It depends on what you need it to survive. River runs single custodian custody, which has a single point of failure: one institution's failure can reach your bitcoin. Proof of Custody scores it 82/100 as of 2026-02-18. Exchange / single custodian account is a good fit for first purchases and small balances, where losing the amount would sting but not change your life, and the wrong choice for life-changing amounts: you are an unsecured creditor in the failure case, and every era of our incident registry includes this exact loss. The score is an editorial judgement; the facts to check are the custody model, the single point of failure and the incident history below.
| Custody model | Single Custodian Proof of Custody classification from the provider's own documents |
|---|---|
| Single point of failure | Yes: one institution, device or person can move or lose the holding Record as of 2026-02-18 |
| Who holds the keys | Not published in enough detail to state |
| Independence standard | 0 of 4 pillars met |
| Insurance | Not disclosed by the provider |
| Regulatory standing | Not published |
| Qualified custodian | Not stated |
| Incidents in the registry | None recorded. Absence from the registry is not evidence of safety. |
| Fees | 0% recurring, 1.2% one-time Provider pricing page; verify before relying on it |
| Minimum | $0 |
| Proof of Custody score | 82/100 Editorial judgement on the published methodology, as of 2026-02-18 |
Facts come from the provider's own documents and public filings, with the date they were last checked. The score is Proof of Custody's judgement. Dispute a row through the corrections process.
Zero-fee recurring buys. Lightning withdrawals. Strong research content.
Single custodian holds all keys. Withdrawal to self-custody recommended.
Custody feature data not yet available.
1 independent party or system must fail before a River holder's bitcoin is at risk.
River's custody insurance is not publicly disclosed.
River uses a single custodian model and scores 82/100 in our independent review, including 75/100 on custody security. One institution can move funds, which is a single point of failure. Safety depends on your priorities; see the full score breakdown above.
River's custody insurance is not publicly disclosed in a form we can verify. Where it exists, custody insurance covers specific named events up to shared limits and does not cover price loss. Confirm coverage in writing before relying on it.
Because River holds custody through a single institution, recovery in a failure would run through that institution's bankruptcy or resolution process and depends on whether assets were segregated and properly titled. This is the concentration risk of single-custodian models.
River does not advertise a dedicated inheritance or beneficiary feature in the data we track. Confirm current options with the provider, since custody inheritance handling changes.