Seed phrase
A seed phrase is a wallet backup of 12 or 24 words that restores all of its keys. Lose it and you lose access; give it away and you lose the money.
How it works
When you create a non-custodial wallet (one where you hold the keys, not an exchange), it shows you words from a standard list of 2048 words. All the wallet's private keys and addresses are derived mathematically from those words. So the phrase is your money, and the app is just a window onto it.
If your phone breaks or gets lost, you install the wallet on a new device, type the same words in the same order and get every coin back. But anyone who learns your phrase can do the same, and their transfer cannot be reversed.
Keep the phrase offline: on paper or a metal plate, somewhere safe, ideally in two places. Do not photograph it, do not keep it in notes, cloud storage or email, and never type it into a website.
A real wallet never asks for the phrase on a website or in a support chat. If "support" in a messenger asks you to enter 12 words "to sync your wallet", it is a scammer, and the wallet will be emptied within minutes.
You wrote 24 words on paper, keep the sheet at home and a copy in another safe place. Your phone falls in the water: you buy a new one, install the wallet, enter the 24 words, and every address and balance is back.
The most common mistake is keeping the phrase as a screenshot, in notes or in the cloud "so you don't lose it". Malware or a hacked account hands it to an attacker, and the money is gone for good. Write the phrase by hand only, double-check the words and their order, and keep copies offline in different places.
Questions and answers
What is a seed phrase in simple terms?
It is 12 or 24 words that act as the master password to your wallet and let you restore it on any device. Whoever knows the words controls the money.
What happens if I lose my seed phrase?
If the wallet is still open on your device, move the coins to a new wallet with a new phrase right away. If the device is gone too, access cannot be recovered: a non-custodial wallet has no support team that can give the phrase back.
Is it safe to store a seed phrase on my phone or in the cloud?
Not really. Anything connected to the internet can be hacked or stolen. Paper or a metal plate hidden offline is much safer.
Related terms
Read next
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Updated: 2026-10-19