Hardware wallet setup and exchange migration, on a video call

• You hold crypto on one or more exchanges and want to take control of it yourself.
• You have bought a hardware wallet and it is still in the box, because you don't want to get it wrong.
• You have read the guides and watched the videos, and would still rather not do it alone the first time.
• You and a partner want to set it up together, so you both understand it.

• If you want someone to hold or manage your crypto for you, this is the opposite. You keep sole control throughout, and afterwards.
• If you want advice on what to buy or sell, KeyCompass does not give investment advice.
• If you only have a couple of questions, a drop-in hour is quicker and cheaper.
• If you already self-custody and want your setup checked, see the security review.

It starts with a free thirty-minute intake call, where we work out what you hold, where, and what the session needs to cover. You then get a written scope and a fixed price. Nothing is booked until you have agreed it.

On the day, typically:

1. Check the device is genuine and unopened, and that it came from the maker or an authorised reseller.
2. Install the wallet app from the maker's own website, never a search result or an ad.
3. Set up the device from scratch: choose a PIN, and let the device create your recovery phrase on its own screen.
4. Write the recovery phrase down, clearly and in order, and decide where it will live.
5. Test the backup with the device's built-in check, before any money goes near it.
6. Get a receiving address for each coin you are moving, and check it on the device's screen.
7. Choose the right network on the exchange, and send a small test amount.
8. Confirm it has arrived, then move the rest, coin by coin and network by network.
9. Go through what to watch for from now on: fake support, fake apps, address poisoning and the other scams that target new self-custody users.

A single wallet with a single backup usually fits in ninety minutes. More exchanges, more coins or more devices take longer, and that is agreed up front.

Sessions run on a normal video call. Screen sharing runs on my side only: I can show you what to look for, but you never share your screen, and you never show your recovery phrase, a private key or an unlocked wallet. If you start to, you will be stopped. I never take remote control of your computer.

That is not a formality. It is what makes the session safe: at no point does anyone other than you see anything that could move your crypto.

• A working wallet you set up yourself, start to finish
• A backup you have tested, stored the way you decided
• Your crypto moved off the exchange, checked and accounted for
• A written record of your setup, so you can repeat it or explain it to someone else
• The habits that prevent the common losses: check on the device, test small, never type the phrase anywhere

From £195. That covers one wallet with one backup in a ninety-minute session, including the written summary afterwards. More devices, more exchanges or a longer session move the price up. You get the exact figure in writing after the intake call, before you commit to anything.

Fees are fixed, never a percentage of what you hold, and nobody at KeyCompass needs to know how much you hold to quote you. KeyCompass is not registered for VAT, so the price shown is the price you pay. See all prices

• Hold your keys, your recovery phrase or your crypto, even for a moment
• Ask to see your recovery phrase, a photo of it or any part of it
• Take remote control of your computer
• Tell you what to buy, sell or hold
• Take commission from wallet makers or exchanges

Which hardware wallet should I buy? KeyCompass doesn't sell devices or take commission on them, so there is no reason to steer you one way. I won't choose for you, but I will explain the differences that matter for your situation, so you can choose with confidence.

Is this a crypto concierge service? If you mean someone who sits with you, on a video call, while you set up and move your own crypto, yes. If you mean someone who holds or manages it for you, no.

Can my partner join the call? Yes, and it is often a good idea. Two people who both understand the setup is a far better position than one.

Do I need to know which networks my coins are on? No. Working that out is part of the session.

What if I've already set up my device? Then a security review is probably the better fit: it checks what you have done, rather than starting again.

Do you work with people outside the UK? KeyCompass is UK-based and works remotely, so yes, wherever the time difference allows.

If you would like to read up first, these guides cover the same ground:

• How to move crypto from an exchange to a hardware wallet
• What is a seed phrase?
• Seed phrase storage: where should I keep mine?

Book the free intake call