What is a seed phrase and why do you need one?

A seed phrase, also known as a recovery phrase, might just be the single most important layer of security for crypto users. Seed phrases can serve as the last line of defense preventing you from losing access to your crypto in the event something happens to your device or hardware wallet.

How many words are in a seed phrase?

Most seed phrases are either 12 or 24 words in length, and each is unique to the wallet that created it. The words making up a seed phrase actually correspond to strings of random digits called a seed, which when configured correctly will generate a user’s private master key, which in turn can be used to generate the rest of a user’s private keys.

How to encrypt a seed phrase with a password?

For this reason many wallets make it possible to encrypt a seed phrase with a password. The password can be used to create a two-factor seed phrase where both "something you have" plus "something you know" is required to unlock the bitcoins. This works by the wallet creating a seed phrase and asking the user for a password.

What happens if you delete a seed phrase?

Not to mention, the vast number of seed word combinations makes it infeasible to try and crack it. If you lose access to your wallet or delete it without ensuring that your seed phrase is saved somewhere secure, you will lose access to your crypto assets.