AnchorWatch vs Bitkey

AnchorWatch is a U.S.-based bitcoin custody and insurance provider trying to bridge traditional insurance with Bitcoin-native custody, delivering peace of mind by offering an elegant, turnkey solution for long‑term bitcoin holders and corporate treasuries seeking secure, insured, and inheritance‑ready custody.

What separates AnchorWatch is their unique integration of protocol-level multisig vaults with time-locked recovery and insurance. Users hold a multi-signature key set alongside AnchorWatch; both are required to sign transactions, and over time additional recovery mechanisms activate to handle key-loss, death, or coercion scenarios.

User reviews and discussions (e.g. from the Build With Bitcoin transcript) emphasize AnchorWatch's layered approach: the combination of vault tech and insurance addresses both technical and human vulnerabilities. The service also supports inheritance planning—time-locked access for heirs without cumbersome "treasure maps". This focus on estate continuity is cited as a major differentiator, especially for non‑technical beneficiaries.

Their future vision includes expanding beyond U.S. customers, offering bespoke large-value enterprise policies, and exploring Bitcoin-denominated insurance.

Bitkey is a mobile and hardware wallet developed by Block and designed for people new to Bitcoin who want simple, secure self-custody. The system combines a phone app with a wireless hardware device and an encrypted cloud backup, using a 2-of-3 multisig model to keep users in control of their funds. This structure allows users to recover access even if they lose their phone or the device, adding safety without relying on seed phrases.

The hardware, a sleek hexagonal device with a fingerprint sensor and NFC for phone pairing, eliminates the need for complex seed phrases, making it user-friendly. Sending Bitcoin requires both your phone and the Bitkey device, while smaller transactions can be approved using just your phone and Bitkey's server key if you've set spending limits. This balance appeals to people who want more security than just a phone wallet but don't want the complexity of most hardware wallets.

Users can set daily spending limits for app-only transactions, adding flexibility. The setup is quick, often taking just 5 minutes, and the app's clean interface is intuitive. The app allows Bitcoin purchases, shows balance in both sats and fiat, and offers recovery through trusted contacts in case of loss. It also lacks a screen, meaning you can't visually verify addresses on the hardware itself.

Bitkey's mission is to bring secure Bitcoin ownership to a global audience, especially those new to Bitcoin, by removing friction and avoiding the pitfalls of traditional backups. Their future vision includes broader international support, expanded wallet functionality, and continued emphasis on open-source development and user control. For beginners, Bitkey offers a straightforward, secure way to own Bitcoin with a polished user experience, though advanced users may want more flexibility.