Introduction

This site provides comprehensive guides and technical information for io.vault, the institutional-grade digital asset self-custody solution developed by io.finnet.

What is io.vault?

io.vault empowers organizations like cryptocurrency exchanges, DeFi platforms, OTC desks, and trading funds to securely hold, manage, and transact digital assets without relying on third-party custodians.

At its core, io.vault utilizes Trustless Multi-Party Computation (tMPC), a cutting-edge cryptographic technique based on Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS). This approach eliminates the single point of failure inherent in traditional private key management by distributing signing authority across multiple participants and devices according to customizable rules.

With io.vault, you maintain direct control over your assets, benefiting from:

• Enhanced Security: Distributes key shares and uses threshold signing (ECDSA & EdDSA) so no single entity holds a complete key. Features like the Virtual Signer leverage Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) for hardware-rooted security.
• Operational Efficiency & Scalability: Automate signing processes 24/7 with the Virtual Signer, integrate custom business logic, and manage diverse assets seamlessly.
• Customization & Control: Define flexible vault configurations, signing thresholds, and approval hierarchies tailored to your specific organizational needs and risk policies.
• Regulatory Compliance: Designed with features to aid compliance with KYC/AML requirements.

Who are these pages for?

These guides are designed for developers, security architects, system administrators, and operations teams responsible for integrating, deploying, and managing the io.vault platform and its associated components like the Virtual Signer and io.network.

These guides will cover:

• An overview of io.vault and its key concepts
• Some technology concepts of io.vault and 'deep dives' into how it works
• The supported blockchains and assets that io.vault supports
• Installing and setting up a Virtual Signer
• Connecting to and using the io.vault API
• Creating and managing vaults
• Sending and receiving digital assets
• The io.vault disaster recovery process

io.vault leverages advanced cryptography including Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS) to distribute signing power across multiple participants. This provides enhanced security compared to traditional private key storage.

Some key concepts in io.vault:

• Vaults - Groupings of digital asset wallets controlled by a Signing Party
• Signing Party - The collection of signers that control a vault
• Secret Shares - Portions of a private key distributed to each signer
• Threshold - The number of shares required to sign a transaction
• Resharing - Modifying the signing party or threshold of a vault

In the following sections, we'll dive deeper into using io.vault, from initial setup to advanced management of your digital assets. The io.vault product consists of a web dashboard for administration and a mobile app for signers to approve transactions.

Let's get started!

We recommend starting with the Technology Concepts to grasp the underlying principles before diving into specific components like the Virtual Signer and io.network.

Let's get you going with the future of secure, trustless digital asset management.