Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through setting up Kairo Guard from scratch. By the end, you'll have a policy-protected wallet ready to use with any dApp.

Time required: About 5 minutes

What You'll Need

A Chrome-based browser (Chrome, Brave, Edge, or Arc)
An existing crypto wallet address (or create one during setup)
A device that supports passkeys (most modern devices do)

Step 1: Install the Extension

Visit the Chrome Web Store and search for "Kairo Guard"
Click Add to Chrome
Confirm the installation when prompted

The Kairo icon will appear in your browser toolbar.

Step 2: Create Your Passkey

Click the Kairo icon to open the extension. You'll be prompted to create a passkey.

What's a passkey? It's a secure alternative to passwords that uses your device's biometrics (fingerprint, face recognition) or PIN. Your passkey encrypts your wallet's keys locally—even if someone steals your device, they can't access your wallet without your biometrics.

Click Create Passkey
Follow your device's prompts (usually a fingerprint or face scan)
Done! Your passkey is now set up

Tip: If you use iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager, your passkey can sync across your devices automatically.

Step 3: Set Up Your Wallet

You have two options:

Option A: Import an Existing Wallet

If you have an existing wallet you want to protect:

Click Import Existing Wallet
Enter your private key
Confirm the address matches what you expect

Your private key is encrypted with your passkey and stored locally. It's never sent to Kairo's servers.

Option B: Generate a New Wallet

Starting fresh? Kairo can generate a new wallet for you:

Click Create New Wallet
Your new address will be displayed
Make note of your backup options (covered in the next section)

Step 4: Configure Your First Policy

Now for the important part—setting up your protection rules.

Kairo starts you with a sensible default policy, but you can customize it:

Choose Your Destinations

Allowlist mode (recommended): Only addresses you explicitly approve can receive funds.

Click Add Address
Enter the address and give it a name (like "My Hardware Wallet" or "Uniswap Router")
Repeat for all addresses you commonly send to

Denylist mode: Block specific addresses while allowing everything else.

Set Spending Limits (Optional)

You can cap how much can be sent in a single transaction:

Toggle on Spending Limits
Set your maximum per-transaction amount
Choose which tokens this applies to

Review and Publish

Review your policy settings
Click Publish Policy
Confirm the transaction to save your policy on-chain

Your policy is now active! Every transaction will be checked against these rules.

Step 5: Test Your Setup

Let's verify everything works:

Open any dApp you normally use
Connect your Kairo-protected wallet
Initiate a small transaction to an approved address
The Kairo extension will show the approval screen
Review and approve
Transaction completes normally

Now try a transaction to an address that's not in your allowlist. You'll see Kairo block it with a clear explanation.

What Happens Now?

From this point forward, every transaction goes through your policy:

Approved transactions proceed normally—you might not even notice Kairo is there
Blocked transactions show a clear explanation of why they were stopped
Edge cases prompt you to add the address to your allowlist if you trust it

Next Steps

Understand how it works — Learn the technology behind the protection
Set up recovery options — Protect against device loss
Explore policy options — Fine-tune your protection rules

Need Help?

If you run into any issues:

Check the address you're trying to send to is in your allowlist
Ensure your passkey is working (try the biometric prompt again)
Visit our support page for troubleshooting guides