Frequently Asked Questions¶

General¶

What is Vigil?¶

Vigil is a self-custody toolkit and non-custodial Bitcoin wallet monitoring service. We watch the Bitcoin mempool 24/7, alert you when transactions involving your addresses are detected, and provide automated theft protection through Theft Shield's pre-signed PSBT system.

Is Vigil custodial?¶

No. Vigil is completely non-custodial. We never have access to your private keys. We only use watch-only data (xpubs, descriptors, or addresses).

Which Bitcoin networks are supported?¶

Vigil supports mainnet, testnet, and signet.

Security & Privacy¶

Do you have access to my private keys?¶

Never. Vigil only uses public information to monitor your wallets. Your private keys never leave your hardware wallet or signing device.

Is my data private?¶

We collect minimal data: - Watch-only wallet information (xpubs/addresses) - Transaction notifications (publicly available blockchain data) - Account credentials (email or Nostr npub)

We never sell your data or share it with third parties.

Do you require KYC?¶

No. Vigil is completely zero-KYC. You can create an account with just an email address (or even use Nostr for complete anonymity).

How is Theft Shield secure if you store my signed PSBTs?¶

The signed PSBTs can only send funds to YOUR safe address that you verified before signing. They cannot be modified after signing. We store them encrypted and only broadcast if theft is detected.

Features¶

What is Theft Shield?¶

Theft Shield is an automated RBF (Replace-By-Fee) protection system. If someone steals your keys and tries to spend your funds, Theft Shield broadcasts a pre-signed transaction with higher fees to outbid the attacker and send your funds to a safe address you control.

Can Theft Shield protect against all theft?¶

Theft Shield is defense, not prevention. It cannot protect against:

Immediate block confirmation (no time to respond)
Sophisticated attackers with custom software who are able to keep increasing fees beyond your configured budget
Physical theft of both your main wallet AND safe wallet

Always practice good key security as your first line of defense.

How fast is transaction detection?¶

Detection is near real-time, but timing depends on mempool conditions and upstream providers.

Can I monitor multiple wallets?¶

Yes. The number of wallets you can monitor depends on your subscription tier.

What wallet types are supported?¶

Extended Public Keys (xpub/ypub/zpub)
Output Descriptors (including multisig)
Static address lists
Caravan imports

Pricing & Billing¶

Is there a free tier?¶

Yes. The Free tier includes:

Tier limits are shown in-app
A limited number of wallets
A limited number of notification channels
Test networks for experimentation

How much does Pro cost?¶

Pricing is shown in-app and may change over time.

Can I pay with Bitcoin?¶

Bitcoin payments are supported in many deployments. Payment methods can vary by deployment.

What happens if I don't pay?¶

If a paid subscription lapses, you may enter a grace period and then be downgraded to a free tier. Exact timing depends on configuration.

Can I cancel anytime?¶

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Access continues until the end of your billing period, then you're downgraded to Free tier.

Technical¶

What notification channels are available?¶

Email - Traditional email notifications
Webhook - HTTP callbacks for integration
Nostr - Encrypted direct messages to your npub

How do webhooks work?¶

Webhooks send HMAC-signed HTTP POST requests to your server when events occur. See Webhook Integration for details.

Do you support hardware wallets?¶

Yes. Vigil works with any hardware wallet that can export xpubs or sign PSBTs (Coldcard, Ledger, Trezor, BitBox, etc.).

What is a PSBT?¶

PSBT (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction) is a Bitcoin standard format for creating and signing transactions. Theft Shield uses PSBTs that you sign in advance for emergency fund recovery.

Troubleshooting¶

I'm not receiving notifications¶

Check:

Notification channels are configured and verified
Notification preferences are enabled for the event type
Alert rules aren't filtering out the transaction
Check spam folder (for email)

My PSBTs are invalidated¶

PSBTs are invalidated by wallet withdrawals (any spending from the wallet, even to whitelisted addresses). Deposits don't invalidate PSBTs but reduce coverage percentage since new funds aren't included. To maintain full protection, regenerate PSBTs, sign with your hardware wallet, and upload. No additional protection fee is required.

Wallet sync is stuck¶

Try:

Check that your network connection is stable
For descriptors, verify the descriptor is valid
Try adjusting the gap limit if addresses seem missing
Contact support if issue persists

How do I get support?¶

Free tier: Community support (docs, FAQ)
Pro tier: Email support (help@vigilbtc.com)

Best Practices¶

What should I monitor?¶

Start with your high-value cold storage wallets. You can add daily wallets later if needed.

Should I test on testnet first?¶

Yes! We recommend:

Create a testnet wallet
Configure notifications
Send test transactions
Verify everything works
Then add mainnet wallets

How often should I check my setup?¶

Monthly: Verify alerts are working
When UTXOs change: Update Theft Shield PSBTs
Before large transactions: Ensure monitoring is active

What's the best safe address strategy?¶

Use a completely separate wallet for your safe address:

Different hardware device
Different seed phrase
Physically separate location (optional)

This ensures if your main wallet is compromised, your safe wallet remains secure.

Still have questions? Contact us at help@vigilbtc.com