CoffeeAndCandles

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate retail investors about the ways investors can hold crypto assets. This Investor Bulletin provides an overview of types of crypto asset custody and provides tips and questions to help you decide how to best hold crypto assets.


What is crypto asset custody?
Crypto asset “custody” refers to how and where you store and access your crypto assets. You generally access crypto assets through a device or computer program referred to as a crypto wallet. Crypto wallets do not store crypto assets themselves; instead, they store the “private keys” or passcodes for your crypto assets.
Crypto Asset. A crypto asset is an asset that is generated, issued, and/or transferred using a blockchain or similar distributed ledger technology network, including assets known as “tokens,” “digital assets,” “virtual currencies,” and “coins.” Investors should know that the characteristics and design of crypto assets, and the distributed ledger or blockchain technology through which they are issued and/or transferred, can vary significantly. In other words, different crypto assets can present different benefits or risks.


When you create a crypto wallet, the following two keys or passcodes are created:
Private key. A private key is a randomly generated alpha numeric passcode that allows you to authorize transactions for the crypto asset. A private key is like a password to your crypto wallet. Once created, a private key cannot be changed or replaced. If you lose your private key, you permanently lose access to the crypto assets in your wallet.
 Public key. The public key is another code that is used to verify transactions and allow someone else to send crypto assets to your crypto wallet. The public key does not allow access to the private key in the wallet and cannot be used to authorize transactions. A public key is like the e-mail address to your crypto wallet.
Together, these keys prove your ownership of the crypto asset and grant you the rights to send, receive, or spend your crypto assets.


Hot vs. Cold Wallets
There are different kinds of crypto wallets, and different ways for retail investors to hold these wallets. The two primary types of crypto wallets are “hot wallets” and “cold wallets.” A hot wallet is a crypto wallet connected to the internet. This may be a desktop, mobile, or web application. Hot wallets provide you with a convenient way to access your crypto assets for transactions, but they also expose your crypto assets to cyberthreats.
A cold wallet is typically a physical device that is not connected to the internet, such as a USB drive, external hard drive, or even a piece of paper. A cold wallet is generally less convenient than a hot wallet for crypto asset transactions. However, since they are not connected to the internet, cold wallets are generally more secure from cyberthreats than hot wallets. That said, the physical devices for cold wallets can be lost, damaged, or stolen, which may result in a permanent loss of your crypto assets.
Protect your Seed Phrase! Many crypto wallets generate a “seed phrase,” also known as a seed recovery phrase, backup seed phrase, or mnemonic phrase. A seed phrase is a random sequence of words that allows you to restore your crypto wallet if you lose it or your private key, or its hardware or software is damaged or corrupted. Store your seed phrase in a secure place and do not share it with anyone.


Self vs. Third-Party Custody
You also need to decide whether you want to manage your crypto assets on your own (self-custody) or if you prefer to have a third-party manage your crypto assets (third-party custody). Hot and cold crypto wallet options exist for both self and third-party custody.
Self-Custody: With self-custody, you control your crypto assets and are responsible for managing the private keys to any of your crypto wallets. With self-custody, you have sole control over the access to your crypto assets’ private keys. Self-custody also means that you have sole responsibility for the security of your crypto assets’ private keys. If your crypto wallets are lost, stolen, damaged, or hacked, you may permanently lose access to your crypto assets.
#BTCVSGOLD

Binance futures volume just exploded across the majors.
$BTC futures ripped to $48.4B - one of the biggest spikes in months - and $ETH , $SOL, $XRP, $TRX, and $BNB all surged at the same time.
This isn’t isolated activity, it’s a broad-market futures ignition after weeks of low volatility and tight ranges.
When futures wake up like this, it usually means traders are positioning for a much larger move - not grinding sideways. Both hedgers and momentum traders are re-entering with size, and Binance is once again where the liquidity rush is happening.
The quiet phase is over. Volatility is back on the table. 👀🔥
$BTC $ETH
#BTCVolatility #CPIWatch #IPOWave

STH-SOPR [STH-SOPR stands for Short-Term Holder Spent Output Profit Ratio. It's a metric used in cryptocurrency market analysis, particularly for Bitcoin. SOPR measures the profit or loss of coins being spent or moved on the blockchain] finally slipped into the green zone -- the same region that has marked early accumulation phases in previous cycles. Yesterday’s move into the low-80Ks pushed short-term holders into real loss territory, and that’s typically when stronger hands start paying attention.
This isn’t a “bottom is locked in” signal. It’s simply a constructive zone where step-by-step spot buying starts to make more sense.
Historically, when we reach this area during a broader uptrend, the market is cooling off, resetting, and building a healthier foundation for the next leg. Excess heat is gone, leverage flushes out, and emotions reset.
If your view is that this is still a bull-cycle correction, the 80K region is a reasonable place to begin scaling in -- carefully and with a plan.
It’s not the bottom call. It’s the bottom region signal -- and that’s usually where good positioning begins. $BTC
#BTCVolatility #USJobsData