Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) are an agreement between you and Aphanite Labs (“Aphanite”, “we”, “us”) governing your use of the Aphanite websites, applications, relay, directory, developer API, and related services (together, the “Service”). By using the Service you accept these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

You must be old enough to form a binding contract where you live (and at least 18 to use any payment-related feature).

Aphanite is non-custodial software. Cryptographic keys are generated and stored on your devices; we never receive, hold, or control your private keys, your recovery phrase, or your funds. All transfers of cryptoassets happen directly on public blockchains between addresses you and your counterparties control. Aphanite is not a bank, money transmitter, exchange, custodian, or payment processor, and nothing in the Service constitutes an offer of financial services or financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.

Messages are end-to-end encrypted on your device. We operate infrastructure (a relay, a public handle directory, a claim-link coordination service, and encrypted-backup storage) that carries ciphertext and limited routing data, as described in the Privacy Policy.

Because only you hold your keys, only you can secure them. You are responsible for safeguarding your devices, recovery phrase, and backup passphrase. If you lose every device and every backup, your account, message history, and any funds held by your keys cannot be recovered — by you, by us, or by anyone else. That is a property of self-custody, not a defect we can waive.

You are responsible for every transaction signed with your keys and every message sent from your account.

Blockchain transactions are broadcast to public networks and are irreversible once confirmed. You are responsible for verifying recipients, amounts, and networks before signing, and for network (gas) fees. We cannot cancel, reverse, or refund an on-chain transaction.

Claim links let you place funds on a newly generated on-chain address and share a link that allows a recipient to take control of those funds. Until a claim is collected, the funds remain under keys held on your device — you are responsible for the links you create and share, including who you share them with. Offline-claimable links function like cash: anyone holding the complete link can claim them. Unclaimed funds can be reclaimed by you from the app; we do not take possession of them at any point.

Optional features — such as custom handles, verified badges, larger groups, encrypted backup, developer API access, and priority delivery — are unlocked by one-time payments made on-chain from your wallet to an address we designate. Prices are shown in the app at the time of purchase. Because these payments are on-chain, they are final when confirmed; where the law of your jurisdiction grants non-waivable refund rights, those rights are unaffected.

Handles and badges are licenses to use an identifier within the Service, not property. They remain subject to the Acceptable Use Policy — an identifier obtained to impersonate, deceive, or squat may be revoked, and records already written to the public transparency log remain in the log by design.

The Service interoperates with software and services we do not control: wallets, blockchains, RPC providers, block explorers, push-notification infrastructure, and any third-party on- or off-ramp you choose to use. Those services have their own terms, and cashing out to fiat through a partner will subject you to that partner's own requirements, including identity verification required of them by law. We are not responsible for third-party services.

Your use of the Service must comply with our Acceptable Use Policy, which is part of these Terms and covers prohibited conduct, sanctions compliance, and how we enforce it. In short: no illegal use, no fraud, no abuse of other users, and no use by or for the benefit of sanctioned persons or from embargoed territories.

The Service is under active development. We may add, change, suspend, or discontinue features (including the relay, directory, and paid features) at any time. We aim for high availability but do not promise uninterrupted service. Self-custody means a service interruption never gives us — or takes from you — control of your funds or keys; local data and on-chain assets remain yours.

You can stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access to the services we operate (relay delivery, directory listing, paid features, the API) if you materially breach these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy, or where we are required to by law. Because the system is non-custodial and end-to-end encrypted, termination affects access to our infrastructure only: it does not and cannot touch funds held by your keys, and it does not give us the ability to read your past messages.

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Cryptoassets are volatile and involve substantial risk, including total loss. Blockchain networks, wallets, and browsers are outside our control, and no security technique eliminates all risk. Nothing in the Service is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any asset.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Aphanite Labs and its people will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost data, or loss of cryptoassets, arising from or related to the Service — including losses caused by forgotten passphrases, lost devices, misdirected transactions, shared claim links, third-party services, or blockchain behavior. To the same extent, our aggregate liability for all claims relating to the Service is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us for paid features in the twelve months before the claim and one hundred US dollars. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; where that is the case, these limits apply to the fullest extent permitted.

You will indemnify and hold Aphanite Labs harmless from claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your content, your transactions, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of law or the rights of others.

We may update these Terms as the product and the law evolve. Material changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date, and, where feasible, announced in the app. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Aphanite Labs is established, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, and disputes belong to the courts of that jurisdiction unless the law where you live grants you a non-waivable different venue.

Questions about these Terms? Reach us through the wallet-verified contact form on our homepage.