Sygnum launches web3 wallet recovery built on Safe

Zurich / Zug, 1 October, 2024 – Sygnum is launching a web3 wallet recovery module built on Safe through the Safe{RecoveryHub}, setting a new standard in crypto. This solution makes self-custody wallet recovery reliable, easy to set up, and user-friendly.

• Sygnum is the first bank in the world to provide web3 wallet recovery: when designated as a recoverer on the Safe{RecoveryHub}, Sygnum can restore access if a user loses a signing key

• Sygnum’s secure, tailored, compliant approach to crypto self-custody and web3 user account recovery is built and launched in collaboration with Safe, the largest multi-sig web3 wallet infrastructure provider with over USD 100 billion in assets

• This onchain web3 wallet recovery solution from Sygnum and Safe solves one of crypto’s biggest challenges, enabling owners to retain financial sovereignty while reducing their risks

Given more than 900K ETH (worth approximately USD 1.92 billion) estimated as inaccessible to users, and significant losses due to forgotten keys, Sygnum is launching a web3 wallet recovery module built on Safe that sets a new standard in crypto to address this major challenge in crypto self-custody. Self-custody is one of the original value propositions of web3, but significant barriers to risk and recovery management remain for users: complex key management and no trusted institutional wallet recovery solutions. 

The Sygnum web3 wallet recovery solution on the Safe{RecoveryHub} offers recovery solutions for all digital asset holders, from large institutions to individual users. Users can set up the service in advance to enable recovery of access to crypto assets in their multi-sig Safe accounts. Previously, recovery solutions could be set up by relying on personal backup devices, family members, friends and collaborators, in a process known as “social recovery.” Now, trusted third-party service providers like Sygnum, a Swiss-regulated bank with institutional-grade custody, can also be designated as a recoverer, to restore access to wallets if a private key is lost.

Importantly, users retain autonomy with this web3 wallet recovery solution. This is possible for an existing self-custody setup, as users can now approve Sygnum web3 recovery to re-enable access should a recovery event occur. The recovery service is set up using the wallet owner’s identity as the key to access, addressing compliance and KYC requirements. At all times, the user retains full control, via onchain veto rights, and is able to cancel any recovery attempt. In addition, users can set up multiple recoverers and apply a delay module to further bolster account recovery security. In effect, this aligns with Vitalik Buterin’s advocacy for a holistic approach to recovery, designating a flexible set of at least three recoverers or “guardians,” who can be split among personal connections and institutions.

Julian Grigo, Head of Institutions and Fintech at Safe Ecosystem Foundation, comments, “From now on, custody is not a binary choice between self-custody or a custodial experience anymore: Sygnum empowers users to optimise key recovery to fit their personal preferences. By letting account holders define the terms of asset management themselves, the wallet recovery solution with Sygnum is unique in the crypto industry and traditional finance, it serves the web3 industry at scale and it marks a new achievement for financial sovereignty. Sygnum's solution also proves that innovative financial institutions see a big potential in self-custody, which is closer to what crypto wants to be: a P2P network.”

Martin Burgherr, Chief Clients Officer at Sygnum Bank, adds, “Sygnum is pleased to collaborate with Safe to build crypto self-custody recovery solutions that can be a reliable complement to institutional crypto asset services and reflect our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of investors. As web3 adoption grows, more people will need safeguards like this that balance financial sovereignty with risk management.”

Set up your Sygnum bank-grade web3 wallet recovery with Safe wallet or learn more here.

About Safe and Safe Ecosystem Foundation

Safe (previously Gnosis Safe) is an onchain asset custody protocol, securing ~USD 65 billion in assets today. It is establishing a universal ‘smart account' standard for secure custody of digital assets, data, and identity. With Safe{Wallet}, its flagship web and mobile wallet and Safe{Core} account abstraction infrastructure, Safe is on a mission to unlock digital ownership for everyone in web3, including DAOs, enterprises, retail and institutional users.

The mission of the Safe Ecosystem Foundation is to support the development of Safe, to strengthen Safe technology and to promote the Safe ecosystem. The Safe Ecosystem Foundation is a non-profit organisation based in Zug, Switzerland, that helps educate people about Safe smart accounts and promotes Safe technology through the provision of grants and other forms of funding.  Website | Twitter | Discord | Blog | GitHub | Docs

About Sygnum Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and a portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenisation and B2B services.

In Switzerland, Sygnum holds a banking licence and has CMS and Major Payment Institution Licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg. We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, please visit www.sygnum.com.

Media contact – Sygnum Dom Castley, CMO, dominic.castley@sygnum.com, T +41 58 508 21 01 Sygnum Bank AG, Uetlibergstrasse 134a, 8045 Zurich, Switzerland

Media contact – Safe

Samuel Akpan, PR and Comms 

Safe press room | comms@safe.global 

Disclaimer: This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any SAFE tokens and is not an offering, advertisement, solicitation, confirmation, statement, or any financial promotion that can be construed as an invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity or similar. The Safe Ecosystem Foundation makes no representations, warranties and/or covenants with respect to the Safe Technology (or any implementations of the Safe{Wallet} and/or Safe Smart Accounts) or any program (Grants, Hackathons and/or any other forms of funding) run by the Safe Ecosystem Foundation. You should not rely on the content herein for advice of any kind, including legal, investment, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and such content is not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.

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