Manage vaults

Create a vault, add networks, receive and release quarantined funds, and send assets from the DFNS dashboard, including transfers that require policy approval.

A vault is a managed, multichain custody primitive with institutional accounting: incoming funds are quarantined until you release them, balances are split into available, incoming, quarantined, and locked, and every change is recorded in an immutable ledger. This guide walks through each vault action from the dashboard. For the balance model and when to use a vault over a wallet, see Vaults, wallets & keys. For the API, see the Vaults reference.

Create a vault

1. Open Vaults

   In the dashboard, go to Vaults. The list shows every vault in your organization; filter it by tag to narrow the view.

   
2. Create the vault

   Select Create vault, give it a name, and optionally add tags to organize it. The new vault opens with no networks yet.

   

Add a network

1. Add a network

   On the vault, select Add network and choose a network — EVM networks, Bitcoin, and Solana (native SOL and SPL/Token-2022 tokens) are supported. DFNS creates a managed address for the vault on that network.

   
2. Repeat per network

   Add each network you need. Each address is a deposit point for that network under the same vault balance sheet.

Receive funds

1. Open the deposit view

   Select Deposit to display the vault’s address for the chosen network, with a QR code.

   
2. Send funds to the address

   Funds sent to the address arrive quarantined — they appear in the vault’s incoming and quarantined balances, not the available balance.

Review and release quarantined funds

1. Open pending actions

   The vault surfaces pending actions, including quarantined deposits awaiting review. Open a quarantine entry to see its details.

2. Accept the funds

   Select Accept funds to move the deposit into the vault’s available balance, where it can be transferred. Every incoming deposit is quarantined on arrival, and releasing it is a manual, signed action.

   If a release quarantine policy applies, the release is screened before the funds are made available — the vault shows the release as pending until the policy resolves. Scope the policy by vault tags to control which vaults it covers.

   

Send or withdraw funds

1. Start a transfer

   Select Send (or Withdraw), then pick a funded asset. Only assets with an available balance can be transferred.

   
2. Enter the destination and amount

   Enter the destination address and amount, then review the transfer summary.

3. Confirm

   Confirm the transfer. The amount is reserved (locked) while the transfer is pending, then debited from the available balance once it settles. If a signing policy applies, the transfer first requires approval — the dashboard shows step-by-step status as each approval completes.

Lock funds

1. Create a lock

   Lock part of a vault’s available balance for off-chain settlement or escrow. Pick an asset and amount to lock; the amount moves from available to the vault’s locked balance and can no longer be transferred until released.

2. Review and release locks

   The vault lists its active locks. Release a lock to return the funds to the available balance.

To change a lock’s amount without releasing and recreating it, use the Replace vault lock API. It releases the existing lock and creates a new one at the new amount in a single operation, carrying over the owner, external ID, and reason. If a policy applies, the replacement waits for approval before taking effect.

Rename a vault or edit its tags

1. Edit the vault

   From the vault header, choose Rename or Edit tags, then confirm. Renaming and editing tags each take a single signed action.

   

Get started

Create your first vault

Create, tag, and manage vaults via the API

Move funds

Add addresses and transfer assets out of a vault