Crypto industry leaders are split on a fundamental question: was self-custody ever meant to be truly beginner-friendly? While advocates argue that easier controls and clearer user flows are essential for Bitcoin’s long-term growth, critics point to recent real-world wallet incidents and the inherent complexity of securing keys correctly.

In interviews with Cointelegraph, Safe Labs CEO Rahul Rumalla and Bitcoin custody executive Michael Tanguma both discussed what “self-custody for everyone” should mean—but they differ sharply on whether the responsibility model should change as users get broader access to Bitcoin.

Key takeaways

• Executives disagree on whether self-custody was designed for newcomers, with some saying it was never…