Guardians

Guardians are trusted contacts who can help you recover your vault or confirm your passing. Unlike traditional "contacts," Guardians are active participants in the cryptographic security of your estate.

How Guardians Work

When you add a Guardian, SovSeal fragments your vault's authority using Shamir's Secret Sharing (SSS). Each Guardian receives an email with a secure link to their fragment.

Security Presets

You can choose between two institutional-grade presets:

• Standard (2-of-3): Add 3 guardians. Any 2 must collaborate to help recover your vault or authorize a release.
• Enhanced (3-of-5): Add 5 guardians. Any 3 must collaborate. This is the recommended standard for high-value vaults.

The Role of a Guardian

1. Vault Recovery: If you lose access to your passkey or device, your guardians can help you regain access.
2. Release Authorization: If you choose the Guardian Claim trigger, your guardians initiate the release by confirming your passing.
3. Silent Vigil: During your lifetime, fragments remain dormant and useless to any single guardian.

Best Practices

1. Communication: Tell your guardians you've appointed them. They will receive an email from SovSeal to "Accept the Vigil."
2. Diversity: Choose people who are likely to be available and responsive. Including a professional (lawyer/notary) as one guardian is a best practice.
3. Low Friction: Your guardians don't need to be crypto experts. They just need access to their email and a modern web browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a Guardian steal my files?
A: No. A single Guardian share is mathematically useless. They would need to collude with the majority of your other Guardians, which the protocol's architecture makes extremely difficult.

Q: What if a Guardian loses access to their email?
A: The Threshold (e.g., 2-of-3) is designed for this. As long as the threshold number of guardians are available, your legacy is safe. You can also rotate guardians at any time while your vault is active.