Non-custodial means you hold the private keys to your own assets, and no company can move, freeze or restore them for you. On Robinhood Chain your wallet signs each transaction directly against a contract. Nobody takes a deposit on your behalf, and nobody can reverse what you sign.
The mechanism shows up in what a connection actually grants. Connecting a wallet to a site shares your public address so the site can read what that address holds; it does not hand over the ability to spend. Moving a token requires a signature from your wallet every time, or a standing token approval you granted earlier to a specific contract. Trading on a decentralized exchange works the same way: the pool holds the liquidity, your wallet holds your tokens, and no intermediary sits between them holding either.
The trade-off is symmetrical. No support desk can freeze an attacker who obtains your seed phrase, and none can restore that phrase if you lose it. Custody is the thing you gained and the thing you now have to manage.
Locksley reads public chain data, so most of it renders with no wallet connected at all. What connecting a wallet does, what gets stored and how to disconnect are answered in portfolio and alerts. For choosing where your keys actually live, see best wallets for Robinhood Chain, and for how self-custody differs from a brokerage account, buying on-chain vs the Robinhood app.
Frequently asked questions
Is non-custodial the same as anonymous?
No. Non-custodial describes control: you hold the keys, so only you can authorize a transfer. It says nothing about privacy. Every transaction your address makes is public and permanent, and anyone can read a wallet's full history from the moment it is funded. Addresses are pseudonymous, and one link to your identity connects the record.
Best wallets for Robinhood Chain
Pick a Robinhood Chain wallet on six criteria: custody, chain ID 4663 support, hardware signing, WalletConnect, approval tools and recovery. No rankings.
Read nextBuying on Robinhood Chain vs buying in the Robinhood app
The Robinhood app is a brokerage that holds your assets; Robinhood Chain is a public network where you hold your own. Custody, hours and what you can trade.
