Panic Wipe
Panic wipe is an emergency wallet feature that erases on-device keys and cached state when triggered, leaving no recoverable material on the phone. Recovery then requires the user’s external backup (Shamir shards or written seed).
How it works
The user configures a trigger — a specific PIN entered at unlock, a rapid tap sequence, or a remote command sent via signed message. On trigger, the wallet zeroises the on-device KEK, deletes the encrypted vault file, clears biometric enrolment, and revokes any active WalletConnect sessions. The device retains no cryptographic material tied to the wallet. If the user has Shamir shards or a written seed in a safe location, they can restore on a fresh install; if they have neither, the funds are unrecoverable.
Why it matters
Panic wipe is the appropriate response when the user believes a compromise is imminent but not yet exploited — a lost phone, a border crossing, an active tailing incident. It trades on-device convenience for guaranteed absence of local recoverable data. Unlike duress unlock, panic wipe is destructive: it should not be used when an attacker is present, because retaliation is likely.
Related concepts
- Duress PIN — A duress PIN is a secondary passcode that unlocks a decoy view of a wallet when the user is under physical or psychological coercion.
- Coercion Resistance — Coercion resistance is a wallet property that limits the loss a user can be forced to authorise under duress.
- Shamir Secret Sharing — Shamir Secret Sharing is a cryptographic scheme that splits a secret into N shards such that any T of them can reconstruct the secret, but fewer than T reveal nothing.
- Seed Phrase — A seed phrase — also called a recovery phrase or mnemonic — is a human-readable list of 12 or 24 words that encodes the entropy behind every private key in a wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Is panic wipe safe to use under duress?
No. If an attacker is present, panic wipe may trigger violence. Use the duress PIN instead — it looks like normal unlock.
Can I recover after panic wipe?
Yes, if you have your Shamir shards or written seed. Without a backup, the wipe is final.
Does panic wipe affect on-chain balances?
No. Panic wipe destroys local keys; the on-chain funds remain until you restore access to the keys.
In Veyrnox
Veyrnox exposes panic wipe on Safety Plus as a documented recovery path — not a default gesture that could fire accidentally. The prerequisite is that the user has completed Shamir backup so recovery is possible after wipe.