The core promise of crypto is owning your assets without a middleman. Self-custody is how that promise is actually kept.
Modern hardware wallets and software are far simpler than a few years ago, lowering the barrier for ordinary users.
New approaches to backup and recovery are emerging, from social recovery to more forgiving seed management, though the classic seed phrase remains king.
As rules tighten, the balance between self-custody and compliance will be a defining tension for the industry.
Self-custody will keep getting safer and more user-friendly, and it will remain the foundation of what makes crypto different.