Cryptocurrency exchanges have started offering custodial key storage for their users. However, you should use this service cautiously. Cryptocurrency exchanges are highly-prized targets for cybercriminals.
Additionally, if the cryptocurrency exchange goes out of business, there may be no guarantees that you’ll get your cryptocurrency back. For example, Coinbase, a popular exchange, announced in its quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2022 that:3
…custodially held crypto assets may be considered to be the property of a bankruptcy estate, in the event of a bankruptcy, the crypto assets we hold in custody on behalf of our customers could be subject to bankruptcy proceedings and such customers could be treated as our general unsecured creditors.
General unsecured creditors are lower in priority on the list of creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding. Therefore, if there are not enough assets to liquidate and meet financial requirements for higher priority creditors, it is possible to lose your crypto assets if your custodial wallet company declares bankruptcy.
The best cryptocurrency key security measures involve removing your keys from your wallet, placing them in a form of cold storage, and securing them in a vault, safe, or deposit box. The more steps it takes for you to access your cryptocurrency, the harder it is for a criminal to access them. This way, you ensure you don’t lose your keys. It also ensures that someone you have entrusted with your keys doesn’t lose them or deny you access to them.