Wallet Timeout

Overview

Timeouts can lock an idle application, end an API session, expire a connection proposal, invalidate an approval, or stop waiting for transaction completion. They limit unattended access and prevent stale instructions from remaining actionable indefinitely.

One timeout does not cover every layer. A wallet screen may lock while a session or token allowance remains active. A transaction request can expire in the application yet still be broadcast later if already signed. Short timeouts may also interrupt legitimate multisignature or recovery processes.

Systems should define separate timeouts for authentication, sessions, approvals, signing requests, broadcasts, and settlement monitoring. Expiry behavior must be explicit and fail safely. Renewed actions should revalidate current details rather than reuse stale approval. Users need clear status and recovery guidance. Timed-out items should remain traceable for investigation and reconciliation.

Wallet Timeout should be distinguished from the asset balance and from the application that displays it. For example, a customer-facing success message does not prove that the intended transaction executed on the correct network; operations should verify execution and reconcile the result before irreversible fulfillment.

Records for Wallet Timeout should preserve account and address identifiers, asset and network identity, policy version, requester, approvers, signed payload or transaction reference, fees, timestamps, status history, confirmations, exceptions, and final balance and accounting effects. For Wallet Timeout, corrections must remain linked rather than overwrite the original event.

Material risks for Wallet Timeout include credential compromise, malicious destinations, unsupported assets, wrong-network transfers, stale balances, compromised software, provider outage, privacy leakage, and inaccessible recovery material. For Wallet Timeout, controls should reflect value, automation, reversibility, and whether the organization or a third party controls signing.