Tracking: alpha -> beta readiness

[Jolah1]

GhostKey is a live, on-chain-proven alpha (real mainnet vault; check-in, heir claim, guardian claim, and a mainnet recovery drill all verified). These are the gates to earn the beta label. Treat real funds as at risk until #183 lands.

The gates

• Beta gate: independent security audit #183 — Independent security audit (the webflow design added #1 blocker)
• Beta gate: move GHOSTKEY_MASTER_KEY to a KMS/HSM (envelope encryption) #184 — Move GHOSTKEY_MASTER_KEY to a KMS/HSM — resolved as accepted-for-beta: staying on Fly secrets; KMS hook built in feat(crypto): load master key from a KMS/secrets-manager at boot [#184] #190, not activated. Residual: plaintext still recoverable from running env.
• Beta gate: validate the no-Core heir recovery tool (largely built) #185 — Friendlier heir recovery (not Bitcoin Core only) — tool built; needs one real non-technical-user recovery test on a funded vault
• Beta gate: reduce/clarify Door A (F2) custody exposure #186 — Reduce/clarify Door A (F2) custody exposure — disclosure copy done (fix(copy): make heir-key custody claims accurate (design review C0) #156/fix(copy): make Door A custody disclosure accurate [#186] #191); Door B-as-default deliberately rejected (non-technical heirs); token-wrapping moot without KMS; off-F2 path not built. Rescope proposed.
• Beta gate: operational hardening (backups, load, monitoring) #187 — Operational hardening (backups, load, monitoring) — done per maintainer: restore drill, /health monitor, load test, second maintainer all completed and working
• Real-user validation: a handful of founding users complete a full setup -> check-in -> (test) claim without hand-holding

Recommended order

1. Beta gate: validate the no-Core heir recovery tool (largely built) #185 friendlier recovery and Beta gate: operational hardening (backups, load, monitoring) #187 backups first — they protect the founding users who are already here, and need no external dependency.
2. Beta gate: move GHOSTKEY_MASTER_KEY to a KMS/HSM (envelope encryption) #184 KMS, which also de-risks Beta gate: reduce/clarify Door A (F2) custody exposure #186 (do Beta gate: reduce/clarify Door A (F2) custody exposure #186 right after).
3. Beta gate: independent security audit #183 audit once the above are in and the scope is stable — you don't want to pay for an audit of code you're about to change.
4. Promote to beta when Beta gate: independent security audit #183 is remediated, Beta gate: move GHOSTKEY_MASTER_KEY to a KMS/HSM (envelope encryption) #184/Beta gate: validate the no-Core heir recovery tool (largely built) #185 are shipped, and real-user validation has happened.

Marketing/loud growth waits for beta; "founding users, help me test, here's the open code" is the right mode until then.

[Jolah1]

Update on #185: the no-Core heir recovery tool already exists and builds (the recovery-kit / independence-proof file: unlock → find coins → sign in WASM → broadcast, fully offline). The 'recovery needs Bitcoin Core' framing was stale. #185 is reduced from 'build it' to 'validate it with a real user + fix any Core-only wording'. Net effect: the recovery gate is in much better shape than first stated.