KEEP Protocol
KEEP (Key governance, Estate integration, Ensured continuity, Professional stewardship) is an open standard for documenting Bitcoin custody operations.
The Little Shard
A Little Shard is a .keep file -- the portable, human-readable single source of truth for your Bitcoin custody governance. It's a JSON document that captures everything needed to govern multi-generational Bitcoin holdings: who holds keys, what happens at death or incapacity, how continuity is maintained, and which professionals coordinate the plan.
Your Little Shard is yours. It lives on your device, not on a server. It works with any wallet, any platform, any custody setup. It's the map -- not the treasure.
Build Your Own Little Shard
The KEEP Protocol is an open standard. Anyone can build tools that create, read, validate, and manage .keep files.
Start now: Request access to the web portal at selfcustodyos.com to build your own Little Shard. The portal runs entirely client-side -- your data never leaves your browser.
Build your own tools: The JSON Schema and whitepaper define everything you need to implement KEEP in any language, on any platform. Custody platforms, estate planning software, hardware wallet coordinators, and advisory tools can all speak .keep.
Specification
Whitepaper -- Full protocol specification (v2.1)
JSON Schema -- Machine-readable schema (JSON Schema draft-07)
Key Governance -- Functional roles and tiered wallet model
THAP -- Trust Hash Amendment Protocol (connecting .keep files to legal trusts)
Threat Model -- What KEEP protects against and its limitations
Examples
Three example Little Shard files demonstrate progressive adoption levels (see MVK Tiers):
Validate a .keep File
License
MIT
Last updated