The World’s Best-Selling Crypto Seed Phrase Storage (Cryptotag Interview)

Human Error and the Reality of Crypto Loss

Around 95% of the mistakes that are made with self-custodial wallets are human errors. Many people say, “I got hacked,” but in reality, the issue is often that seed phrases were stored in insecure places such as email accounts, cloud storage, or notes applications.

There is an estimated 3 – 4 million Bitcoin that are believed to be permanently lost. In many cases, this happens when a wallet app is deleted, a phone is replaced, or access is lost, and the user no longer has the seed phrase.

It is only at that moment that people realise they were not the owner of the coins. The platform or exchange owned the coins and only granted access to them.

Not Your Keys, Not Your Backup

The phrase “not your keys, not your coins” is widely used in crypto. However, there is another side to this that is often overlooked: “not your backup, not your crypto.”

If a seed phrase is stored on paper that can be destroyed by fire or water, stored digitally where it can be hacked, or left with an exchange that later goes out of business, the user is taking a significant risk with their wealth.

Introduction

This article focuses on crypto security and self-custody. The goal is to understand the most common mistakes people make with their backups, the story behind Cryptotag, and the practical steps individuals can take to secure their digital assets.

Figure: Cryptotag, a company known for its premium titanium backup solutions for securely storing cryptocurrency recovery phrases. Source: Cryptotag.

Indy, Head of Communications at Cryptotag, explains both the company’s journey and his personal journey into crypto.

Figure: Indy Rottier, the Head of Communications at Cryptotag.

The Origin of Cryptotag

Cryptotag was founded after one of the founders’ friends lost access to a wallet containing approximately €20,000. He forgot his seed phrase and could not recover the funds. Because it was a self-custodial wallet, nobody could help him regain access.

At that time, there were very few viable or durable products available to store 12-word or 24-word seed phrases for the long term. The founders began experimenting with materials from hardware stores, combining metal plates, tools, and templates.

In 2018, they finalised the idea, registered the company, and launched their first product. The original kit was very large and heavy and included metal plates, titanium plates, a hammer, stamped letters, an anvil, instructions, and even a box of matches. While effective, it was not practical to ship.

Product Evolution and Early Challenges

By 2019, Cryptotag refined its design to make products smaller, lighter, and more affordable. Partnerships were explored, including discussions with Trezor. Feedback made it clear that a multi-kilogram kit did not make sense alongside lightweight hardware wallets.

Figure: Trezor, a leading company providing secure hardware wallets for cryptocurrency storage and management.

The redesigned products significantly reduced size and weight, making them more suitable for everyday users.

In 2020, the market crash caused a major decline in sales and engagement. In 2021, marketing efforts increased, and demand grew rapidly alongside the broader crypto market. In 2022, products were sold out for several months.

By 2024, Cryptotag had partnered with Ledger, Trezor, and Trust Wallet and expanded sales to more than 100 countries.

Personal Journey into Crypto

Indy entered crypto initially to make money, trading assets such as Dogecoin. During market downturns, it became clear that trading expertise disappears when markets fall.

Over time, he became more interested in Bitcoin itself, its principles, and the concept of money. What began as an interest in profits became a long-term commitment to the values behind Bitcoin and self-sovereignty.

Why Investors Ignore Seed Phrase Security

Many investors assume they will never be affected by hacks, exchange failures, or account freezes. This mindset encourages a focus on short-term gains, with security often treated as a secondary concern. As long as holdings remain relatively small, assets are commonly left on exchanges or with brokers, where the risks are underestimated.

The realisation that exchanges own the coins often comes only after withdrawal issues, technical failures, hacks, or mismanagement occur.

Wallet instructions typically tell users to write down 12, 20, or 24 words and store them safely. Most people write them on paper and put them in a drawer, hoping they will still be readable years later.

Cryptotag frequently hears from users who split words across papers or lose part of their seed phrase. In such cases, recovery is normally impossible.

Hot Wallets, Cold Storage, and Accessibility

Reports show that 78% of crypto holders globally in 2025 still use hot wallets. This can be acceptable for frequent spending or trading, but it carries significant risks.

For example, if the app is updated or your phone is replaced, access to your crypto can be lost without the seed phrase. Not to mention the large risks of phishing attacks, being hacked or the online seed phrase being stolen.

In addition, hardware wallets cost money, which discourages some users from improving their crypto security. Users with large holdings also sometimes leave assets on exchanges simply because they do not want the responsibility of holding it themselves. This again increases risk significantly as they do not hold their crypto, but a third party does instead (not your keys, not your coins!). Sovereignty and security of your digital assets is therefore key in our opinion.

Security Versus Complexity

Complex setups increase the chance of mistakes during recovery.

Some users invent their own systems, such as rearranging seed words or adding personal rules. Others follow tutorials without fully understanding them. Years later, these methods can fail.

Security always involves a balance between accessibility, usability, security, and affordability.

We think that individuals should increase security as much as possible, depending on the level of funds they hold and the level of complexity they can handle.

Cryptotag Product Overview

All Cryptotag products are made from bulletproof titanium and are resistant to fire, pressure, acid, and water.

Thor

Stores up to 48 words using stamped letters. It offers high capacity but requires manual hammering.

Figure: Thor by Cryptotag, a secure hardware solution for safely storing and managing cryptocurrency private keys.

Figure: Cryptotag Thor Expansion Kit | Capacity for 48 extra seed phrase words

Zeus

Uses 24 numbers instead of words, based on the BIP-39 word list. Users convert words into numbers and punch them into two titanium plates, 12 words on each plate.

Figure: Cryptotag Zeus titanium crypto seed phrase storage metal backup.

Loki

A single titanium plate that stores 24 words using the first four letters of each word. It is simpler and more affordable.

Figure: Loki titanium crypto seed phrase storage metal backup

Odin

Designed for SLIP-39 (Shamir) backups. It supports three, five, or seven shares and requires a minimum number of shares to recover funds.

Figure: Odin titanium crypto seed phrase storage metal backup

Multi-Share Backups and the Odin

Multi-share backups allow users to distribute risk across locations and people. Losing one share does not necessarily mean losing access, unlike with a single share backup that most investors use. This is, therefore, the go-to seed phrase backup solution for more advanced cryptocurrency investors and for those holding larger funds.

Odin was developed specifically for this purpose and has been tested extensively for durability.

Odin and Multi-share (Shamir) backup option is the most complex and must be done carefully. James also offers 1:1 coaching to those who are genuinely looking to educate themselves in the crypto space.

BIP-39 and SLIP-39

• BIP-39 converts private keys into human-readable words. Each word corresponds to a number. Only the first four letters are required because they are unique.

• SLIP-39 allows seed phrases to be split into multiple shares. A minimum number of shares is required for recovery, reducing single points of failure.

Destroying Paper Backups

Once seed phrases are engraved on titanium, paper backups become unnecessary risks. Cryptotag includes matches to encourage users to burn paper backups as a symbolic and practical step.

Secure your Wallet the Right Way

If you’re serious about long-term crypto self-custody, relying on paper or digital backups is a risk you don’t need to take. Cryptotag offers a durable, fire-, water, and corrosion-resistant solution for securely storing your wallet recovery phrase, giving you peace of mind no matter what happens.

Don’t miss out!

👉 Buy Cryptotag here using our affiliate link:

Advice for New Crypto Users

Users are advised to:

Move coins off exchanges

Set up a hardware wallet

Create and thoroughly test backups before transferring funds

Test recovery with small amounts

Assess risk based on future value, not current value

It is also important that someone trusted understands how recovery works in case of emergencies.

The Future of Self-Custody

Wallets are becoming easier to use through facial recognition, cloud backups, and NFC. While convenient, this increases risk significantly.

Human error remains the biggest cause of loss. Proven, offline backups remain essential.

Final Thoughts

Self-custody requires responsibility. Convenience should not replace security.

Taking time to plan and back up seed phrases properly can prevent irreversible loss and protect long-term crypto ownership.

Ready to Start Your Crypto Journey with Confidence?

Our upcoming Crypto Foundations course is designed to give you the essential skills to navigate the world of digital assets safely and effectively.

Don’t miss out!

Click Here to join the waitlist to get exclusive updates and be the first to know when we launch.