Vigil Documentation

Welcome to the official documentation for Vigil, a self-custody toolkit and Bitcoin wallet monitoring service. Vigil watches your wallets 24/7, alerts you instantly when transactions are detected in the mempool, and provides automated theft protection through Theft Shield.

What is Vigil?

Vigil is a privacy-focused self-custody toolkit for Bitcoin holders. Beyond monitoring the mempool 24/7 and alerting you to wallet activity, Vigil provides active protection against theft through pre-signed PSBTs that can automatically counter unauthorized transactions before they confirm.

Key Features

• Real-Time Mempool Monitoring - Instant detection when transactions involving your addresses enter the mempool
• Theft Shield Protection - Automated RBF countermeasures to protect against theft attempts
• Multi-Channel Notifications - Email, Webhook, and Nostr DM alerts
• Zero-KYC - No identity verification required, anonymous accounts supported
• Non-Custodial - Your keys never leave your devices; we only use public watch data

Quick Start

New to Vigil? Start here:

1. Create an Account - Sign up with email or Nostr
2. Add Your First Wallet - Import using xpub, descriptor, or addresses
3. Verify Alerts Work - Basic alerts are enabled automatically

Core Concepts

Wallets

Vigil supports multiple wallet types:

Type	Description	Use Case
Extended Public Key	xpub/ypub/zpub with derivation	HD wallets, hardware wallets
Descriptor	Miniscript output descriptors	Multisig, complex scripts
Static Addresses	Individual Bitcoin addresses	Simple monitoring

Learn more about wallets →

Theft Shield

Theft Shield is Vigil's advanced protection system. It uses pre-signed PSBTs (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions) to automatically counter theft attempts using Replace-By-Fee (RBF).

When we detect an unauthorized transaction attempting to spend your funds, Theft Shield can broadcast a higher-fee transaction to sweep your funds to a safe address before the attacker's transaction confirms.

Learn more about Theft Shield →

Notifications

Configure how and when you receive alerts:

• Email - Traditional email notifications
• Webhook - HTTP callbacks with HMAC signatures for your applications
• Nostr - Encrypted DMs to your Nostr identity (NIP-04/NIP-17)

Learn more about notifications →

Documentation Sections

• Getting Started

  Create your account and set up your first monitored wallet

• Wallets

  Learn about wallet types, descriptors, and xpub imports

• Theft Shield

  Configure automated RBF protection for your Bitcoin

• Notifications

  Set up Email, Webhook, and Nostr notifications

• Alerts

  Create custom alert rules for wallet activity

• Account

  Manage authentication, passkeys, and subscriptions

• Technical Reference

  Integration guides and advanced Bitcoin concepts

Network Support

Vigil supports multiple Bitcoin networks:

• Mainnet - Production Bitcoin network
• Testnet - Bitcoin test network
• Signet - Bitcoin signet network (for development)

Free Tier Testing

Test Theft Shield on testnet or signet for free with our Free tier. No payment required to experiment with the protection system.

Getting Help

• FAQ - Frequently asked questions
• Contact Support - Reach our support team

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Vigil: Your keys. Your coins. Our vigilance.