What self-custody means, and what Kute can and cannot see
Short answer. Self-custody means you hold the keys to your money, so nobody else can move or freeze it. In Kute, your phone makes and keeps your keys. Kute never sees your 12 words. But the app does send usage data, including amounts, so that we can run and improve Kute.
With a bank or an exchange, your balance is a line in their books. They hold the money, and they can freeze it. With a self-custody wallet, the money sits under keys that only you hold. If you lose the keys, nobody can help you. If you keep them, nobody can stop you.
Kute is a self-custody wallet. Your phone, or a hardware wallet that you pair, makes, stores and uses the keys and the 12 words. Kute's servers never hold customer keys. Kute cannot access, freeze or move the money in your wallet (kutewallet.com/llms.txt).
What Kute can and cannot see
| Item | Can Kute see it? |
|---|---|
| Your 12 words and private keys | No. They never leave your phone or your hardware wallet. |
| Power to move or freeze your wallet | No. Only your keys can sign a payment. |
| Addresses, invoices, transaction IDs | No. The app never sends these to analytics. |
| Anything you type, copy or paste | No. The app never sends it to analytics. |
| How you use the app (screens, taps, errors) | Yes. The app sends product analytics to PostHog, on servers in the EU. |
| Amounts and balances | Yes. Analytics record amounts and balances in dollars. |
| Conversions, such as Bitcoin to dollars | Yes. Kute's server makes the quote, so it records the order and its fee. |
| Your country | The server finds it from your IP address to apply country rules. It does not log your country. |
| Who you are | The app uses a random ID that it makes itself, not a hardware ID. You do not need an email to set up the app. |
We want to be clear about the amounts row. Our analytics record which money actions happen and how big they are. This helps us see what works and fix what breaks. That data never includes your keys, your 12 words, your addresses or your transaction IDs.
What about Ask Sal?
Sal is the dog in the app who explains words and screens. When you ask Sal a question, the app sends it to xAI, the AI provider. It also sends the chat history and public market names. Sal does not see your keys and cannot move money.
What self-custody does not cover
- If you move money to an outside service, that service's rules apply while the money is there.
- Lightning and Bitcoin payments are final. Check the address before you send.
- If you lose your phone and your 12 words, nobody can get the money back, not even Kute.
How to check us
The code of the Kute app is open source under GPL-3.0-or-later, at Rexmo-Freedom/kute-wallet on GitHub. Anyone can read how the app makes keys and what it sends.
Next step: back up your 12 words safely. To see how self-custody compares, read Kute vs Revolut for a bank app and Kute vs Coinbase for an exchange. Our mission page explains why we build it this way.
Questions people ask
No. Your keys are on your phone, and only your keys can sign a payment. Kute cannot access, freeze or move the money in your wallet.
Sources
- Kute product summary, kutewallet.com/llms.txt
- Kute app documentation: wallets, keys and security, October 2026
- Kute app documentation: analytics rules, October 2026
- Kute source code (GPL-3.0-or-later), GitHub
This post explains how things work. It is not advice about what to do with your money. Features and fees can change; the app shows the current fee before you confirm.