Self Custody

Self custody means you, and only you, control the private keys to your crypto assets. This model contrasts with custodial services like centralized exchanges where a third party holds your funds on your behalf.

Why it matters on AGON

AGON is built onchain. All bets settle in USDC on Base. To interact, you connect your own wallet—you are your own bank. This direct, non-custodial model means no platform-imposed deposit or withdrawal freezes. Your collateral is yours until you place a bet, and your winnings are sent directly back to your address upon market resolution.

This is the core principle of DeFi applied to the sports book. It eliminates the platform as a single point of failure and a source of counterparty risk, a problem that gets even the biggest centralized players rekt. When you see your balance on /markets, you are viewing the actual balance of your connected wallet, not an internal IOU from AGON.

How to apply

The rule is simple: if you don't control the 12 or 24-word seed phrase, you don't own the assets. For active betting on AGON, a browser-based smart wallet like Coinbase Wallet or Rainbow offers a good balance of security and usability. These wallets simplify transaction signing.

For holding significant PnL or your core stack, a hardware wallet (cold storage) like a Ledger or Trezor is the standard. This keeps your keys fully offline. Never share your seed phrase. Never store it in a password manager, cloud drive, or photo on your phone. Write it down on paper or metal and secure it in multiple physical locations. This is the only way to guarantee you remain in control.

See also

repeg · custody · smart-wallet · eoa

Trading prediction markets involves risk. Not financial advice.