Academy > Security FAQ

What’s the difference between a secret / seed phrase and a private key?

Difference’s

Note: A secret/seed phrase and a private key are both used in cryptocurrency wallets to secure access to your funds, but they serve different purposes.

Secret/seed phrase

A secret phrase, also known as a seed phrase or recovery phrase, is a series of words used to recover or restore access to your cryptocurrency wallet. It’s typically 12, 18, or 24 words long, and it’s generated using a cryptographic algorithm. The seed phrase is designed to be easy to remember and write down, but difficult for someone else to guess or generate. It’s important to keep your seed phrase safe and secure, as anyone who has access to it can use it to recover your wallet and access your funds.

Private key

A private key, is a string of random characters that is used to sign transactions and prove ownership of cryptocurrency. It’s generated from the seed phrase or other random data using a mathematical algorithm, and it’s unique to your wallet. Your private key should be kept secret and secure, as anyone who has access to it can spend your cryptocurrency.

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