Honest answers to the questions people ask most before booking a consultation.
Self-custody means holding your own Bitcoin private keys, rather than leaving your Bitcoin with an exchange or custodian. When a third party holds your keys, your access to your Bitcoin depends entirely on that company remaining solvent, accessible, and willing to honour withdrawals. Platforms can fail, freeze accounts, suffer cyber incidents, change terms, or become insolvent. Self-custody removes that dependency. It is not without its own risks, but those risks are manageable with the right setup, process, and guidance.
The call has a clear purpose: to understand where you are now and where you want to be. Your guide will ask about how you currently hold your Bitcoin, what your goals are for the setup, your family situation if relevant, and any questions on your mind. Everything is considered carefully. From there, a tailored recommendation is developed for how to approach your situation and what working together would involve. If it makes sense to proceed, you will be walked through that clearly. There is no pressure to commit on the call.
The initial consultation is free. Fees for full sessions depend on the complexity of your situation and the time involved. This is discussed transparently during the consultation, before any commitment is made.
Yes. Self-custody does not require a technical background. The process involves some unfamiliar concepts, but they are learnable and manageable with clear guidance. Sessions are conducted at your pace, with every step explained in plain language. Most clients find the process more straightforward than they expected.
The right time to move to self-custody is not determined by the size of your holding. The habits and setup you establish now will serve you as your position changes. That said, the approach for a small holding may be simpler and faster than for a large one. A free consultation is the best way to understand what makes sense for your specific situation.
No. Arise Bitcoin is not here to persuade anyone to buy Bitcoin or make financial decisions for them. Some clients already own Bitcoin and want help moving into self-custody. Others are still learning and want to understand how custody, wallets, backups, inheritance, and security actually work before deciding anything. The goal is to help people understand the process clearly, avoid common mistakes, and feel informed and in control if they choose to move forward.
No. One of the first things we discuss is which hardware wallet is right for your situation. Buying hardware before understanding your options can mean choosing something that does not suit your needs. We help you make that decision before you spend anything.
Possibly. Many people who have set up a wallet independently have gaps in their setup that are not immediately obvious: incomplete backups, seed phrases stored in insecure ways, no recovery plan, or a setup that has not been tested. A session can review what you have and identify anything worth addressing.
Yes. Arise Bitcoin has experience helping SMSF trustees work through self-custody structure, seed phrase storage, trustee succession, and recovery documentation. For SMSF situations, we can coordinate with your existing accountant or financial adviser. Arise Bitcoin provides operational custody guidance only, not financial, tax, SMSF, or legal advice.
It may be suitable for SMSF trustees who already hold Bitcoin in their fund and want to reduce operational and counterparty risk by moving from exchange dependence to structured, client-controlled self-custody. Arise has experience working through custody structure, recovery documentation, seed phrase storage, and trustee succession considerations. We do not provide SMSF, tax, legal, or financial advice. Whether self-custody is appropriate for your fund is a matter for your licensed adviser.
No. You are never required to share your Bitcoin balance, wallet addresses, or any sensitive personal information. Sessions are conducted privately and discreetly. Understanding your general situation is needed to give useful guidance, but that does not require knowing specific amounts.
That is a completely legitimate position. Self-custody is not the right step for every Bitcoin holder at every moment. It requires preparation, attention, and a willingness to take on direct responsibility. A consultation can help you understand what would be involved, what the current risks of staying on an exchange or custodian are, and what a sensible path forward looks like when or if you are ready. There is no pressure to move.
Self-custody removes counterparty risk but does not eliminate all risk. Clients remain responsible for the security of their device, seed phrase, and backup. Hardware can fail. Seed phrases can be lost, damaged, or discovered by others. Transactions cannot be reversed. Mistakes made without guidance can result in permanent loss. The goal of working with Arise is to reduce avoidable operational risk through careful preparation, tested recovery, and clear process, but risk cannot be eliminated entirely. Clients must take responsibility for their custody model ongoing.
No. Any hardware wallet you purchase is a separate cost and is sourced directly by you from a reputable supplier. We recommend specific devices and tell you exactly where to buy them, but hardware is not included in the session fee.
No. Arise Bitcoin is Bitcoin only. We do not advise on altcoins, trading strategies, DeFi, NFTs, or any other digital assets. This focus allows us to go deep on Bitcoin custody specifically, rather than covering everything superficially.
No. Arise Bitcoin does not provide financial advice, investment advice, recommendations to buy or sell Bitcoin, asset allocation advice, or any advice that falls under the Australian financial services framework. Everything Arise provides is education and operational guidance about Bitcoin self-custody. If you need financial advice, please consult a licensed financial adviser.
No. Arise Bitcoin provides Bitcoin self-custody education and operational guidance only. We do not advise on whether to buy, sell, or hold Bitcoin, or on any financial, investment, tax, or legal decisions. For those matters, please consult a licensed professional.
No. Arise Bitcoin does not provide SMSF advice, superannuation advice, SMSF compliance advice, or advice about whether Bitcoin is an appropriate investment for your fund. We work only on the operational and education layer: helping suitable SMSF trustees understand self-custody structure, device setup, seed phrase storage, recovery documentation, and trustee succession considerations. All SMSF compliance, tax, legal, and regulatory matters should be handled by your licensed accountant, financial adviser, or solicitor.
No. Arise Bitcoin never asks for, records, stores, photographs, screen-shares, or handles seed phrases, private keys, passphrases, PINs, or equivalent private information. Clients must keep that information private at all times. If anyone claiming to represent Arise Bitcoin ever asks for a seed phrase, that is not us.
No. Arise Bitcoin does not hold, custody, or control Bitcoin or digital assets on behalf of clients. We do not hold private keys, seed phrases, or access credentials. Clients retain full and sole control of their Bitcoin at all times. Our role is education and operational guidance only.
No. Arise Bitcoin does not execute, initiate, approve, sign, or broadcast transactions on behalf of clients. The client personally reviews, approves, and signs every transaction. Nothing moves without the client's deliberate action. Our role is to help you understand each step and reduce the risk of error, not to act on your behalf.
No. Arise Bitcoin's professional risk controls, client agreements, and insurance arrangements do not insure client Bitcoin, transaction mistakes, lost keys, lost seed phrases, exchange losses, investment losses, or custody losses. Arise provides education and operational guidance only. Clients remain fully responsible for their assets, decisions, and outcomes.
We do not ask for seed phrases, private keys, or wallet credentials, and sessions are designed to avoid exposing that information. If you accidentally expose a seed phrase, private key, or passphrase to anyone, you should treat it as compromised and take independent action immediately. This may include moving funds to a new wallet with a fresh seed phrase and seeking independent guidance.