The master key to all your digital assets
A seed phrase (also known as recovery phrase or mnemonic), is a sequence of 12 or 24 words that represents the master key to your cryptocurrency wallet. This phrase is everything you need to recover complete access to all your digital assets.
Example 12-word seed phrase:
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Your seed phrase is literally the key to all your funds. If someone obtains your seed phrase, they can:
On the other hand, if you lose your seed phrase:
| Method | Risk | Why is it Dangerous? |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshot | HIGH | Syncs to cloud (iCloud, Google Photos). Vulnerable to hacks. |
| Phone note | HIGH | Syncs to servers. Accessible if your account is hacked. |
| Email or Drive | HIGH | Vulnerable to phishing, provider security breaches. |
| Cloud password managers | MEDIUM-HIGH | Depends on provider security. If the company is hacked, everyone loses. |
| Unprotected paper | MEDIUM | Readable by anyone who finds it. Vulnerable to theft, fire, water. |
Vault offers the perfect solution to protect your seed phrases:
Your seed phrase is completely encrypted in your browser. It never touches any external server.
Save the encrypted QR in multiple locations: cloud, printed paper, USB. All will be protected.
Node.js command-line tool available on GitHub to decrypt your data offline.
Split the responsibility: give the encrypted QR to one person, the password to another. Requires both to access.
For maximum security, follow this redundant backup strategy:
Encrypt your seed phrase in Vault with an extremely strong password (20+ characters, uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols).
Save the encrypted QR in 3+ locations:
Store the password separately:
Download the Recovery Kit and save it on multiple offline devices (USBs, external hard drives).
Verify regularly that you can access both the QR and the password. Test decryption at least once a year.
For significant or long-term funds, consider these advanced strategies:
NEVER:
Your seed phrase is your responsibility. Protect it like you would protect your house keys.
Encrypt Seed Phrase