Multi-Institution Custody — How It Works & Best Providers
Multi-institution custody distributes your Bitcoin across multiple independent, regulated custodians rather than trusting a single entity. If one custodian is compromised, hacked, or fails, your assets remain safe with the others. This model emerged after high-profile failures like FTX and Celsius demonstrated the catastrophic risk of single-custodian dependence.
Trade-offs
Pros & Cons
+Pros
- ✓Eliminates single point of failure
- ✓Multiple layers of regulatory oversight
- ✓Institutional-grade insurance across custodians
- ✓No single entity can freeze all assets
−Cons
- ✗Higher minimum AUM typically required
- ✗Slightly more complex onboarding
- ✗Fewer providers in this category
- ✗May have higher all-in fees than single custodian
Ideal Users
Best For
Rankings
Best Multi-Institution Custody Providers
Ranked by weighted Custody Score across 8 criteria.
Onramp provides Multi-Institution Custody (MIC) that distributes Bitcoin across multiple independent regulated custodians. Rather than trusting a single entity, assets are spread across institutions so no single point of failure can compromise holdings.
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