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Your seed phrase is the most important thing in self-custody. Here's what it is and how to protect it.
A seed phrase (also called a recovery phrase or backup phrase) is a list of 12 or 24 words that gives complete access to your crypto wallet.
Example seed phrase:
apple brave crane dance elegant fortune grape horizon island jungle kingdom lamp
These words, in this exact order, can recreate your entire wallet on any device.
When you create a wallet, your seed phrase is generated using cryptographic randomness. This phrase mathematically generates all your private keys, which control your crypto across every blockchain.
The relationship:
The seed phrase can recreate all your private keys. Lose it, and you lose access permanently.
These aren't random words from a dictionary. They're selected from a standardized list of 2,048 words (BIP-39 standard).
The randomness creates an astronomically large number of possible combinations - so large that guessing is mathematically impossible.
12 words = 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 possible combinations.
What to do:
1. Store it safely
Keep your seed phrase in a secure location:
2. Verify you stored it correctly
Before transferring large amounts, confirm your backup works by importing it on a test device.
3. Never show it to anyone
No one (not friends, family, or support staff) should ever see your seed phrase.
4. Keep it offline
Physical storage only. Never connect it to the internet.
What to avoid:
1. Never take a screenshot
Screenshots are vulnerable to hacking, malware, and accidental cloud backups.
2. Never store it digitally
No cloud storage, password managers, notes apps, or encrypted files.
3. Never share it
No legitimate service will ever ask for your seed phrase. Anyone asking is a scammer.
4. Never type it into websites
Phishing sites that look like wallet apps will try to steal your seed phrase. Only enter it directly into the trusted KriptoK app on your device.
5. Never split it across messages
Sending parts of your seed phrase digitally still exposes it to risk.
If someone has your seed phrase, they have complete access to your crypto - forever. They can:
There is no way to revoke a seed phrase. Your only option is to create a new wallet and transfer funds before they do.