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Blockchain & Crypto vocabulary · Wallets & Keys

Private key

Meaning in blockchain & crypto, with examples

/ˌpraɪ.vət ˈkiː/nounCore term

In blockchain & crypto, private key means: A secret number that proves you own a wallet and lets you sign transactions. Anyone who has the private key can move the funds, so it must never be shared.

In Turkish: özel anahtar, gizli anahtar

How it is used

Used in security guides, wallet apps and support conversations. You generate, store, back up, import, export or lose a private key, and a key can be leaked or compromised. Support teams repeat one rule constantly: never share your private key.

Example sentences

  1. No one from our team will ever ask for your private key.

  2. The attacker got hold of the private key and drained the wallet within minutes.

Common collocations

  • store a private key
  • import a private key
  • lose your private key
  • compromised private key
  • never share your private key
  • public keyA key mathematically created from a private key that can be shared safely. Others use it to check your signatures, and wallet addresses are usually derived from it.
  • seed phraseA list of usually 12 or 24 ordinary words that can rebuild a wallet and all its private keys. It is the master backup of a wallet, so whoever has it controls the funds.
  • walletAn app or device that stores the keys you need to access and move your crypto. The coins themselves stay on the blockchain; the wallet only holds the keys that control them.
  • wallet addressA string of letters and numbers that shows where crypto can be sent, similar to an account number. On Ethereum, for example, addresses start with 0x.
  • self-custodyKeeping your crypto in a wallet where you alone hold the private keys or seed phrase, instead of leaving it with an exchange or another company.

More terms: Wallets & Keys

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