Seed phrase

A secret recovery phrase — a list of words that can fully restore your crypto wallet and give total control over your funds, with no “forgot password” and no way to undo it if you share or lose it.

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Most modern wallets use 12 or 24 English words from a fixed BIP‑39 list for your seed phrase; if you translate those words into another language, you will not be able to recover your wallet with the translated version. A seed phrase is the master key and remote control of your wallet. Whoever has it can restore your wallet on their own device and move your funds, even without your password or email. There is no central support that can press “reset” for you — if you lose it, access can be gone; if you share it, your money can be gone.

Why it matters

• Your seed phrase is more powerful than any login – it can bypass accounts and passwords entirely.​
• Most “wallet hacks” are actually seed phrase leaks through fake support, fake apps, or phishing sites.​
• Losing it can mean permanent loss; sharing it can mean near‑instant theft.​

Do these thoughts feel familiar?

• “I’ll clean this up later.” So your seed phrase stays in screenshots, chats, or random notes that you never actually fix.
• “They look official.” So you ignore the small knot in your stomach when a fake support agent asks for your seed phrase.
• “I’ll remember where I put it.” So you hide it somewhere “clever”, never tell anyone, and months later you can’t find it yourself.
• “This won’t happen to me.” So you treat real stories of loss as horror movies, not as mirrors of what you’re doing right now.
• “I’ll just take a quick screenshot.” So your seed phrase ends up in your camera roll next to family photos, memes, and everything that gets auto‑synced to the cloud.
• “I only sent it to myself.” So you email or DM your own seed phrase, forgetting that hacked inboxes and chats are one of the first places attackers search.
• “I’ll write it down ‘properly’ later.” So for now it stays in a draft note or on a loose sticky note that gets moved, copied, or thrown away.
• “It’s safe because nobody knows what these words are.” So you leave the paper in a drawer or notebook that anyone in the house can open and photograph in seconds.
• “I don’t want to bother anyone with this.” So you never explain to a trusted person where the backup is, and if something happens to you, no one can help recover it.
• “I’ve seen these warnings a thousand times.” So the next time a really polished fake site asks for your seed phrase, your brain files it under “probably fine, I know what I’m doing”.

Red flags — when it is almost certainly a scam

• Anyone asks you to “verify” something by sending your seed phrase.
• A “support agent” (chat, DM, email) wants your seed phrase to fix an issue.
• Messages say your wallet is “locked” and ask for your seed phrase to unlock it.
• Websites or pop‑ups tell you to “enter your seed phrase to clear an error or unlock funds”.
• Any form asking for your seed phrase with a countdown timer or threat if you don’t act.
• Apps or extensions not from official stores that ask for your seed phrase.

NanaProof Proof Routine — 5 steps

1. Treat every unsolicited request for your seed phrase as a scam — no one legitimate will ever need it from you.
2. Only enter your seed phrase to restore a wallet in an official app or hardware wallet you installed or bought yourself.
3. Keep it strictly offline: written or engraved, with backups in safe, separate locations — never in screenshots, cloud notes, chats, or email.
4. Before restoring or clicking wallet‑related links, double‑check the domain, download source, and developer name; use bookmarks when possible.
5. If you think your seed phrase might be exposed or you already typed it somewhere suspicious, treat it as compromised and move your funds to a new wallet with a new seed phrase as soon as you can.