Wallets & Private Key Security
Hot, cold, hardware wallets and seed phrases — your first lesson in protecting funds.
Your Private Key Is Everything
There's a saying in crypto: "Not your keys, not your coins." The private key (or seed phrase) is the sole credential controlling your assets. Whoever holds the key owns the coins. Safeguarding it is the core of crypto security.
Types of Wallets
Hot wallets (mobile/web wallets, exchange accounts) are convenient but riskier; cold wallets (hardware devices like Ledger, Trezor) store keys offline for maximum safety. Rule of thumb: small daily amounts in a hot wallet, large long-term holdings in a hardware wallet.
Seed Phrase Rules
A seed phrase (usually 12 or 24 words) is the human-readable form of your private key. Rules: (1) write it offline by hand — never screenshot, photograph or upload to the cloud; (2) anyone asking for your seed phrase is scamming you; (3) keep multiple physical backups against loss. If leaked, funds can be stolen instantly and irreversibly.
