Security Overview
Understand Tholos' security architecture including MPC technology, self-custody model, and encryption practices.
Tholos is built around a simple principle: your assets should always remain under your control. Every layer of the platform is designed to ensure that no single party — including Tholos — can access your funds without your authorization.
Self-Custody by Default
Tholos is a self-custodial platform. This means you retain full ownership and control of your digital assets at all times. Unlike centralized exchanges or custodial wallets, Tholos never takes possession of your funds. Your vault keys are managed by you and your designated signers, not by Tholos.
MPC-Based Security
Tholos uses Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to secure your vaults. Instead of relying on a single private key stored in one place, MPC splits your vault’s key into multiple shares distributed across your vault’s signers. No single person — and no single device — ever holds the complete private key.
This eliminates single points of failure. Even if one device is compromised, an attacker cannot access your funds without the cooperation of other signers.
For a deeper look at how MPC works, see Cryptography Overview.
Vault Types and Tholos’ Role
Standard Vaults
In a Standard vault, Tholos holds zero key shares. Your signers are entirely responsible for approving transactions. Tholos has no ability to participate in the signing process, giving you complete independence.
Flex Vaults
Flex vaults are designed for convenience. Tholos holds some key shares to simplify the signing experience, but Tholos cannot independently approve any transaction. A Flex vault still requires your signers to participate before any funds can move. Tholos’ key shares alone are never sufficient to authorize a transaction.
No Single Party Holds the Full Key
Regardless of vault type, no single party ever has access to the complete private key. Key shares are distributed among your vault’s signers, and a minimum number of signers must participate to approve any transaction. This threshold-based approach means that even if one signer’s device is lost or compromised, your assets remain protected.
Encrypted Backup Files
When you set up a vault, each signer generates an encrypted backup file containing their key share data. These backup files are essential for recovering access to your vault if a device is lost, damaged, or replaced. The backup files are encrypted so that only the signer who created them can use them.
For more on key shares and backups, see Understanding Key Shares.
SOC 2 Compliance
Tholos follows SOC 2 compliance practices to ensure that our infrastructure, data handling, and operational processes meet rigorous security standards. This covers areas such as data protection, access controls, system availability, and incident response.
Summary
- You always retain control of your assets — Tholos is self-custodial.
- MPC technology eliminates single points of failure by distributing key shares across signers.
- Tholos cannot unilaterally access your funds in any vault configuration.
- Encrypted backup files protect your ability to recover vault access.
- SOC 2 practices govern our internal security operations.