BitVault raises CHF 500K to launch worldwide Bitcoin self-custody app
What's the deal? Lugano-based BitVaultDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised CHF 500,000 (≈$625,532) in a seed round to launch its Bitcoin security app, now available worldwide on the App Store. The round was backed by Basel-based Le Chêne Family Office and Canadian angel investor Brad MillsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the endgame? BitVault's app lets users protect their Bitcoin while keeping full control of their private keys, never handing custody to a third party. It relies on three mechanisms: multi-signature approval, a link to external hardware devices, and a configurable delay — from two hours up to 15 days — before a transaction executes, giving users time to block an attack or theft.
Why now? The app officially launched on August 7, 2026, with access packages starting at $199 a year. Founder and chief executive officer Francesco Madonna says the startup already has "a few hundred" paying users, despite what he calls "a bear market for bitcoin."
The business model: BitVault runs three revenue tiers — a retail subscription at around $20 a month, a "Private" tier charging 0.3% a year of assets under custody, and Bitcoin-backed loans, coming soon. Rather than direct-to-consumer marketing, it is pursuing a B2B2C strategy, integrating its technology into third-party wallets, exchanges, and family offices through revenue-sharing deals.
What's next? Madonna's goal for the next 12 months is to surpass 1,000 retail users and about 100 Private clients. The team of ten, currently working for equity, expects to start hiring — mainly in sales and marketing — once a planned $1.5 million round closes next year.
The signal: BitVault's raise sits toward the smaller end of seed funding, and its open-source, self-custody pitch targets a niche wary of handing Bitcoin to third parties. Betting on partner distribution over consumer marketing, the startup is trying to build reach without the capital that direct acquisition demands.
Read more: StartupTicker
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