What is an Archived Vault?

When you change one or more keys in a vault — perhaps due to loss or theft of a key — it creates an archived version of the vault. These vaults keep the old key configuration, but they remain accessible if you still hold the requisite number of keys needed for a quorum.

The archiving process ensures that even though the vault’s key configuration has been updated: 1) The funds stored in that vault (if any) are not lost. 2) If bitcoin is sent to an older address from the archived vault, you are still able to withdraw them as long as the quorum is met with the available keys.

When and Why to Archive a Vault?

Key Loss: If one of your vault’s keys is lost, you may need to replace it. This change creates an archived version of the vault with the old configuration.

Key Theft: In case a key is compromised or stolen, you’ll need to change it, resulting in an archived vault.

Key Rotation: Regular key rotation for security purposes can also lead to the creation of an archived vault.

The primary reason a vault gets archived is to ensure that any changes to its keys do not affect your ability to access the funds stored in that vault. It is a safeguard against unexpected situations, such as losing or compromising one of your keys.

Where to find archived vaults?

You’ll find it within the settings of each vault that you create within Keeper.