Are Seed-phrase-free Crypto Wallets The Key To Mass Self-custody?...

A new wave of self-custodial smart accounts aims to eliminate seed phrases, introduce card-based spending and remove the fear of losing access to crypto forever.

Crypto’s longstanding user-experience hurdle, the dreaded seed phrase, is facing a serious challenge. As wallet providers experiment with programmable smart accounts and simplified recovery, the debate about self-custody is shifting from technical responsibility to everyday usability.

One recurring concern among crypto newcomers and veterans alike is the fragility of seed-phrase security. As Jenkinson noted, users often underestimate how easy it is to lose access:

Ready’s model brings a fundamental shift: accounts that don’t depend on a single secret. Instead, they are programmable, offering recovery methods, built-in spending tools and the ability to leverage Bitcoin (BTC) without selling it.

Related: Bitcoin is finding grassroots strongholds across the US

One feature gaining traction is the ability to borrow against long-term BTC holdings and spend via card without relinquishing custody.

Lesuisse emphasized the difference from traditional custodians, drawing a clear line between centralized and self-custodial control:

With smart-account architecture, Ready says it aims to function less like a traditional crypto wallet and more like a crypto-powered neobank, one where users can deposit, grow, borrow, and spend without ceding control to intermediaries.

As Jenkinson noted, simplifying the crypto experience is critical for adoption, especially as mainstream users expect intuitive, web2-like design paired with true ownership.

For many, combining ease of use with self-custody may resolve long-held fears around loss, complexity, and trust.

Source: CoinTelegraph