# Set up Fedi

**Short answer:** Fedi is a bitcoin wallet where a group of people hold the coins together. No one of them can take it. Some use it for spending, some for savings. That's your call.


- Level: Beginner
- Time: About 30 minutes
- Web version: https://few.guide/guides/fedi-wallet.html

## What you need

- **A smartphone**: Step 04 lists what works.
- **Pen and paper**: For 12 backup words.
- **A little bitcoin to start**: A small first amount to test with, sent over Lightning from another wallet or an exchange.
- **An invite code (optional)**: From a federation you trust. You can also pick one inside the app.

## Step 1. How Fedi works

Fedi is built on **Fedimint**, open-source software for community custody of bitcoin.

1. A federation**federation:** a small group of people who run servers together and jointly hold the bitcoin of everyone who joins. is a group of guardian**guardian:** one of the people in a federation. Each runs one server and holds one key.s. Together they hold the bitcoin of everyone who joins.
2. Moving that bitcoin needs a threshold**threshold:** the number of guardians that must agree. In a 3-of-4 federation, any 3 of the 4 can act together.. For example, 3 of 4 guardians. No single guardian can take it alone.
3. When you put bitcoin in, you get ecash**ecash:** digital notes the federation gives you for your bitcoin. They are a claim on bitcoin, not bitcoin itself. back. Guardians can’t see who pays whom, or how much you hold.
4. You can pay and get paid over Lightning**Lightning:** a fast payment network on top of bitcoin. Payments arrive in seconds for tiny fees.. So you can pay anyone, not just people in your federation.

**Why this matters.** Trust is spread across many people. One bad, hacked or pressured guardian can’t move the money.

## Step 2. Why a federation is strong

- **Many keys, not one.** In a 7-of-10 federation, 10 guardians each hold a key. Any 7 must agree to move bitcoin.
- **No single point of failure.** No one guardian, device or seed phrase can move the coins.
- **Private.** Guardians can’t see who pays whom, or how much you hold.
- **Hard to stop.** Guardians can stay private, even from each other and from Fedi. Jeff Booth says early guardians who were easy to find got shut down. Unknown guardians are hard to pressure, and hard to get together to cheat. There is no single server or company to shut down.
- **One honest voice is enough.** To cheat, most guardians must team up. If even one speaks out, everyone knows.
- **Private badges.** Fedi builds PeerBadge, open-source software for badges you can show without revealing who you are. A badge can be taken away. Fedi’s founder says this is one way to vet guardians who stay unknown.
- **It keeps running.** A few guardians can go offline and payments still work.

**Choosing a good federation:** look for many independent guardians and a high threshold, like 7 of 10. Check how long it has run.

## Step 3. Common misunderstandings

“Fedi holds my coins”“It’s just custodial”“There’s no privacy”“Guardians approve my payments”“It’s closed software”

“Fedi holds my coins”

No. Fedi the company never holds user funds. The app is a window into federations. The guardians of the federation you pick hold the bitcoin, together.

“It’s just custodial”

Not like an exchange. There is no single company or person in charge. Custody is spread over many guardians, and a large majority must agree. Fedi calls it **community custody**: a middle ground between holding your own keys and trusting one company.

“There’s no privacy”

Ecash uses **blind signatures**. Guardians can’t see who pays whom or anyone’s balance. They only see the totals. No name, email or ID is needed to join.

“Guardians approve my payments”

No. The software approves payments by itself while the federation is online. Guardians can’t see single payments, and they can’t remove members.

“It’s closed software”

Fedimint is open source, and the Fedi app has been fully open source since January 2026.

## Step 4. Download the app

1. Use the official links only. They are on [fedi.xyz/get-the-app](https://www.fedi.xyz/get-the-app).
2. iPhone: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fedi-alpha/id6448916281). Android: [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fedi).
3. No Google Play? Fedi also offers the Android app as a file at [apk.fedi.xyz](https://apk.fedi.xyz).
4. Check the maker is **Fedi** before you install. On iPhone the store name is “Fedi Alpha”.
5. Works on iPhone with iOS 15 or newer, and Android 7.1.1 or newer.

**Fake wallet apps exist.** Never install a wallet from an ad or a link someone sent you. Start from fedi.xyz.

## Step 5. Create your profile

1. Open the app and tap Get started.
2. If the app asks if you came from a Fedi link, say no for now.
3. No name, email or ID is needed.

**Is this normal?** You see a screen called Set up your wallet. You don’t have money yet. The wallet comes from the federation you join in step 06.

## Step 6. Write down your 12 words

1. Open Settings (your profile icon at the top right).
2. Go to General → Personal Backup.
3. Write the 12 words in order, on paper, numbered 1 to 12.
4. Tap I’ve stored it safely.

**No photos, no cloud, no typing.** Anyone with these words can take over your Fedi. Fedi will never ask for them. A backup of a key is the key: every copy you make is one more place it can be stolen. Check your backup now and then.

These 12 words only work in Fedi. Keep them offline, in a safe place.

## Step 7. Join a federation

Pick one of two ways.

Invite codePick in the app

Invite code

1. Get an invite code or QR from a federation you trust.
2. Tap the center Scan/Paste button.
3. Scan the QR or paste the code.
4. If it shows terms, read them and tap I accept.

Pick in the app

1. Go to the Wallet tab and tap +.
2. Open Discover. It lists public federations.
3. Tap Join next to one.

Fedi lists federations but does not vouch for any. few.guide does not recommend a specific one either. Pick by the tip in step 02.

Check a federation on [Fedimint Observer](https://observer.fedimint.org). Look at how long it has run, how many guardians it has and whether they are online.

## Step 8. Receive a small payment

1. In the Wallet tab, open your federation. Tap ↓ Receive.
2. Pick Lightning. Type a small amount, for example 2,000 sats.
3. Tap Request. You get an invoice**invoice:** a one-time payment request, shown as a QR code or a long text that starts with “ln”. as a QR code.
4. Pay it from another wallet or an exchange.

**Is this normal?** The invoice expires after 24 hours. Some exchanges can’t read Fedi’s long invoices. Then use another wallet, or the On-chain option.

**Sats** Short for satoshis. 100 million sats make one bitcoin.

## Step 9. Send a small payment

1. Ask the other person for a Lightning invoice.
2. Tap ↑ Send, or the center Scan/Paste button.
3. Scan or paste the invoice. The amount fills in by itself.
4. Check the amount and the fees. Tap Send.

Lightning sends cost about 0.5% in network fees. A federation may add its own small fee. You always see the total first.

## Step 10. Test that you can get out

1. Make a Lightning invoice in another wallet you control.
2. Pay it from Fedi with part of your balance.
3. Check it arrived.

**Why this matters.** A wallet you can’t leave is a trap. Prove the exit works while the amount is small.

## Step 11. Keep it private

- Inside a federation, guardians can’t see who pays whom. Payments in and out over Lightning are visible to the services that route them.
- Money from an exchange that knows your name is still linked to you on the way in.
- Turn on a PIN: Settings → General → PIN Access.
- Keep the app updated. Turn on auto-updates in your app store.

## Step 12. The good and the trade-offs

### Why people like Fedi

- **Less to look after.** Many people will never guard 12 words on steel for life. In a federation the guardians do the technical work, not each user.
- **Shared risk.** With your own single key, you are the point of failure. With an exchange, the exchange is. In a federation the risk is shared, and more than two-thirds of guardians must agree to move funds.
- **No ID needed.** Joining doesn't need your name, address or ID, so there's nothing to leak later. Exchange data leaks have happened, like Coinbase in 2025.
- **Private payments.** Payments inside a federation are ecash, so they aren't on a public ledger or logged against your name.
- **Cheaper than paid custody.** Shared-custody services like Casa or Unchained charge from a few hundred dollars a year. A federation spreads that work across a community.
- **Easy exit.** You can withdraw on-chain or over Lightning to any wallet you choose.
- **Multispend: save as a group.** A group wallet inside a chat. Members deposit, ask to withdraw and see every transaction. A set number of voters (up to 21) must approve each withdrawal, so no one person controls the money. It works with Stable Balance (a balance pegged to a fiat value), not the bitcoin balance.
- **Getting stronger.** Fedimint now runs on three independent software versions in one federation. One bug is less likely to hit everyone.

### The trade-offs

Fedi is good. It is not magic. Know the limits.

- **It's a hot wallet.** Your money lives in a phone app that is online.
- **You trust the group.** If most guardians team up, they could cheat. That is why you pick a federation with many guardians and a high threshold.
- **The ecash can't be fully checked.** You can't prove every note is backed by real bitcoin. Moving funds out now and then is the best test.
- **Federations can close.** If yours shuts down or gets an end date, move your money out in time.

Jeff Booth uses Fedi as his main wallet. His reason: "The protocol requires privacy."

**Good for:** daily spending and Lightning payments; private payments inside a community; groups, families and friends who want to hold bitcoin together; starting out without managing a hardware wallet.

**Not for:** federations you know nothing about; people who never check their wallet; anyone who wants to hold their own keys alone.

**Spending or savings?** Some people use it for spending, some for savings. That's your call. Know the trade-offs above and decide.

## Step 13. Living with Fedi

1. Check the federation’s status now and then. Unstable means a guardian is offline. If it lasts, move your funds.
2. Some federations have an **end date**. Withdraw everything before it, or the ecash expires.
3. New phone? Install Fedi, tap Restore access, and enter your 12 words. Then rejoin your federations with their invite codes.

**Keep the invite code.** After a restore you must rejoin each federation yourself. Save the code next to your 12 words.

## Quick questions

**Is my bitcoin safe in Fedi?** It depends on the federation you pick. No single guardian can take it. Most of them would have to team up.

**Why don't guardians show who they are?** Known guardians are easy to pressure or shut down. Unknown ones are safer, for them and for you.

**What if my federation shuts down?** Move your money out before it closes. Test that you can leave early (step 10).

**Should I keep all my bitcoin here?** Some people use it for spending, some for savings. That's your call. Know the trade-offs first.

**How many people are in a federation?** The guardians are a small group, for example 10. The number of users is not limited.

**Can I bring my own multisig?** No. You deposit bitcoin and get ecash back. The guardians hold the bitcoin in the federation's own wallet.

**What if I lose my 12 words?** Then you lose your ecash, unless you made a social backup. Fedi's Social Backup (beta) has you record a short video. The app turns it into an encrypted file you save. If you lose access, you load that file and the guardians use the video to check it's you and help you recover.

**How do I reach the guardians?** Guardians often stay anonymous. Many federations have a community chat in the Fedi app. That is usually the place to ask questions.

{{SIGNUP:guide}}

## Sources

- [Fedi blog: Custody Compared: Fedimint as the fourth way (23 Sep 2026)](https://www.fedi.xyz/blog/bitcoin-custody-compared-fedimint-as-the-fourth-way)
- [Fedi blog: How to use Multispend](https://www.fedi.xyz/blog/how-to-use-multispend)
- [Bitcoin Magazine: Obi Nwosu on three Fedimint implementations (6 Oct 2026)](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/featured/ecash-ecosystem-rises-to-challenge-in-the-defense-of-decentralized-custody)
- [Fedi PeerBadge SDK (GitHub)](https://fedibtc.github.io/peerbadge-sdk/)
- [Fedi Support: set up and use Fedi (Get started, Set up your wallet)](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/16908898090002-How-do-I-set-up-and-use-Fedi)
- [Fedi: official App Store, Google Play and APK links](https://www.fedi.xyz/get-the-app)
- [Fedi Support: iOS 15+, Android 7.1.1+](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/25146491580690-Which-devices-OS-versions-does-Fedi-support)
- [Fedi Support: what a federation is, guardians, threshold](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/16908980209938-What-is-a-federation)
- [Fedi Support: ecash and blind signatures](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/28540916006034-What-is-eCash)
- [Fedi Support: Personal Backup, 12 words, Restore access, rejoin federations](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/17029495162514-How-do-I-recover-my-profile-if-I-lose-access-to-Fedi)
- [Fedi Support: Social Backup (beta, video file)](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/16915319671698-How-does-Social-Backup-Recovery-work)
- [Fedi Support: join via Scan/Paste or Discover; no endorsement](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/17708932783890-How-do-I-join-a-federation-or-space)
- [Fedi Support: receive, 24-hour invoices, exchange issue](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/17510934692626-How-do-I-receive-a-payment-or-request-funds)
- [Fedi Support: send a payment](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/17510533543698-How-do-I-make-a-payment-or-send-funds)
- [Fedi Support: fees](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/20216889596434-Are-there-any-fees-charged-on-transactions)
- [Fedi Support: no single guardian can take funds](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/17083313675666-Can-guardians-steal-from-their-federations)
- [Fedi Support: Fedi the company does not custody funds](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/28745636537746-How-are-Fedi-Fedimint-and-federations-related)
- [Fedi Support: federated custody, no single point of failure](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/16909395354770-What-are-some-advantages-of-federated-custody)
- [Fedi Support: app open source since Jan 2026](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/20216996448786-Is-the-Fedi-app-open-source)
- [Fedi blog: self-custody vs community custody (7 Oct 2026)](https://www.fedi.xyz/blog/self-custody-bitcoin-wallets-versus-community-custody-fedimint-federations)
- [Fedi Support: ecash can’t be audited; rotate funds as a test](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/21072043547538-How-do-I-know-my-eCash-is-fully-backed-by-BTC)
- [Fedi Support: Online, Unstable, Offline](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/22459553645330-How-can-I-see-the-status-of-a-federation)
- [Fedi Support: federation end dates](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/21360846443282-Why-do-some-federations-show-an-end-date)
- [Fedi Support: PIN access](https://support.fedi.xyz/hc/en-us/articles/28646254772498-How-do-I-enable-PIN-access-for-added-security)