to install or run the wallet.

  • ✅ Alternative recovery path A CLI binaries are provided, enabling advanced users to:

    • Restore device key shares

    • Reconstruct signing capability

    • Create and sign transactions without the mobile app UI

If Bold disappears tomorrow, nothing breaks.

This is anti-fragile self-custody by design:

  • No backend that can be shut down

  • No company key that can be revoked

  • No permission that can be taken away

Bold doesn’t ask for your trust — it removes itself from the trust model entirely. 🧠🛡️

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The honest truth

Bold gives you real sovereignty, not convenience theater.

  • 2-of-2 → absolute control, zero forgiveness

  • 2-of-3 → resilience without trust

No magic recovery. No hidden safety net.

Only:

  • your devices

  • math

  • open-source code

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Final mental model 🧠

Bold says:

Your full sovereignty - no one else

Bold isn’t an upgrade — it’s the exit!

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