Welcome to the first module of Self Academy, your deep dive into the technologies and ideas powering Self Chain.
We’re kicking things off with one of the most important shifts in Web3 infrastructure: Keyless Wallets, how they work, why they matter, and how they’re changing the way we secure assets in Web3.
Let’s dive in 
The Fragile Trust Model of Web3
Private keys are a single point of failure that users are expected to navigate perfectly on the first trial and maintain under any circumstance.
But in 2024 alone:
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$2.2B was stolen via hacks
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43.8% of those were due to compromised keys
And according to a 2024 survey by Consensys, wallet ownership globally remains below 50%.
This isn’t user error. It’s an infrastructure failure.
What Are Keyless Wallets?
Keyless wallets eliminate the need for private key management entirely.
Powered by MPC (Multi-Party Computation) and TSS (Threshold Signature Schemes), Self Chain ensures no full private key is ever created, let alone stored or exposed.
No keys to lose. No phrases to remember. No points of failure.
Why It Matters
Seed phrases don’t scale. And yet, they remain the default method of access and recovery.
This fear drives two outcomes: user churn or custodial reliance.
Neither is viable for long-term adoption.
Keyless wallets offer a new model: self-custody without the burden of key management.
How It Works: The Cryptographic Shift
Traditional wallets:
Generate a private key → store it locally → sign with it → manually manage its security.
Keyless wallets flip that model:
→ No full private key is ever created
→ The key is split into encrypted “shares”
→ Shares are distributed across nodes
→ When signing is needed, nodes collaborate (threshold signature)
→ No key ever reassembled
→ Shares rotate for extra protection
Self Chain’s Keyless Wallet
Self Chain supports Keyless wallets at an infrastructure level, with features that make it stand out.
MPC-TSS Signing
Key shares are held across multiple parties, each binding to the other. Transactions are signed collaboratively, securely and verified on Self Chain.
Account Abstraction (AA)
With AA, the wallet becomes a programmable infrastructure. They support flexible authentication mechanisms and enable third-party gas sponsorship, making transactions seamless and secure without relying on a seed phrase or local key management.
Intent-Based UX
Users express what they want to do, not how.
Example: “Swap 100 USDC for ETH”.
The system interprets the intent, finds the optimal execution path, and handles signing via the keyless wallet infrastructure.
Use Cases Powered by Keyless Wallets
Keyless wallets reshape Web3 for both users and developers:
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DeFi: Users interact with dApps without managing seed phrases
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Gaming & NFTs: Smooth in-game interactions and one-click asset transfers
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AI Agents: Agents can sign and execute transactions autonomously
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Mainstream Onboarding: Login via email, biometrics, or social credentials
No More Tradeoffs
Keyless wallets remove the long-standing tension between security and usability. With Self Chain’s native architecture, users don’t have to compromise on decentralization to get ease of access.
Keyless wallets aren’t limited to another innovation, but a necessary infrastructure upgrade Web3 needs in its journey to global adoption.
By shifting from key management to goal-based access, Self Chain delivers a wallet experience that’s more secure, more scalable, and ready for any stage of web3 evolution.
Dive deeper: SELF ACADEMY: KEYLESS WALLETS