Wybo Wiersma – a 40-year-old Oxford University graduate – has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after scamming over $2 million in crypto from unsuspecting victims. Following his arrest in 2019, the Dutchman was extradited from the Netherlands back to the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021. Following a five-year investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), he pled guilty on January 26 to the Oxford Crown Court. A Five-Year Investigation As reported by…
What are Multisig Wallets?
Multisignature (often called “multisig”) cryptocurrency wallets require more than one person to sign off on a transaction before it can be completed. It adds an extra layer of security to your wallet, as hackers would need to compromise more than one device or account to steal your funds.
There are several different ways that multisig wallets can be set up, but a common example is a 3-2 wallet. This means there are three keys, and any two must sign off on a transaction. So, for example, you could have one key on your personal computer, one key on your smartphone, and a third key in a secure offline location like a hardware wallet. You would need at least two of those keys to complete a transaction.
Multisig wallets can be useful for businesses, organizations, or any group of people who want to add an extra level of security to their financial transactions. Individuals can also use them as an extra security measure to protect their funds if one of their devices is lost or stolen. For example, with a regular single-signature wallet, an attacker only needs to compromise your single device or account to access your funds. But with a multisig wallet, they would need to compromise at least two (or more, depending on how the wallet is set up) devices or accounts to complete a transaction.
Examples of Multisig Wallets
There are many different multisignature wallets available, including:
- Electrum: This is a lightweight Bitcoin wallet that supports multisig transactions.
- BitPay/Copay: This is a multisignature Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash wallet available for multiple platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web.
- BitGo: a multisignature Bitcoin and another cryptocurrency wallet targeted toward businesses and organizations. It offers features such as multi-user access and spending limits.
- Armory: This is a secure Bitcoin wallet that supports multisig transactions and cold storage. It is available for multiple platforms, including desktops and Raspberry Pi.
- Blockstream Green: This is a multisignature Bitcoin wallet that is available for multiple platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web. It offers features such as multisig transactions and hardware wallet support.
- Ledger Nano X: This hardware wallet supports multiple cryptocurrencies and offers multisig transactions through its Ledger Live software.
These are just a few multisignature wallet examples. Remember to do your research and choose a wallet that is reputable and meets your needs.
In Summary
Multisig wallets can be useful for individuals and organizations who want to add an extra level of security to their accounts. As mentioned, if you have the 3-2 multisig wallet set up and you lose access to one of your devices, you can still access your funds as long as you have the other two keys. This can help to protect against the loss or theft of your devices, as well as against hackers who might try to gain access to your account.