Frequently Asked Questions

  1. If the Beneficiary Key is lost, what do I do?
  2. If either key is lost, the seed phrase CANNOT be decrypted. This is the risk of self custody. Unless there are other means of retrieval, the Bitcoin is gone. Legacy does not save any data.

  3. Can I create multiple two-part passwords?
  4. Yes. You can create as many Benefactor/Beneficiary key combinations as you like, each associated with a different seed phrase.

  5. How do I use the Legacy software offline?
  6. Download "Legacy-offline.html" from github. Disconnect from wifi. Open the file in a web browser.

  7. Are there any restrictions on allowable characters for the keys?
  8. No. Beneficiary Key and Benefactor Key may contain all uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.

  9. What information needs to be included in the Deadman Switch Email?
  10. The Beneficiary needs to receive:

    1. Benefactor Key

    2. Encrypted Seed Phrase

    3. Working copy of "Legacy-offline.html"

    See Deadman Switch options for setup guidance.

  11. What makes a good key?
  12. Your encryption is only as strong as your keys are secure. The stronger the keys, the harder to brute force. Use long, random strings — not memorable words or phrases. Record your keys and store them somewhere safe, but keep the Benefactor Key and Beneficiary Key separate. Avoid ambiguous characters such as 0 (zero) and O (letter O), or 1 (one) and l (letter L), which are easy to confuse when transcribing by hand.

  13. How exactly does the encryption protocol work?
  14. Visit the Protocol page for detail summary.