What happened? Dmitry Tokarev launched Bron Labs to let users recover lost wallets without giving up self-custody.
Dmitry Tokarev, founder of Copper, launched Bron Labs to tackle the problem of lost seed phrases while keeping users in control of their crypto. Bron uses a guardian-based recovery system where users appoint two trusted guardians and a mandatory 48-hour delay starts after approval to prevent immediate theft or coercion. The London-based startup raised about $15 million from some 140 backers and offers subscription plans, biometric security, programmable limits, and a utility token for fees.
Who does this affect? Retail crypto holders, professionals, and small businesses who worry about losing seed phrases or being targeted by theft.
This mainly affects retail crypto holders who fear losing their 12- or 24-word recovery phrases and those worried about physical attacks and theft. It also targets professionals, executives and small businesses that want institutional-grade protections without custodial solutions. Investors, wallet providers and custodial firms will also be watching because the approach blends self-custody with recovery features and token incentives.
Why does this matter? It could change market dynamics by increasing self-custody adoption, pushing competitors to add recovery features, and shifting investment toward security-focused crypto firms.
If users feel safer keeping their own keys, more people may adopt self-custody solutions, which could increase demand for wallets and related services. That may force wallet makers and custodians to add similar recovery and security features, raising competition and product innovation in the market. As a result, funding and valuations could shift toward security-focused startups and token models that lower user risk, changing where capital flows in the crypto sector.