btcaux

man btcaux

Keep a second path back to the bitcoin you hold.

btcaux is a plain-language field manual for people who hold their own bitcoin. We write about the part that matters most when a device fails, a phone goes missing, or someone you trust has to step in: the recovery material, where it lives, and how to test it before you need it.

Read the field guide Run a recovery drill
daily wallet used day to day written copy kept somewhere else restore test the second path

whatis btcaux

Aux is short for auxiliary: a second, independent route to the same result. For bitcoin you control yourself, the primary route is the wallet you use every day. The auxiliary route is the written recovery material, the plan for keeping it safe, and the drills that prove it works. Most of this site is about building that second route on purpose.

cat scope.txt

btcaux covers self-held bitcoin from the ground up. We explain what a private key is, why a recovery phrase matters more than any single app, how custody models differ, what a watch-only wallet can and cannot do, and how to plan so the right people can act if you cannot. Every term we use has a short, fixed definition in the glossary, so the same word means the same thing on each page.

ls principles/

  1. Write it down before you need it. Recovery material written during an emergency tends to be rushed, and rushed copies tend to contain mistakes.
  2. Test the path, not only the paper. A recovery phrase you have never restored is a hypothesis. A restore drill turns it into something you have checked.
  3. Hide the secret, leave a map. Keep the secret away from people who should not have it, and leave a written note that says what exists and where a trusted person can find it. Those are two separate jobs.

./drop-coins --gravity

Each coin here stands in for one transaction. Under gravity it falls, hits the floor, bounces a little, and comes to rest on whatever is already there. Change the strength, drop a few coins, and watch the pile settle.

This is a picture of weight and bounce only. It does not connect to any network and does not show how bitcoin confirms transactions.

Coins on the floor: 0

Strength is now 60. Higher values pull coins down faster.

The floor is empty. Drop a coin to start.

The drop demo needs JavaScript. Without it, the explanation above still works on its own: gravity pulls each coin down, the floor stops it, and each contact gives back only part of its energy as bounce.

ls see-also

  • Field guide: keys, recovery phrases, custody models, watch-only wallets, and the shape of a backup plan.
  • Recovery drills: four checks you can run on a calm afternoon without moving any funds.
  • Glossary: short, fixed definitions for the terms this site uses.
  • Contact: corrections and questions. Never send secrets by email.

btcaux is education only. It is not financial, legal, or medical advice, and nothing here recommends buying, selling, or holding any asset. For decisions about your own money, estate, or taxes, speak with a qualified professional.