What is Seed phrase?
Twelve or twenty-four words from which every key in a wallet is derived. Anyone with the words has the coins.
The words encode the entropy behind a hierarchical deterministic wallet, so a single backup restores every address it will ever generate.
Write it on something durable and store it physically. Never photograph it, type it into a phone, put it in a password manager or cloud note, or enter it into any website. No legitimate service, including this one, will ever ask for it.
A seed phrase is not a password you can change. It is the key itself, in a human-readable encoding.
Related terms
Private key
The secret number that authorises spending from an address. Whoever holds it controls the coins…
Keys & custodyHD wallet
A hierarchical deterministic wallet, where an unlimited tree of keys is derived from one seed.
Keys & custodySelf-custody
Holding your own private keys rather than trusting a third party to hold coins for you.
Keys & custodyHardware wallet
A dedicated device that stores private keys and signs transactions without exposing the keys to an…
This definition is part of the Bitcoin Logical glossary. For the fuller explanation, start with Aprender, or see the live numbers on O Sinal Bitcoin.