“Non-custodial” (we also say self-custodial) gets used loosely in crypto. Here's precisely what it means on DYOR and ApedIn, including the parts that are your responsibility.
Custodial vs non-custodial, in one line each
- Custodial: you send money to a company, it holds the coins, and you see a balance on its screen.
- Non-custodial: the coins sit in a wallet address on the blockchain that you control, and the app is a window onto it.
More detail in custodial vs self-custodial wallets.
How your DYOR wallet works
When you sign in with email, Google or Apple, a Solana wallet is created for you by an embedded-wallet provider and tied to your sign-in. You don't have to write down a seed phrase to get started. The wallet's address is yours: you can see it, copy it, and look it up on any Solana explorer.
You deposit by sending SOL or USDC on the Solana network to that address. Trades swap tokens inside that address. To cash out, you send SOL or USDC from it to an exchange account in your name and sell there.
What we can't do
- We can't withdraw, lend or spend your funds.
- We don't pool your money with anyone else's. There is no DYOR omnibus account.
- We can't freeze your wallet. If DYOR disappeared tomorrow, your coins would still be in your address.
What about one-tap trading?
If you turn on one-tap trading, you add our app as an extra signer on your wallet so trades and copies can go through without a wallet prompt each time. That signer is locked to a narrow policy: it can sign swaps through an allow-listed exchange route and the small housekeeping steps a swap needs. It can't export your key, and transfers out of your wallet to other addresses aren't part of what it's allowed to sign. You stay the owner, and you can turn it off.
Taking your wallet elsewhere
You can export your wallet's private key and import it into another compatible Solana wallet. Once exported, keep it offline and private: anyone who has the key controls the funds. Read how to keep a wallet safe.
What non-custodial asks of you
- Protect your sign-in. Your email or Google/Apple account is the way into your wallet. Use a strong password and two-factor authentication on it.
- Keep a backup once your balance matters. Exporting your key to an offline backup protects you if you lose access to your sign-in.
- Check addresses carefully. Transfers on Solana can't be reversed, by us or anyone else. Only send assets on the Solana network.
- Never share your key or seed phrase. We will never ask for it. Anyone who does is trying to steal from you.
If you lose every sign-in and every backup, we can't recover the wallet for you. See what happens if you lose access.
Risk note: Self-custody protects you from a company losing or freezing your funds. It doesn't protect you from market losses, scams you approve yourself, or losing your keys. Memecoins are high risk and can go to zero.