Blink now offers non-custodial accounts, and it is one of the most important updates the wallet has ever had. For the first time, you can hold your own keys directly inside Blink, with the same simple experience you already know.
I have set it up myself and walked others through it, so in this guide I will show you exactly how to do it. Whether you are brand new to Blink or you have been using the custodial wallet for a while, you will find your path below.
Let's get into it.
Quickly, so we are on the same page.
With a custodial account, Blink holds your Bitcoin on your behalf. This is the model Blink has offered since the Bitcoin Beach days, and it remains a great option, especially for newcomers, making Bitcoin simple and easy to use from day one.
With a non-custodial account, you hold your own keys. Only you can access your funds, and no single operator, or group of operators, can touch them without your involvement. No one can freeze your funds and no one can stop you from making a payment you want to make. That is the whole point: your keys, your Bitcoin. This idea is core to Bitcoin itself, which is why the phrase "not your keys, not your coins" has stuck around. The trade-off is that backing up your wallet is now your responsibility, and this guide makes sure you get that part right.
Blink built this now because two things came together: the technology finally matured, with protocols like Spark making self-custody simple, and regulations around custodial Bitcoin services tightened worldwide. Rather than collect licenses jurisdiction by jurisdiction or drop users in certain countries, Blink chose a different path: less custody, not more licenses. If you want the full story behind the decision and the honest trade-offs involved, the official announcement is worth a read.
If you are downloading Blink for the first time, here is the full process.
Get Blink from the App Store, Google Play, our Github or Huawei AppGallery.
Open the app and tap Create new account.
You will see a screen asking you to choose your preferred type of Blink. Two options appear:
Tap Non-custodial. An orange outline confirms your choice. Then tap Continue.
The Terms and Conditions screen confirms you agree to the terms and that you are not a resident of a prohibited country. You can tap through to read the full terms or the prohibited countries list.
When you are ready, tap Accept.
This is the most important screen in the whole process, so slow down here.
Pick whichever one you will actually keep safe. As Blink puts it, a cloud backup you actually do is infinitely better than a steel-plate backup you never get around to. If you are new, Google Drive or iCloud is a solid choice.
Follow the prompts for the method you chose. Whichever option you pick, Blink is backing up your recovery phrase, a list of twelve words that is the master key to your wallet.
If you go with Manual backup, the standard Bitcoin self-custody rules apply: write the words down carefully and in order, store them somewhere safe and offline, never screenshot them, and never share them with anyone. Anyone who has your recovery phrase has full access to your funds.
One rule worth burning into memory: Blink will never ask you for your recovery phrase. No real support agent, email, chat, or website will ever need it. If anyone claiming to be Blink support asks for your twelve words, it is a scam, every time, no exceptions.
That is it. Your non-custodial Blink account is live.
Already using the custodial wallet? You do not lose anything. For most of the world, going non-custodial starts as a new account option, and your current custodial Blink Wallet keeps working exactly as it does today. If you already have a custodial account, you can keep it.
To get started, go to Settings → Switch Account → Add New Account, → Create New
Pick Non-custodial, then go to Settings, choose your backup method and complete the backup exactly as described above. Do not skip this or you might lose your bitcoin.
Here is an important detail. A migration path that lets you move your existing custodial funds into a non-custodial account is planned for shortly after launch. When it is ready, you will be able to migrate at your own pace. For most users it will not be required.
In some countries, because of regulatory developments, Blink plans to ask users to migrate from custodial to non-custodial in the near future. But that comes only once the non-custodial experience is fully solid. Until then, you can run a non-custodial account alongside your custodial one and get comfortable with it.
Once your non-custodial account is set up, you may see a banner in Settings that reads "Your funds are at risk. Backup your wallet. If you lose this device, you will lose your funds."
Do not panic, and do not ignore it. This banner is Blink being honest with you. It appears until your backup is complete, and it is there for a good reason. With self-custody, if you lose your device and you have not backed up, no one can recover your funds for you. There is no "forgot password" button and no support ticket that will get your funds back, which is exactly how self-custody works across every Bitcoin wallet.
Please check out our FAQ page where we deep dive into greater detail. If you have any other questions, reach out to our team
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