For years, individuals and companies in Latin America have struggled to keep their Bitcoin secure. They have often relied on unreliable advice and vulnerable solutions. The custody market has been stuck. Until now.
When Aureo's CEO, Gustavo Flores Echaiz, met with the Early Riders team, he thoroughly researched Multi-Institution Custody (MIC). He immediately recognized its potential: a balanced approach that strengthens security while preserving control and operational agility. For a self-custody proponent like Gustavo, Multi-Institution Custody is the only custodial approach that makes sense.
Aureo and Onramp are joining forces to bring this technology and vision to the Latin American market, considering the region's unique security risks, which an effective Bitcoin custody solution must address.
What is Multi-Institution Custody?
Onramp's Multi-Institution Custody (MIC) infrastructure secures Bitcoin using a 2-of-3 multisig quorum split between three independent institutions.
Clients maintain control without holding a personal key: every transaction requires multi-party verification, activity can be verified on the blockchain, and vaults are segregated to ensure transparency. Onramp is working on expanding the capabilities and flexibility of its quorum.
Compared to self-custody or single-custodian models, MIC is designed to eliminate single points of failure, minimize physical and operational risks, and streamline inheritance and long-term management for individuals, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), and institutions. Learn more about Multi-Institution Custody (MIC).
So is Self-Custody dead? Is this a 100% flip?
In short, no. It’s about providing balanced solutions.
Gustavo and the entire Aureo team have championed self-custody for over seven years, and we continue to do so. Gustavo helps run the Mexico City BitDevs and contributes weekly to the Bitcoin Optech newsletter, clear examples of his commitment and expertise in self-custody, open source, and privacy. His time at Veriphi, Bull Bitcoin, and Wasabi shaped those views.
Maciej Cepnik and Tristan Borges Solari have long been Bitcoin educators and writers, co-organizing the Bitcoin Montreal Meetup and advising customers on self-custody at Veriphi and Bull Bitcoin.
Nathaniel Kitzke, with engineering experience at Unchained, understands the realities of securing large Bitcoin balances and the operational challenges that come with them.
At the same time, we’re realists. Many individuals, private clients and companies are unable or unwilling to manage their own custody due to limited technical resources, regulatory constraints or operational risk. Multi-Institution Custody (MIC) offers a practical solution, diversifying legal and technical risk across independent institutions to remove the single point of failure, while preserving user control. Additional benefits include inheritance facilitation, tax optimization, estate planning, and other financial services, such as lending and insurance, which are not accessible with self-custody.
That’s why Aureo is embracing the MIC vision pioneered by Onramp. We’re partnering with them to offer the first LatAm-native MIC solution, starting in Mexico.
Over the years, we have also learned that most users rely on a combination of self-custody and custody solutions. We’re here to guide you through these choices.
Aureo’s partnership with Onramp unites two teams with expertise in both MIC and self-custody. At Aureo, we’ll be honoured to help our customers choose the model or combination that best suits their needs.
Aureo’s MIC Future Plans
In the near term (Q4 2025), Aureo will launch a standalone MIC interface that leverages Onramp’s platform. In early 2026, we’ll integrate Onramp’s API directly into Aureo’s products.
Aureo is delving into the risks associated with holding Bitcoin in Mexico, specifically, and across Latin America. Different threat models apply to individuals, companies, and institutions. We will publish our findings and actively seek feedback from customers and industry partners to ensure the accuracy of our conclusions.
In the meantime, we’re ready to discuss your custody needs in Latin America. We develop customized solutions for enterprise clients using the Multi-Institution Custody infrastructure.
Contact us today for a free consultation and more information.