Wallet security

KeysCopy Anchor Link

• Classic key: secp256k1, BIP-39 phrase, BIP-32 path m/44'/60'/0'/0/i.
• Post-quantum key: ML-DSA-65. Its 32-byte seed is derived from the BIP-39 seed with HMAC-SHA-512 under a versioned domain tag, so the recovery phrase restores both keys of every account.

The vaultCopy Anchor Link

data key (32 random bytes) ── AES-256-GCM ──▶ every secret
password ── PBKDF2-SHA256, 600,000 iterations, per-vault salt ──▶ wraps the data key
passkey  ── WebAuthn PRF ── HKDF-SHA256 ──▶ wraps the data key   (optional, per device)

• Each encrypted record is bound to its slot, so a record moved elsewhere fails to decrypt.
• Changing the password re-wraps only the data key; nothing is left under the old password.
• While unlocked, only the data key is held, as a non-extractable WebCrypto key; decrypted key material is wiped after each use (best effort in JavaScript).
• Exporting the phrase, a private key or a keystore always asks for the password again; copied secrets are cleared from the clipboard after 60 seconds.

UnlockingCopy Anchor Link

• Five free attempts, then delays of 30 seconds doubling to an hour, kept across restarts.
• Auto-lock after inactivity (5–15 minutes depending on platform); the iPhone app also locks 30 seconds after you leave it.
• Biometric unlock uses a passkey's PRF secret, never a stored password; where PRF is unavailable, biometric unlock is off rather than weakened.

SitesCopy Anchor Link

• A page can only make provider requests; it cannot replace window.qrdx.
• The site's origin comes from the browser, not from the page.
• Everything involving accounts needs the site to be connected; every signature and transaction opens an approval with the real origin, the decoded request and the maximum fee.
• eth_sign is disabled. Typed data for another chain is refused. A site can have at most three approvals pending.
• With QRDX Connect, the relay only sees ciphertext, and the wallet checks that the site's claimed origin matches the one the relay saw.

NetworkCopy Anchor Link

• Before signing, the wallet checks that the node serves the chain you selected; a mismatch blocks signing until you explicitly trust it.
• Recipients on QRDX are resolved to their 20-byte account id, so a 0xPQ address can never be truncated into a wrong one. Protocol accounts (0xPOOL…, 0xCLOB…, 0xPERP…) are refused as recipients.

Account controlCopy Anchor Link

On networks from qrdx-node's 2026-10 release, who may sign for an account is part of the chain's state (Settings → Account control in the wallet):

• Controllers. Bind up to 5 other wallets, or a multisig, that may sign anything for the account. A good setup binds a cold wallet, or a 2-of-3 multisig of your devices, to the wallet you use every day.
• A delay. Changes your everyday key signs (binding a controller, turning a key off, naming guardians) then wait out the delay in the open. A controller can cancel one, so a stolen key's attempt to take the account over does not go through quietly.
• Turning the key off. With a controller bound, turn the everyday key off and it signs nothing at all, on the exchange or in the EVM; only the controllers move the account's funds.
• Recovery guardians. Name up to 7 accounts and how many must agree. If every key is lost, that many guardians together can hand the account to a new controller after the recovery delay (7 days by default), unless you or a controller cancel first.
• Trading keys. Sites with one-click trading add an agent key that may trade, never withdraw. The page lists each with its expiry and revokes it.

A controller has full authority over the account: bind only wallets you control.

Known limitsCopy Anchor Link

• JavaScript memory: wiping keys is best effort; a compromised browser or OS can read keys while the wallet is unlocked.
• Web storage in a browser tab can be evicted (Safari, after seven days unused). Install the iPhone app, and keep the recovery phrase.
• Weak passwords: the vault is only as strong as its password against offline guessing.
• No hardware wallets: none supports ML-DSA yet.
• Not yet audited: a third-party audit of the wallet is planned before mainnet.