Seed Phrase
A human-readable backup of a wallet's master private key, typically 12 or 24 words.
A seed phrase (also called a mnemonic phrase or recovery phrase) is a standardised list of 12 or 24 words drawn from a 2,048-word BIP-39 wordlist. It encodes the master private key of a hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallet, from which all account keys can be re-derived.
If you lose your device or wallet software, importing the seed phrase into any compatible wallet restores all your accounts and balances. This portability makes seed phrases the universal backup standard across wallets.
The seed phrase is equivalent to the keys to your entire portfolio. Anyone who obtains it can drain every account. Never store it digitally — write it on paper or steel and keep copies in secure locations.