When using an app like Phantom, you’ll see two important terms often mentioned: recovery phrase (also called a seed phrase or Secret Recovery Phrase) and private key. Both let you access your crypto, but they work at different levels:
- A recovery phrase is the master key to your wallet. From it, you can generate multiple accounts, and each account can contain multiple addresses across supported blockchains.
- A private key controls just one address on one blockchain. One private key matches one public key, which is the address.
Understanding this difference helps you keep track of what each credential protects and manage your assets more securely.
Warning: Don't share your recovery phrase or private key with anyone. If someone has access to either, they will have full control of your wallet. Phantom Support will never ask for your recovery phrase or private key.
Recovery phrase
A recovery phrase is a series of words generated when you create a wallet—either using the . It acts as the master key, from which all of your accounts and addresses are derived.
As long as you have your recovery phrase, you can restore your entire wallet on any device, even if you delete the app or lose your original device.
Phantom uses a 12-word phrase based on the BIP-39 standard, which is widely supported across crypto wallets.
Private key
A private key is a unique string of letters and numbers that controls a single crypto address on a specific blockchain. It lets you sign transactions and manage funds for that address only.
Private keys are derived from your recovery phrase, but they are not interchangeable: the recovery phrase can regenerate every account and address in your wallet, while a private key is limited to one address.
You can also import a private key from elsewhere into Phantom.