AnchorWatch vs Wasabi

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.

Wasabi Wallet is a privacy-focused, open-source, non‑custodial Bitcoin desktop wallet launched by zkSNACKs. It routes all traffic through Tor and uses compact blockchain filters, keeping your IP and balance private. Its standout feature is built-in CoinJoin, a process that mixes your Bitcoin with others' to make it harder for anyone to trace your transactions, enhancing privacy without relying on third parties.

The user interface is straightforward but functional, with a dashboard showing your balance, privacy progress, and transaction history, though it may feel technical for complete beginners. Setup involves writing down a 12-word seed phrase and an optional passphrase, which adds security but requires careful storage.

What sets Wasabi apart is its strong focus on privacy through CoinJoin, which is seamlessly integrated and doesn't require manual setup, making it accessible for newcomers. It also allows advanced users to connect to custom coordinators via platforms like Nostr, ensuring privacy even if default services are unavailable.

Wasabi is for people who want to own their Bitcoin without having to trust big companies. It hides your transactions by mixing them with others, runs silently in the background over Tor, and gives you full control—all on your own computer. Its goal is to make privacy easy and powerful, while building toward a future where you don't rely on any single server.