If you joined after the first update, here's what you missed: authentication done, mandatory 2FA, 177 tests passing. Foundation work. You can read the full update here: The boring stuff is done.

This time there's something to look at.

The vault works

You can create folders, upload files, organize them how you want. 10GB storage. Drag and drop or click to browse.

The interface is simple on purpose. Folders go one level deep. No nested hierarchies. Complexity creates problems later: both for you organizing and for contacts trying to find what they need.

Encryption happens in your browser

When you upload a file, it gets encrypted on your device before it leaves. The server receives ciphertext only. We can't read your files during normal operation. Neither can anyone who compromises the server.

This is harder to build than server-side encryption. It's also the only version worth building.

What I've learned from conversations

I've been talking to people about what they'd actually store. One thing came up that I hadn't considered: genetic data. 23andMe, ancestry reports, health predispositions.

Unlike most medical records, this data doesn't expire. Your DNA is your DNA. And it's relevant to your kids and grandkids in ways that other documents aren't.

Still thinking through the implications. But it's a good reminder that "sensitive files" means different things to different people.

What's next

Trusted contacts — the people who actually receive your vault — are almost working. Invitation flow, verification, the mechanics of making sure they're reachable when it matters. Should be done soon.

After that, I'll write about why existing solutions didn't cut it. Password manager emergency access, cloud storage sharing, the options that sound good until you look closely. Early January.

I'll be building between the holidays. This is a side project, so the quiet weeks are when real progress happens.

In the meantime, spend some time with the people you'd put on your list.

Take care of each other. Talk to you in 2026.

—Frank