ICP custody options

Options: Maximum ease or maximum control?

To custody your ICP, you have many options, each with different security and usability trade-offs. Choosing your setup is usually where people get most stuck.

• Maximum control of your keys?
  • No, then use 3rd party custody solutions
    • Coinbase
    • klever
    • Plug wallet
    • stoic walleyt
    • Sygnum
  • Yes, then use self-custody
    • NNS frontend dapp + Internet Identity
    • Hardware wallet + networked computer
    • Quill Minimalistic ledger and governance toolkit for cold wallets
      • Networked computer
      • Airgapped computer + networked smartphone

Examples if you prefer to have maximum control of your keys

Maximum Ease Option

Use Internet Identity with the NNS frontend dapp.

Read more: ICP Custody with NNS frontend dapp

Traits

• Most convenient. Entirely web-based. No need to download or install anything.
• NNS frontend dapp has all the functionality you need
• This is a very common method
• Ideal for people who want to want the easiest path to control their ICP

Maximum Control Option

Use your seed phrase directly with a few options for self-custody tools.

Traits

• This option requires more technical understanding
• User has the most control over their ICP.
• This is the safest option from a software point of view because the user is relying on less software surface area, but it is the riskiest from a human point of view in that it puts the risk of the user's seed phrase and private key custody on them.
• Ideal for people who want as much control over their ICP as possible

Tutorials on how to use seed phrase directly

1. ICP custody with seed phrase and air-gapped machine
2. ICP custody with seed phrase and Ledger Nano