A private key is a long string of numbers and letters that is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to remember. A seed phrase, or sometimes called a mnemonic phrase or recovery phrase, solves this problem by randomly selecting 12-24 words from the list of 2048 words proposed by BIP-39. These words act as a “seed” and are hashed together to generate a unique private key. Seed phrases ensure private keys are easier to remember and backup, making them more user friendly. This seed phrase should never be shared with anyone under any circumstances.

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