How Ante Vaults works
Ante Vaults is a self-custody vault on Safe. If you stop checking in, your guardians can pass everything to the one person you name. No seed phrase, no subscription.
Named as a guardian or recipient? What guardians do, what recipients see
Comparing? Ante beside Casa and Shamir backups
Part 1 of 4
What it is
The vault, who gets it, and what happens if you stop checking in.
01The vault
What is a vault?
A Safe smart account only you control, with an inheritance plan built in. Deposit and withdraw whenever you like; if something happens to you, it goes to the person you choose.
Getting started02Your recipient
Who gets it?
One person you name by email: a partner, a grown-up child, a close friend, or another email of your own. If something happens to you, everything passes to them, and only to them. They don’t need to own crypto to receive it.
Recipient guide03Check-ins and the grace period
What happens if I stop checking in?
Check in every 1, 3 or 6 months. Miss one, and your guardians can start the handoff to your recipient. A grace period follows, and one check-in from you cancels it.
How check-ins work04What guardians do
What does a guardian do?
Almost nothing. While you keep checking in, there is nothing for them to do. If you miss one, they get an email and can start the handoff. If you never come back, one of them sends it on, for a small network fee.
What guardians seePart 2 of 4
Is it really yours?
Who holds the keys, and what nobody else can do.
05Who controls it
Who controls my crypto?
You. Ante holds no key to your vault, and neither do the people you name. Your Ante wallet runs on Privy, a sign-in provider; add two keys of your own and Privy alone can’t move anything.
Who holds which key06Your key
Do I need a seed phrase?
No. You sign in with your email and a code, and your Ante wallet is made for you: it is your vault’s first key. You can add wallets of your own as more keys.
Crypto basics07One destination
Could my guardians take my crypto?
No. A handoff has one destination, the recipient you named, and guardians can’t change it, alone or together.
Where a handoff goes08Recovery kit
What if Ante shuts down?
Your vault is a Safe on Ethereum, and Ante holds no key to it. Every vault comes with a recovery kit: a page that walks you through moving your funds in Safe’s own app, with your own key. Change your keys, and save a new kit.
See a recovery kitPart 3 of 4
Setting it up
Choosing your guardians, what your recipient sees, and the cost.
09Your guardians
Who should be my guardian?
Someone who would know if something happened to you: a partner, a sibling, an old friend. All they need is an email address. Name one or a few, and decide how many must vote.
Guardian guide10What your recipient sees
What does my recipient see?
Nothing, until it matters. Your vault doesn’t appear on their screen until a handoff starts. Then they see it and the time left, and when the grace period ends, it can be sent to their wallet.
A handoff, step by step11Cost
What does it cost?
No subscription. You pay Ethereum’s network fee when your vault does something: when you create it, check in or withdraw. Your guardians pay one too, if they ever act.
Questions about feesPart 4 of 4
Going further
Extra protection, and how Ante compares.
12More than one key
What if I lose my phone?
Your Ante wallet is your first key. Add up to two more you own, a wallet on your phone and a hardware wallet, and any two approve. Lose one and the other two still work; one stolen key can’t move anything.
Your keys13Two-factor
What if someone gets into my email?
Turn on two-factor, and your vault asks for one more proof before anything leaves it: a code from your authenticator app, or your passkey. Your email alone isn’t enough.
Two-factor authentication14 Side by side
How is it different from Casa or a Shamir backup?
| Situation | AnteAnte Vaults | CasaCasa | SafeDIY Safe multisig | TrezorTrezor + Shamir backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If a key is lost or stolen | ||||
| Lost: it’s still yours | ||||
| Stolen: can’t take assets | ||||
| If something happens to you | ||||
| It goes to someone you choose | ||||
| You can stop a false alarm | ||||
| Cost and setup | ||||
| Yearly fee | ||||
| Easy to set up | ||||
| No company needed | ||||
| Works without internet |
*Your Ante wallet is made when you sign in with your email. Add up to two wallets you own, such as a phone or hardware wallet, and any two of the three approve. The Ante wallet relies on Privy, a sign-in provider; your other two keys work without it.
How Casa works
A membership service for multi-key vaults: 3 keys on Standard, 5 on Premium, spread across your phone and hardware wallets, with one backup key held by Casa. An heir can request a claim, which opens after a 6-month verification period.
- Good for
- Guided setup and support for large holdings.
- Where it stops
- A yearly subscription, and a company key in every vault.
- With Ante
- The same idea of several keys, on a Safe you own, with no subscription and no Ante key. The handoff runs on your check-ins and your guardians, not on a claim to a company.
How DIY Safe multisig works
A Safe where you and people you trust are signers. Inheritance means your signers act together, or a recovery module you add (Safe{RecoveryHub}, or a community dead man’s switch) takes over after a delay.
- Good for
- Technical owners who want full control of every setting.
- Where it stops
- Signers who reach the threshold can send funds anywhere, and the rules are yours to build, test and maintain.
- With Ante
- Ante is a Safe too, with the handoff already built: guardians can start it, but it only ever reaches the recipient you set.
How Trezor with a Shamir backup works
Trezor’s multi-share backup (SLIP-39) splits the wallet’s backup into shares, for example any 3 of 5, each a 20-word phrase. Heirs collect enough shares and restore the wallet, following instructions you leave them.
- Good for
- Keeping one wallet’s backup safe from a single theft or loss.
- Where it stops
- No timer and no way to stop it: whoever holds enough shares has everything, at once. Heirs need to find the shares and follow technical steps.
- With Ante
- Ante waits for a missed check-in and a grace period, and one check-in stops it. A Trezor can still be one of your vault’s keys.
Facts about other products checked on 27 October 2026:
Set up your vault
About two minutes. No subscription.