AnchorWatch vs Unchained

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.

Unchained is a Bitcoin financial services company focused on helping individuals and businesses secure their Bitcoin through collaborative custody. Their main product is a multisig vault that uses a 2-of-3 key setup, where the user holds two keys and Unchained holds the third. This setup allows users to maintain full control over their Bitcoin while enabling Unchained to assist in recovery if needed, without ever having unilateral access to the funds.

What makes Unchained unique is its emphasis on combining technical security with user support. Unlike standard hardware wallet setups that rely on a single point of failure, Unchained's model is resistant to user error and device loss. Even if you lose 75% of your devices or backups, you can still recover your funds with Unchained's help. Their system also facilitates inheritance by allowing next of kin to recover funds with proper documentation, making it especially appealing for those thinking about long-term wealth protection.

Unchained users appreciate the guided onboarding, live support, and optional concierge services that simplify the complex process of setting up multisig. The platform integrates with popular hardware wallets, and allows users to manage their funds through Unchained's dashboard or export and interact with their vault using open-source tools. The ability to spend from your vault without relying on the Unchained website gives users additional peace of mind.

The company's long-term vision is to build a robust financial ecosystem based on Bitcoin-native tools, including multisig-secured lending, inheritance planning, and business services. While the setup requires ID verification and Unchained knows the vault balances, many users view this trade-off as acceptable in exchange for improved recovery options and strong operational security.

Unchained is best suited for those seeking to remove single points of failure in their Bitcoin custody, want professional assistance when needed, and value redundancy and inheritance planning—all while retaining full self-custody.