Seed phrase

How it is used

Also called recovery phrase, secret recovery phrase or mnemonic. You write down, back up and store a seed phrase offline, and enter it to restore a wallet. Scammers often try to trick users into typing it on fake websites.

Example sentences

1. Write your seed phrase on paper and keep it somewhere safe, not in a screenshot.

2. He lost his seed phrase, so there was no way to recover the funds.

Common collocations

• write down your seed phrase
• back up the seed phrase
• enter the seed phrase
• recovery phrase
• 12-word seed phrase

Related terms

• private keyA 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• phishingA trick in which attackers pretend to be a trusted company or person to make victims reveal passwords, seed phrases or private keys, or approve a harmful transaction.
• hardware walletA small physical device, often similar to a USB stick, that stores private keys offline and signs transactions inside the device, so the keys never touch an internet-connected computer.

More terms: Wallets & Keys

• public key
• wallet address
• hot wallet
• cold wallet
• custodial wallet
• multisig