what's Bitkey?
Bitkey is a self-custody Bitcoin wallet developed by Block, Inc., designed to make Bitcoin ownership simple, secure, and resilient to loss. It combines a mobile app for on-the-go transactions, a compact hardware device with fingerprint authentication and NFC for secure signing, and built-in recovery tools that eliminate reliance on traditional seed phrases. The wallet employs a 2-of-3 multisig architecture where keys are distributed across the app, hardware, and a server-held recovery key, enabling flexible recovery options like trusted contacts or server assistance without single points of failure. Features include privacy enhancements such as BIP-89 for blinded transactions and Chain Code Delegation for collaborative multisig without exposing balances, ensuring users maintain full control while simplifying real-world scenarios like device loss, inheritance, or coercion resistance.
Block's OpenIP program uses defensive patents to protect the community and enable innovation.
Links
x.com/bitkeyPatents are included in Block's OpenIP program, which pledges to use patents defensively to protect the community while enabling builders to innovate freely.
Bitkey now offers private shipping to thousands of pickup points including FedEx, Walgreens, Kroger, and Dollar General, allowing customers to pay in bitcoin and receive devices without providing home addresses.
Bitkey activates feature to buy bitcoin directly to self-custody via CashApp with no fees, no spread, and free auto-withdrawal.
A new feature or enhancement launches tomorrow in collaboration with CashApp.
Bitkey launches Chain Code Delegation implementation, making the privacy-preserving multisig feature available to users as the first Bitcoin multisig wallet with this capability.
Bitkey proposes new Bitcoin Improvement Proposal called Chain Code Delegation that enables multisig transactions without revealing wallet balances or transaction history, with Bitkey planning first implementation as an open standard for wallets.
Major wallet update launching in May, including Bitcoin purchasing and privacy features.