seed phrase

What is the opposite of seed phrase? Here is what we hold, with its meaning and related words.

Noun — A list of ordinary words, usually twelve or twenty-four, generated when a cryptocurrency wallet is set up. The words encode the master key from which all the wallet's addresses come, so anyone holding them can restore the wallet and move the funds.

How to use seed phrase

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

write down your seed phrase 12-word seed phrase restore from a seed phrase never share your seed phrase

Wallet software increasingly says "recovery phrase" or "secret recovery phrase" instead, on the grounds that users treat a "seed" as less important than it is.

Etymology

From seed in the sense of a starting value from which the wallet's keys are generated, plus phrase, since it takes the form of a sequence of words.

Full origin of seed phrase →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a seed phrase and a private key?

A private key controls one address. A seed phrase encodes a master value from which a whole family of keys and addresses is derived, so it restores the entire wallet rather than a single account.

What is the difference between a seed phrase and a password?

A password can normally be reset by the service that holds your account. A seed phrase is the key itself; nobody else has a copy, so it cannot be reset, and anyone who obtains it has full control of the funds.

Why do wallets warn against storing a seed phrase on a phone or in the cloud?

Because a photo, note or cloud backup can be read by anyone who gains access to that account or device, and requests to "verify" a phrase are a standard tactic in crypto theft. Legitimate wallet software and support staff have no reason to ask for it.

Nearby words

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