{"id":29413,"date":"2026-01-28T10:19:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/?p=29413"},"modified":"2026-01-28T10:19:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:19:40","slug":"proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution","title":{"rendered":"Proof of Keys Day: join the crypto revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Alternar tabla de contenidos\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#what_is_proof_of_keys_day\" >What is Proof of Keys Day?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#how_to_participate_in_this_event_step-by-step_guide\" >How to participate in this event: Step-by-Step guide<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#why_is_this_important_custody_vs_self-custody\" >Why is this important? Custody vs self-custody<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#what_is_self-custody\" >What is self-custody?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#the_problem_with_exchanges\" >The problem with exchanges<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#fatal_mistakes_to_avoid\" >Fatal mistakes to avoid<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/proof-of-keys-day-join-the-crypto-revolution\/#impact_on_the_industry\" >Impact on the industry<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Tiempo de lectura:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutos<\/span><\/span><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every <strong>January 3rd<\/strong>, thousands of bitcoiners around the world perform a simple but powerful \u00abritual\u00bb: they <strong>withdraw their cryptocurrencies from exchanges<\/strong> and move them to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/what-is-self-custody-in-cryptocurrencies-and-why-should-you-consider-it\"><strong>self-custody wallet<\/strong><\/a>. This is called <strong>Proof of Keys Day<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is it gaining so much traction? Because many people still live in \u00abcomfort mode\u00bb: they buy crypto and leave it on an exchange as if it were a bank. And when something goes wrong, you realize too late the fine print: <strong>if you don&#8217;t control the private keys, you don&#8217;t control your crypto.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stories are plentiful: exchanges that collapse, freeze withdrawals, suffer hacks, or simply \u00abdisappear\u00bb with users&#8217; money (there are very high-profile cases like Mt. Gox or FTX). Proof of Keys Day was born precisely to combat this normalization of risk: one day a year, we all remember (and practice) Bitcoin&#8217;s core idea: financial sovereignty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29414 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins-1-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins-1-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_not-your-keys_not-your-coins-1.jpg 1279w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_proof_of_keys_day\"><\/span><b>What is Proof of Keys Day?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proof of Keys Day is an annual event celebrated every January 3rd, where thousands of users withdraw their cryptocurrencies from exchanges and move them to <strong>self-custody wallets<\/strong>. The golden rule is the phrase everyone repeats but few practice: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proofofkeys.com\/\"><strong>\u00abNot your keys, not your coins\u00bb<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea was promoted by <strong>Trace Mayer<\/strong> in 2019. It&#8217;s celebrated on January 3rd because it&#8217;s a very important day for Bitcoin\u2014the anniversary of Bitcoin&#8217;s genesis block (January 3, 2009).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That block included a message that many interpret as a critique of the traditional financial system: \u00abThe Times 03\/Jan\/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In practice, Proof of Keys Day serves three clear functions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Educate about self-custody:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Learn to store your assets without depending on third parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Test custodians:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If an exchange says it has X amount, a \u00abmass withdrawal\u00bb is a way to test if they&#8217;re telling the truth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercise real financial sovereignty:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not as a nice theory, but as a habit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29416 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_stress-test_mass-withdrawals.jpg 1279w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how_to_participate_in_this_event_step-by-step_guide\"><\/span><b>How to participate in this event: Step-by-Step guide<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To participate in Proof of Keys Day, the idea is simple: you need to take your funds out of an exchange and move them to a wallet <strong>where you control the keys<\/strong>. If you&#8217;re looking for an option to get started, <strong>Bitnovo Wallet<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/en\/custodial-vs-non-custodial-wallets\"> is a self-custody wallet<\/a><\/strong>\u2014you control the private key and Bitnovo has no access to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Choose your wallet<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (self-custody hot wallet or cold wallet)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create your wallet and save the key (important: never lose it)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review your exchanges<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Copy your wallet address<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Withdraw from the exchange<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paste the address<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select the correct network (BTC on Bitcoin network, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make a small test withdrawal first<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Verify it arrived<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u26a0\ufe0f<\/span> <b><i>VERY IMPORTANT:<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you don&#8217;t have experience, start doing this ahead of time and with small amounts to avoid surprises on the event day. Also, store or remember your keys very well, as you&#8217;ll be responsible for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why_is_this_important_custody_vs_self-custody\"><\/span><b>Why is this important? Custody vs self-custody<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <strong>custody<\/strong>, a third party stores the private keys and controls access to your funds. In<strong> self-custody<\/strong>, you store the keys (seed phrase) and manage access directly. The main difference is who controls the keys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29418 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-1024x872.jpg\" alt=\"proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody\" width=\"1024\" height=\"872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-1024x872.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-300x256.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-768x654.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-1536x1308.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_custody_vs_self-custody-2048x1744.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_self-custody\"><\/span><b>What is self-custody?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Self-custody means <strong>you generate and control your private keys<\/strong>, normally through a seed phrase (12 or 24 words). No one else should see or touch it. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main benefit is that if an exchange falls, <strong>you don&#8217;t fall with it<\/strong>. Your funds are in your wallet, under your keys.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it also means responsibility. You must know and never lose the seed phrase or give it to anyone, as these keys are your own responsibility. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to try a self-custody wallet, you can do so with Bitnovo wallet, where we guarantee that your keys are yours, always.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the_problem_with_exchanges\"><\/span><b>The problem with exchanges<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you leave your crypto on an exchange, <strong>the exchange controls the private keys<\/strong>. You, in practice, have a balance on screen and a promise of payment\u2014a digital \u00abIOU\u00bb.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This opens the door to several risks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Bankruptcies and mismanagement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If the platform sinks, your funds can get trapped (FTX is a very good example of this).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Hacks:<\/b> The industry&#8217;s history shows that the weak point is usually centralized infrastructure, not the blockchain.<\/li>\n<li><b>Fractional reserves\/insolvency:<\/b> If a custodian doesn&#8217;t have everything it claims to have, the problem appears when many try to withdraw at once and it doesn&#8217;t have funds to cover it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s why Proof of Keys Day isn&#8217;t about \u00abmaking a withdrawal and that&#8217;s it\u00bb. It&#8217;s about learning to do it right and understanding the<strong> importance of custodying your crypto<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When thousands withdraw on the same day, exchanges that work well process it without drama. Those that don&#8217;t have the funds they promise give themselves away with excuses, surprise limits, or freezes. A widely cited case from the first edition was <strong>HitBTC<\/strong>, where some users reported disabled withdrawals right in the middle of the campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"fatal_mistakes_to_avoid\"><\/span><b>Fatal mistakes to avoid<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29417 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-969x1024.jpg\" alt=\"proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid\" width=\"969\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-969x1024.jpg 969w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-284x300.jpg 284w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-768x812.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-1453x1536.jpg 1453w, https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/proof-of-keys_fatal-errors_to-avoid-1938x2048.jpg 1938w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"impact_on_the_industry\"><\/span><b>Impact on the industry<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proof of Keys Day started as a call to action and became an annual reminder of an uncomfortable truth: self-custody is the difference <strong>between \u00abhaving crypto\u00bb and \u00abowning your crypto\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After major sector collapses, the custody debate exploded and pushed many exchanges to talk about transparency, audits, and proof-of-reserves. At the same time, thousands of users decided they were going to custody their own crypto, not delegate it to an exchange.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to know if you&#8217;re on a legitimate exchange or custody wallet? Easy: when it&#8217;s time to withdraw, legitimate exchanges make it easy, dubious ones pull out the \u00abmaintenance\u00bb sign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proof of Keys Day <strong>isn&#8217;t just 24 hours<\/strong>. It&#8217;s a reminder that your financial freedom isn&#8217;t delegated. Start small if necessary: with \u20ac50, with a single coin, or with a test withdrawal. If it convinces you, you can always switch to a self-custody wallet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every person who learns to custody their own assets is a victory for financial sovereignty. The future of money tends to be more open, more verifiable, and less dependent on intermediaries. At Bitnovo we share the same motto: <strong>Not your keys, not your coins.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Tiempo de lectura:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutos<\/span><\/span>Every January 3rd, thousands of bitcoiners around the world perform a simple but powerful \u00abritual\u00bb: they withdraw their cryptocurrencies from exchanges and move them to a self-custody wallet. This is called Proof of Keys Day. Why is it gaining so much traction? Because many people still live in \u00abcomfort mode\u00bb: they buy crypto and leave [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":29399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[331,165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bitnovo-en","category-cryptocurrencies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29413"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29419,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29413\/revisions\/29419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bitnovo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}