A seed phrase — usually twelve or twenty-four words from a standard list — is a human-writable form of the random value from which a wallet derives all its keys and addresses. Enter the same words in the same order into any compatible wallet and the accounts and balances reappear, because they were never stored in the app to begin with.
This makes the phrase the single point of failure. Anyone who reads it takes everything it controls, on every chain, instantly and irreversibly. It should be recorded offline and never entered anywhere except a wallet you are deliberately restoring — no legitimate exchange, wallet developer or support agent will ever ask for it, and every request for one is theft in progress.
Where should I store my seed phrase?
Offline and physically — written or stamped, kept somewhere private, ideally with a second copy in a separate location. Never in a photo, a password manager note, an email, or any file that syncs to the cloud.
Last updated October 17, 2026