> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tychi.gitbook.io/tychi-whitepaper/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tychi.gitbook.io/tychi-whitepaper/security-and-idenitity/social-recovery-wallet.md).

# Social Recovery Wallet

### Overview

The Social Recovery Wallet feature in Tychi offers users a secure, decentralized mechanism to recover access to their wallets through trusted contacts—without exposing private keys or compromising control.

### Technical Design

Tychi leverages **Shamir’s Secret Sharing** algorithm to split a user's private key into multiple encrypted parts. These are distributed across **pre-selected guardians**, such as friends, family, or personal devices. To initiate a recovery, a **threshold number** of guardians must verify and approve the request.

### Key Components

* **Guardian-Based Recovery**\
  Users designate trusted contacts as guardians who each hold a unique, encrypted fragment of their private key.
* **Multi-Factor Verification**\
  Guardians must authenticate themselves via biometric, password, or OTP before approving recovery.
* **Threshold-Based Access**\
  Only when a predefined number of guardians confirm, the system reconstructs the private key securely.
* **Encrypted Fragment Handling**\
  Guardians cannot view or use the fragments independently—fragments are encrypted at rest and only recombined on authorized recovery.

### Recovery Flow

1. **User Initiation**: A recovery request is submitted via the Tychi Wallet.
2. **Guardian Authentication**: Each selected guardian is prompted to verify and approve the request.
3. **Threshold Confirmation**: Once the required number of guardians confirm, encrypted parts are decrypted and reassembled.
4. **Key Restoration**: The user regains access with the rebuilt private key.

### Security Features

* **End-to-End Encryption**: Ensures all private key fragments remain secure in storage and transit.
* **Time-Locked Recovery**: Recovery attempts are time-bound and permission-based.
* **Audit Logging**: All actions are logged for user visibility and compliance.
* **Dynamic Guardian List**: Users can add, remove, or reassign guardians at any time.

***