MPC Wallet: How to Securely Trade Stocks with a Google Login
Learn how Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallets allow you to securely trade tokenized U.S. stocks on GM Markets with a simple Google or email login, eliminating the need for complex seed phrases.
MPC Wallet: How to Securely Trade Stocks with a Google Login
For years, accessing digital assets involved a difficult choice. You could use a traditional exchange, which offers a simple email and password login but requires you to trust the company with your funds. Or, you could use a self-custodial wallet, which gives you full control but demands you manage a complex 12 or 24-word seed phrase, creating a constant risk of theft or permanent loss. This tradeoff between ease of use and security has been a major barrier to wider adoption.
On GM Markets, this choice is no longer necessary. You can securely sign up and begin trading tokenized U.S. stocks using the same email or Google account you use every day. This is made possible by Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallet technology. MPC wallets combine the simple, familiar login experience of a modern web application with the robust security and self-custody of a crypto wallet, without the need for a seed phrase.
This post explains what an MPC wallet is, how the technology works on our platform to secure your account, and the exact steps to create your wallet and start trading in under a minute. We believe this approach removes a fundamental barrier to accessing global financial markets.
What is an MPC Wallet?
A Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallet is a type of self-custodial crypto wallet that secures funds by eliminating the single point of failure inherent in traditional wallets: the single private key. Instead of creating one secret key that controls all assets, MPC technology splits the key into multiple encrypted parts, often called “shards.”
These shards are stored in different locations. To authorize a transaction, a certain number of these shards must be brought together to collaboratively sign it. The critical security feature is that the full private key is never stored in one place, nor is it ever fully reconstructed, not even for a moment during a transaction. As security platforms like Fireblocks explain, this distributed approach means that even if an attacker compromises one shard, your assets remain secure because they do not have the complete key.
This model provides a powerful balance. It offers the familiar login and recovery process of a standard online account while preserving the core principle of self-custody, where you and only you control your assets.
How GM Markets Uses MPC for Secure Social Logins
Our simple login experience is powered by our wallet infrastructure partner, Privy, a leader in embedded, self-custodial wallets. When you sign up for GM Markets with a Google or email account, an MPC wallet is automatically created and linked to that identity in the background.
The Privy MPC Architecture: A Deeper Look
Privy’s system uses a distributed key sharding model to secure your wallet. In its default configuration, it creates a “2-of-2” system where two key shards are required to perform any cryptographic operation. The complete private key is never stored persistently in one place.
- The Enclave Share: One shard is generated and secured within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), such as an AWS Nitro Enclave. This is a highly isolated hardware environment that protects the key shard even from the server administrator.
- The Auth Share: The second shard is encrypted and stored by Privy. This shard can only be accessed and used when you successfully authenticate using your login method (Google, email magic link) and your device’s security (passkey or biometrics).
To sign a transaction, your authentication releases the auth share, which is sent to the TEE. The full key is momentarily reconstructed in-memory within the secure enclave, it signs the transaction, and then it is immediately wiped. This process ensures the full key is only ever present for a fraction of a second inside a protected, isolated environment.
Step-by-Step: Create Your Wallet on GM Markets
We designed our onboarding process to be as direct as possible. You can go from our homepage to a funded, self-custodial trading account in just a few clicks, without needing to understand blockchain infrastructure or manage a seed phrase.
- Visit the GM Markets Platform: Navigate to our homepage at gm.markets and select the option to begin trading.
- Choose Your Login Method: You will be prompted to sign up using your Google account or any personal email address. Select your preferred option.
- Authenticate Your Account: If you choose Google, a familiar login pop-up will appear to authenticate your account. If you choose email, we will send a magic link to your inbox. Clicking this link securely signs you in.
- Secure Your Wallet with a Passkey: After your first login, you will be prompted to set up a passkey or biometric authentication, such as Face ID or Touch ID. This step creates a secure, hardware-level cryptographic key on your device. According to the FIDO Alliance, this method is fundamentally resistant to phishing and server breaches, providing a much higher level of security than traditional passwords.
During this brief process, your secure, self-custodial MPC wallet is automatically created and linked to your account. You are now ready to deposit funds and trade.
Security and Recovery Without a Seed Phrase
A common question is whether an account accessed via email is truly self-custodial and secure. The answer is yes. The wallet created on GM Markets is a self-custodial wallet, meaning the assets it holds are under your exclusive control.
Intuitive Account Recovery
If you lose your primary device, you can recover your account on a new device using a secure and familiar flow that does not rely on a hidden piece of paper. The process leverages the security of your email or Google account combined with the passkeys you have stored on backup devices. You simply sign in on the new device with your original credentials. You will then be prompted to authenticate with a passkey from a backup device, which securely re-links your wallet without ever exposing a private key. This provides a robust recovery path that is both easy to use and resistant to social engineering attacks.
Why This is More Secure for Most Users
This model provides distinct security advantages over other wallet types:
- No Centralized Custody Risk: Unlike a traditional exchange where the company holds your keys and assets, our MPC setup ensures that neither GM Markets nor Privy can ever access or move your funds.
- No Seed Phrase Vulnerability: The greatest risk in traditional self-custody is losing your seed phrase or having it stolen through a phishing attack. Our model eliminates this risk entirely because a seed phrase is never generated. Industry data consistently shows that user friction and complex security steps lead to abandonment or errors. MPC wallets solve this.
Our platform is designed for a global audience. Please note that GM Markets is a platform in public beta and is not offered to users in the United States or other restricted jurisdictions. You can review our legal and risk policies on our legal page.
From Secure Login to Your First Trade
After creating your account, you can begin trading immediately. The process is straightforward and transparent.
Funding Your Account
You can deposit funds using stablecoins like USDC or USDT directly on-chain. We also support deposits through traditional payment rails such as Apple Pay, credit cards, and bank transfers. We partner with established third-party payment processors for these transactions. In line with common industry practice for integrated payment gateways, the specific providers are not publicly named. All deposits on our platform are free of charge.
Trading Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs on GM Markets
Once funded, you can navigate to the markets page to trade tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs. Our platform focuses exclusively on these asset classes, providing you with on-chain exposure to the global equity market.
- Tokenized Stocks: Trade tokens representing shares in leading U.S. companies like Apple (AAPL), NVIDIA (NVDA), and Tesla (TSLA).
- Tokenized ETFs: Gain broad market exposure through tokens tracking major indices like the S&P 500 (SPY) and the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ).
For a complete, live view of all tradable instruments, please visit the Markets page on our platform. Every token we offer is backed 1:1 by a real share held at a regulated broker, such as Interactive Brokers or Alpaca Markets. You can verify this backing in real time on our Proof of Reserves page. It is important to remember that all trading involves risk. The value of tokenized stocks can go down as well as up, and you may receive back less than you invested. We do not provide financial advice.
Unlocking DeFi: Using Tokenized Stocks as Productive Capital
One of the most significant advantages of holding tokenized stocks is their composability within the world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Because our tokens are standard ERC-20s, they can be used as productive capital across various protocols, allowing you to access liquidity or earn yield without selling your equity positions.
Potential strategies include:
- Lending: Supplying your tokenized stocks to a lending pool to earn a variable yield from borrowers.
- Borrowing: Using your tokenized stocks as collateral to borrow stablecoins or other assets. This allows you to access cash without creating a taxable event by selling your shares.
While markets for GM Markets' specific tokens are still emerging, the precedent for using tokenized securities in DeFi is well established. For example, the lending protocol Morpho has successfully integrated tokenized ETFs as collateral, allowing holders to borrow USDC against their positions. This demonstrates a clear and viable pathway for our tokenized stocks to become fully integrated into the DeFi ecosystem. Protocols like Aave are also evolving, with future versions designed to better accommodate a variety of Real-World Assets (RWAs), signaling a strong trend toward the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an MPC wallet?
An MPC, or Multi-Party Computation, wallet is a type of secure, self-custodial wallet that protects your assets by splitting the private key into multiple encrypted pieces, or shards. These shards are stored separately, and a transaction can only be signed when the shards work together. This eliminates the single point of failure of a traditional seed phrase.
Is signing up with Google or email less secure than a normal crypto wallet?
No, it is significantly more secure for most users. This method replaces the vulnerable seed phrase with modern security like passkeys and biometrics, which are resistant to phishing. The underlying MPC technology ensures that no single party, including GM Markets, can access your funds, preserving the security of self-custody.
Do I really own the assets if I do not have a seed phrase?
Yes. Ownership in crypto is defined by control over the private key. With our MPC wallet, you are the only one who can authorize transactions using the key shards you control via your device's security and your login credentials. This is the definition of self-custodial ownership.
Can I export my private key from an MPC wallet?
No. By design, the complete private key never exists in a single place in our MPC system. Therefore, it cannot be exported. This is a core security feature that prevents the key from being stolen or mishandled, removing the primary vulnerability of traditional self-custodial wallets.
The New Standard for Asset Access
We believe that enabling users to sign up with a simple email or Google login represents a major step forward in making global equity markets truly accessible. For too long, unnecessary complexity has stood in the way of participation for millions of potential investors.
By leveraging advanced technologies like Multi-Party Computation, we can offer an experience that is instantly familiar to anyone who has used a modern web application. This simplicity does not come at the cost of security or user control. It enhances it by removing the most common points of human error associated with digital asset management.
Ready to get started? Create your account in seconds and explore the world of on-chain, tokenized U.S. stocks.
