Bitget Wallet COO Alvin Kan shares why self-custody is changing crypto security and what users need to know before taking full control of their digital assets.

Crypto users want control over their assets, however this freedom rises a problem because who will be held accountable should anything go wrong? Bitget Wallet COO Alvin Kan says self-custody can make crypto safer, but only if wallets are designed to handle the security challenges that come with giving users full control.

He argues that self-custody should safeguard users against any form of massive damage that may be done to them by one mistake in security, however it also carries some duties. Self-custody involves the users having direct custody of their assets in on-chain as opposed to being dependent on the exchange. It therefore means that the wallet, device, and the user play a role in the security.

Self-custody is only as strong as the product supporting it

Bitget Wallet COO believes wallet developers have to make security easier for everyday users. This includes how payments are approved, how transactions are handled and what happens when someone loses access to a device.

“Self-custody should reduce the damage a single security failure can cause without requiring users to become security specialists,” Kan said.

His views indicate an emerging problem for the cryptocurrency industry. While giving users more control could lead to increased independence, complex security protocols could actually put them at risk due to the fact that they do not fully understand what they are doing.

Can better wallet design make self-custody safer?

For wallet providers, the focus is increasingly shifting from simply giving users control to helping them manage that control safely. Clear transaction approvals and practical recovery options could become important features as more people use self-custodial wallets.

As Business Fortune observes, Bitget Wallet has also clarified that it was not affected by the exchange incident mentioned in the surrounding discussion. The company said its wallet operates as a separate self-custodial service, with users maintaining control of their assets onchain. The Bitget Wallet COO also points to a wider issue facing digital-asset companies that is security cannot be treated as a feature added after a product is built. It needs to be part of the user experience from the beginning.

As self-custody develops, wallet companies may increasingly compete on how well they balance user control with simple and understandable security. The Bitget Wallet COO thinks that this balance may influence the confidence of mainstream users who venture into the crypto space in the coming years.

Sources: https://crypto.news/bitget-wallet-coo-says-self-custody-must-make-asset-ownership-safer/
https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/25/self-custodial-bitget-wallet-was-unaffected-by-exchange-security-incident-bitget/
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/11/3360185/0/en/bitget-wallet-joins-japan-s-largest-blockchain-council-as-self-custody-rules-evolve.html