AnchorWatch Review: Fees, Features & Setup Guide
Quick verdict
Best for: AnchorWatch pairs Trident multisig vaults with Lloyd's-backed insurance so US treasuries and families can keep keys cold without giving up coverage. Choose it when you want estate, audit, and compliance workflows around long-term bitcoin.
Consider if: The service adds a compliance desk to every spend, which means you must plan withdrawals ahead of time. Consider it if you want that oversight plus access to insurance-grade recovery tooling.
Not ideal when: Because AnchorWatch must sign each spend, you trade speed for assurance. It's not ideal when you need instant, global, or anonymous control.
Set up your AnchorWatch vault
Set up your AnchorWatch vault
1. Choose policy & secure keys
- Meet AnchorWatch underwriting, review coverage tiers, and set the USD limit you want insured.
- Complete KYC or KYB, sign the engagement letter, and receive the factory-sealed signing devices they ship.
- Generate your customer keys during the onboarding call so AnchorWatch never sees the seed material.
Gotcha: Insurance underwriting requires US residency or entity registration plus identity verification.
2. Build and test the vault
- Configure the Trident miniscript policy, label each signer, and review the vault's output descriptor together.
- Send a small test deposit, confirm it on your own node, and log the insured UTXO ID provided in the policy.
- Document the recovery script and store redundant copies offline for board reviews.
Gotcha: Skipping the descriptor review means you cannot independently prove the vault's policy later.
3. Operationalize compliance & inheritance
- Define compliance contacts so AnchorWatch knows who can request co-signatures and who gets alerts.
- Set withdrawal workflows, including evidence AnchorWatch needs before it signs and the one-to-two business day window.
- Add beneficiaries or board-approved heirs in Trident so inheritance and insurance claims share paperwork.
Gotcha: Transactions requested outside the documented workflow are delayed until compliance can verify them.
Quick answers
Do I have to use Trident to be insured by AnchorWatch?
Yes. The insurance is bound to Trident's miniscript vault so AnchorWatch can verify keys and sign when policy terms are met.
How fast does AnchorWatch co-sign transactions?
After you sign and submit supporting evidence, AnchorWatch usually completes compliance checks and adds its signature within one to two business days.
What if every customer key is lost?
AnchorWatch can invoke the time-locked recovery path with its emergency partner, or you can file a claim that covers the permanent loss if policy conditions are met.
Key features
Your insured policy (who signs and when)
Insurance-backed Trident vaults
- Who holds keys: You keep two customer-controlled devices, AnchorWatch keeps its own signer set, and an emergency partner stays offline until needed.
- Policy terms: Each insured vault corresponds to a specific UTXO and policy number, so loss calculations stay 1:1.
- When it signs: AnchorWatch co-signs once compliance evidence is reviewed, typically within one to two business days.
Time-locked recovery script
- Miniscript path: Trident encodes a timelock that lets AnchorWatch and its emergency partner rebuild access if customer keys disappear.
- Recovery script: You receive descriptors so you can spend through Bitcoin Core even if Trident is offline.
- Insurance tie-in: Manual recovery can avoid deductibles and keep coverage intact.
If this happens, can I still move my Bitcoin?
If this happens, can I still move my Bitcoin?
Lose one signing device
WorksTrident is 2-of-3, so you and AnchorWatch still have a quorum if one customer device fails.
Show steps
- Notify AnchorWatch support and document when the device was lost or destroyed.
- Schedule a replacement call so they can ship a new sealed signer and walk you through key generation.
- Update the vault records and insurance schedule so the new key is reflected.
Gotcha: AnchorWatch needs evidence that the lost key cannot be recovered before issuing new hardware.
AnchorWatch service interruption
Works, with caveatYou hold the recovery script and descriptors, so a timelock path lets you spend without AnchorWatch if they are unreachable.
Show steps
- Load the recovery script into Bitcoin Core or another compatible wallet.
- Wait for the policy's timelock window, then use your remaining keys plus the emergency partner to co-sign.
- Sweep funds to a destination you control and notify AnchorWatch once channels reopen.
Gotcha: Bypassing AnchorWatch during an outage may impact insurance, so log every step and inform them once possible.
Coercion or theft attempt
WorksAnchorWatch will not sign until compliance clears the request, giving you time to halt a coerced withdrawal and trigger insurance steps.
Show steps
- Refuse to sign the outgoing transaction and alert AnchorWatch via their emergency contact.
- Provide incident evidence (police report, affidavits) so they can freeze signatures.
- Work with them to either rebuild access via the recovery partner or initiate a claim if keys were compromised.
Gotcha: Policies require timely reporting of coercion events; delays can affect coverage.
Lose every customer key
Works, with caveatA miniscript time-locked path plus AnchorWatch's emergency signer lets them rebuild control, and the insurance policy covers any permanent loss that remains.
Show steps
- Report the loss immediately and provide documentation proving the keys are unrecoverable.
- AnchorWatch and the emergency partner wait out the preset timelock, then co-sign a recovery spend.
- If recovery fails, AnchorWatch files the Lloyd's-backed claim on your behalf using your evidence packet.
Gotcha: Claims include a 10% or 25% deductible, so full reimbursement depends on the policy option you selected.
Inheritance: pass it on safely
Inheritance: pass it on safely
1. Stage the policy
ActionBeneficiaries need to be named inside Trident and on the policy so compliance can verify them later.
- Gather legal documents (trust, corporate resolutions) before the onboarding call.
- List beneficiaries or board designees in Trident and in the insurance schedule.
- Store recovery scripts plus instructions in separate, access-controlled locations.
- Review the plan annually with AnchorWatch so contacts and documents stay current.
2. Inheritance-ready claims
ProcessYou'll need: Beneficiary identity docs · Recovery script · Policy paperwork
- Beneficiary contacts AnchorWatch with proof of death or corporate instruction.
- AnchorWatch triggers its compliance review and informs Lloyd's if a claim is likely.
- Once the waiting period clears, AnchorWatch co-signs or releases instructions so heirs can move funds.
- Any deductible is applied before remaining sats settle to the beneficiary-controlled vault.
Expect compliance plus insurer review before coins move; publish timelines in corporate policy manuals.
3. If plans break
EmergencyAnchorWatch pauses signatures until replacement affidavits arrive.
Board minutes or court orders must clarify who controls the account before funds move.
Execute the recovery script via timelock, then present records once service resumes.
Compatibility: what works with AnchorWatch
Compatibility: what works with AnchorWatch
Signing hardware
Verified- AnchorWatch-supplied devicesFactory-sealed hardware shipped during onboarding; kept offline except when signing.
- Customer-provided HSMsCustom setups require AnchorWatch review so the policy still tracks signatures.
Trident dashboard & desktop
- Web Latest Chrome, Firefox, Safari
- Mobile browsers
Connection types
Verified- Offline signing
Signing devices stay air-gapped except when exchanging PSBT files. - Client node verification
Use the output descriptor to watch the vault from your own node. - AnchorWatch compliance portal
Web-based evidence uploads with audit logging
Bitcoin standards & keys
| Standard | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BIP39 | Yes |
Customer devices use standard seed phrases |
| BIP32 | Yes |
Hierarchical deterministic derivation for vault paths |
| Miniscript | Yes |
Enables time-locked recovery paths |
| Output descriptors | Yes |
Customers receive descriptors for independent verification |
Show advanced
- Descriptors
- Yes — AnchorWatch emails descriptors plus Recovery Script during onboarding
- PSBT
- Yes — PSBT handoffs move between Trident, customer devices, and AnchorWatch
- Derivation paths
- Custom — Policy-specific paths documented inside the recovery script
- Output descriptors
- Yes — Used for on-chain audits and cold recovery drills
Costs & ongoing obligations
Costs & ongoing obligations
AnchorWatch bills like an insurance carrier: premiums are paid up front, while the Trident Services Fee covers custody tech and support.
What you pay once
-
Onboarding fee RefundableReturned if underwriting declines coverage
-
Annual insurance premium 0.55%–2% of coveragePaid at policy start in USD
-
Signing hardware shipment IncludedFactory-sealed devices mailed after underwriting
What you pay ongoing
-
Trident Services Fee Up to 0.25% annuallyBilled monthly on balances above $250k
-
Compliance signatures Included quarterlyAdditional signatures priced per event
-
Deductible 10% or 25% of claimSelected during policy setup
Privacy & jurisdiction
Privacy & jurisdiction
What AnchorWatch collects & where it lives
Keys stay offline Segregated records
Insurance carriers need KYC data and policy evidence, but key material never leaves your hardware.
AnchorWatch stores identity docs, policy forms, and transaction evidence on US servers with audit logs. Signing keys remain on the devices you control, and descriptors plus recovery scripts live in the secure portal you download during onboarding.
- Stays on devices: Customer seed phrases · AnchorWatch signer keys · Hardware PINs
- Customer portal: Recovery scripts · Output descriptors · Audit-ready statements
- AnchorWatch servers: KYC/KYB packets · Insurance paperwork · Compliance evidence
- Logs: Signer requests · Support tickets · Claim documentation
Can I audit my stored data?
Yes. The Trident portal lets you download policy records plus descriptors anytime, and AnchorWatch will export or delete KYC records once regulatory retention windows expire.
Jurisdiction: what that means for you
US-regulated Lloyd's backing
Policies are written on Lloyd's of London paper but administered from the US, so American insurance law applies.
AnchorWatch must respond to lawful US data or subpoena requests and keeps complaint channels through Arch Insurance and Lloyd's. Insurance coverage extends only to US persons or entities today, so cross-border clients need separate arrangements.
- Provider: AnchorWatch Inc. (US) with Lloyd's syndicate backing
- Can be compelled: Policy details · Compliance notes · Communication logs
- Can't access: Customer-held keys · Offline recovery phrases
- Complaints: Arch Insurance (US) or Lloyd's (UK) escalation paths
What if a court wants to freeze funds?
AnchorWatch can refuse to sign or alert you if a lawful order arrives, but they cannot move funds without your key. You decide whether to cooperate or move funds via the recovery path.
Your controls
Review anytime Export or delete
Insurance-grade recordkeeping still gives you transparency so you can right-size what AnchorWatch stores.
The Trident portal keeps every signature request, descriptor update, and beneficiary change in one log so you never lose track. Data export and deletion workflows live in the same place, so you can keep only what regulators require.
- Portal access: Download policy docs, descriptors, and transaction logs whenever needed
- Notifications: Customize incident and signature alerts for email, SMS, or phone
- Data requests: Submit export/delete tickets once retention obligations end
- Audit trail: Every support touch is logged for SOC and insurance reviews
How long are records kept?
Insurance rules require keeping KYC and claim files for statutory periods (often 5–7 years). AnchorWatch deletes or returns data after that window if you ask.
Quick answers
What personal data does AnchorWatch store?
They keep KYC/KYB packets, policy paperwork, and compliance evidence but never your private keys.
Can I monitor the vault without AnchorWatch?
Yes. Use the output descriptor with your own node or explorer to verify balances independently.
How do I request data deletion?
Email support with your policy number once statutory retention periods expire, and they purge or return the files.
Key terms
- Trident Services Fee
- Monthly charge that funds custody tech, compliance support, and the AnchorWatch signer infrastructure.
- Recovery script
- Descriptor plus instructions that let you spend directly via Bitcoin Core if AnchorWatch is offline.
- Specie coverage
- Insurance category AnchorWatch uses to cover physical assets like bitcoin held in cold storage.
Release & Trust
Release & Trust
Trident vaults and code audited by Halborn, Doyensec, and Blockstream cryptographers.
Security FAQ
Insurance policies are 100% backed by Lloyd's of London A+ rated syndicates.
Coverage details
Privacy policy explains how KYC, compliance, and complaint data are handled in the US.
Privacy policy
Terms, complaints, and Arch Insurance contacts are published for policyholders.
Terms & complaintsProfile
Profile
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...
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.
FAQs
How does AnchorWatch's Trident vault insurance work?
AnchorWatch locks each deposit inside a Trident 2-of-3 multisig vault that maps to a Lloyd's-backed policy, so coverage follows the exact UTXO you fund. If you permanently lose control under the policy terms, you can file a claim instead of eating the loss.
What does AnchorWatch charge for custody insurance?
Premiums run roughly 0.55%–2% of the insured value per year and are paid up front in USD. A Trident Services Fee of up to 0.25% annually (first $250k waived) is billed monthly so you can size coverage to your treasury.
How fast can I move bitcoin out of an AnchorWatch vault?
You prepare and sign the spend in Trident, submit your evidence package, and AnchorWatch usually clears compliance plus its signature within one to two business days. Plan larger withdrawals ahead so insurance controls never become a surprise bottleneck.
Does AnchorWatch require KYC and where is it available?
Yes. AnchorWatch underwrites regulated US policies, so onboarding requires identity documents or KYB packages and they currently insure only US-based clients.
How are customer keys and funds segregated at AnchorWatch?
You generate your own keys on factory-sealed devices, and each vault has a unique output descriptor that proves funds are never commingled with other policyholders. You can verify segregation on-chain before depositing sats.
