Self-custody is not a binary concept where an entity either has it or doesn’t. Instead, it exists on a spectrum defined by the system within which it operates. A system that is designed to enable self-custody must ensure fairness and equality among its users. When fairness is compromised, those with superior access or control may exert undue influence over others, undermining the concept of self-custody within that system.

For example, a system that allows a provider to revoke access to an asset or account at any time cannot truly be said to offer self-custody. True self-custody means that no other entity can wield control, and the ability to exert that control must be uniformly distributed across all users in a way that no user can dominate or diminish the self-custody of another. Like light passing through a prism, self-custody reveals itself in many shades, and its brightest hue is fairness.