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sigvault Sigvault

Single Signature Wallets

A single signature wallet requires exactly one key to authorize transactions. When paired with a hardware wallet, the private key never leaves your device — Sigvault only stores the extended public key (xpub) needed to generate addresses and build unsigned transactions.

When to Use a Single Signature Wallet

Section titled “When to Use a Single Signature Wallet”

Single signature wallets are ideal for:

  • Personal savings — Long-term Bitcoin storage with hardware security
  • Cold storage — Keep funds offline on a dedicated device
  • Simple custody — One device, one signer, straightforward security model

How It Works

Section titled “How It Works”
  1. Device Registration — Connect your hardware wallet via the desktop app. Sigvault extracts the extended public key (xpub) and device fingerprint
  2. Wallet Creation — Sigvault creates a descriptor wallet using your device’s public key
  3. Receiving — Addresses are derived from the xpub without needing the device
  4. Sending — Sigvault builds a PSBT (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction), which is sent to your hardware wallet for signing through the desktop app

Custody Model

Section titled “Custody Model”

This is a non-custodial wallet. Sigvault never has access to your private key. The signing key exists only on your hardware device. If the Sigvault service is unavailable, you can still recover your funds using your device and the wallet descriptor.

Supported Devices

Section titled “Supported Devices”

Any supported hardware wallet can be used as the signing device:

  • BitBox02
  • Ledger Nano S / Nano X
  • Trezor Model One / Model T
  • Coldcard
  • SeedSigner
  • Jade

Creating a Single Signature Wallet

Section titled “Creating a Single Signature Wallet”
  1. First, register your hardware device
  2. Navigate to Wallets and select Create Wallet
  3. Choose the Personal Savings Vault template or configure a custom single-key wallet
  4. Select your registered hardware device as the signer
  5. Review the wallet configuration and confirm

Transaction Flow

Section titled “Transaction Flow”

When you want to send Bitcoin from a single signature wallet:

  1. Enter the destination address and amount in the web app
  2. Sigvault builds an unsigned PSBT with the selected UTXOs and fee
  3. The PSBT is sent to your hardware wallet through the desktop app
  4. Your device displays the transaction details for verification
  5. Approve on the device — the hardware wallet signs the PSBT
  6. The signed transaction is finalized and broadcast to the Bitcoin network

Considerations

Section titled “Considerations”
  • Single point of failure — If you lose access to the device and don’t have a backup (seed phrase), funds are unrecoverable
  • Backup your seed — Always store your device’s recovery seed securely offline
  • One signature required — Simpler than multisig but no redundancy
  • Device required for every transaction — Physical access to the hardware wallet is needed to sign