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What Are Seed Phrases and How to Set Up it for Your Wallet?

What Are Seed Phrases and How to Set Up it for Your Wallet?

Blockchain
Reading time:
6 min
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2051
Published:
11.04.2025

Your unique seed phrase is the ultimate key to your crypto wallet. Anytime your device is lost, stolen, or hacked, this is the only way to get your money back. Yet, many people don’t understand its importance until it’s too late. That’s why we’re breaking it all down for you—what a seed phrase is, why it’s crucial, and how to set one up properly.

You can create and safely keep your seed phrase by following the steps in this guide. Along with best practices to keep it safe from prying eyes. Plus, we’ll cover what to do if the worst happens and your seed phrase is exposed!

What is a seed phrase?

A seed phrase is a combination of 12 to 24 seed words. It’s a backup for a cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrase. It’s automatically created with a wallet and acts as a key to restore access. When the wallet is lost, deleted, or transferred to a new device - you’ll desperately need it. Each seed phrase is unique and must be stored securely, as it grants full access to the funds within the wallet.

The words in a seed phrase should be taken from a standard list so that they can be written down and typed correctly. Unlike passwords, the user don’t chose he seed phrase. They are instead generated randomly to encourage security. Since they are the only way to recover a lost wallet, it’s advisable that they be stored safely. Preferably offline and in multiple secure places.

Why seed phrases are crucial

If you lose, get stolen, or damage your device, the only way to get back to your crypto wallet is to use the seed phrase. In standard banking, you can change your password or call customer service. But cryptocurrency wallets are completely decentralized. That means that no one company stores your information. You will never be able to get to your money again if you lose your seed phrase. Without it, you have no backup, no second chance, and no way to get your capital back.

Because of this, you must store your seed phrase safely. If someone else gets to it, they can use their own device to recover wallet with seed phrase of yours and take everything. Hackers, con artists, and even software are always looking for new ways to steal seed phrases. One way to make sure you keep control of your money is to keep it hidden, private, and safe. Lack of proper protection, and years of hard work could be lost in a moment, with no way to get them back.

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How to set up a seed phrase

You can only get back into your crypto wallet with your seed word. Even though it's an important security step, many don't store it properly. Follow the steps in this guide to ensure you can get to your wallet and that it is safe from harm.

Step 1: Choose a reputable wallet

You need a reliable cryptocurrency wallet before you make a seed phrase. Some don't have protection features, and others could be scams. Choose wallets that have been security checked and have a good name. The safest wallets are hardware ones, like Ledger or Trezor. For software wallets, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Exodus are popular picks.

If you choose a trustworthy wallet, your seed phrase will be created safely. Don't get your wallet from unofficial sources, and stay away from apps with bad reviews or ambiguous creators.

Step 2: Initiate wallet setup

After picking out a wallet, set it up. A seed phrase of 12 to 24 random words will be made immediately after a new wallet creation. Write these words down exactly as shown, in the same order. They are the hidden key to your money.

At this point, you should never save the phrase on your phone, computer, or the cloud or take a screenshot of it. Hackers, malware, and phishing attempts can get to your seed phrase if you store it digitally. Instead, consider storing seed phrase physically. 

Step 3: Write down the seed phrase

It may look like this step is easy, but being exact is very important. You can't use your seed word to get back into your wallet if you lose even one letter. Carefully write down each word in the right order on a piece of paper, a metal backup device, or some other safe offline means.

Check the phrase slowly before moving on to the next step. Read what you've written again to make sure there are no mistakes. A small mistake now could cost you everything later.

Step 4: Secure your seed phrase

It's only helpful if the seed phrase examples are safe. It is very easy for hackers to get to your phone, emails, and digital notes, so don't store them there. Keep the written copies somewhere safe, fireproof, and waterproof instead. Many users choose metal seed phrase recording devices because they are less likely to get broken.

Keep more than one copy in various locations. But be careful, don't hide in plain sight, and don't tell anyone about it.

Step 5: Test recovery (optional but recommended)

You should try out the recovery process before you start making trades with your wallet. This ensures that you copied your seed phrase properly and that it will work when needed.

To do this, remove your wallet (or set up a new one) and use your seed phrase examples to restore it. In that case, you know for sure that the backup is right. If not, you might have written it wrong. Fix it now, while you still can. 

This step is not essential, but Peiko highly advises you to consider it to feel safe about your ability to get your money back if something goes wrong.

You can only get back your wallet if you know your seed phrase, so make sure you set it up properly. Even in the worst case, your crypto will be safe if you store it carefully, back it up properly, and use a secure vault. When you do these things, you're taking charge of your crypto financial safety.

After setting up your wallet, don't tell anyone your seed phrase, don't store it online, and don't lose it. Your future self will be grateful.

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Best practices for seed phrase security

If the wallet seed phrase gets into the wrong hands, it could gives someone else full control of your assets. The following best practices will help you keep your seed phrase wallet safe.

1. Don't save it in digital form

There are big risks when you store a seed phrase example on a computer, smartphone, cloud storage, or any other device that can connect to the internet. Hackers, malware, and phishing attempts can easily get into digital files, even ones that look like they are safe.

  • The safest way to keep your seed phrase is to write it down by hand and keep it somewhere away.

2. Use a strong backup

Fires, water damage, and wear and tear over time can damage paper files. For lasting security, think about using metal seed phrase storage devices made to handle harsh conditions.

  • For the longest life, buying a metal backup option like Cryptosteel or Billfodl is best.

3. Keep several safe copies

If you lose, destroy, or forget just one backup, you could lose money. But having multiple copies makes it less likely.

  • Keep two or three copies in different, very safe places, like a home safe, a safe deposit box, or something else that is safe.

4. Don't tell anyone about it

No one should ever know your seed phrase wallet. It will never be needed by an exchange, wallet provider, or customer service team. Fraud is very likely when whoever asks for your seed phrase words.

  • Never tell anyone your seed word because it could be used to steal your money.

5. Watch out for phishing and scams

Phishing is a common way for cybercriminals to get people to reveal their seed words. Scammers use fake wallet updates, fake customer service reps, or misleading emails to trick people.

  • When you need to recover a wallet, only enter your seed phrase, and ensure you are always on the official website or app of the wallet service.

6. Create a plan for wills and emergency access

If something happens to you, you might never be able to get to your money again.  You should have a backup plan that lets someone you know get into your wallet in an emergency while keeping it safe.

  • As a best practice, you should think about safe ways to plan your inheritance. Use encrypted instructions, a legal trust, or a recovery process that only allows entry when needed.

What to do if your seed phrase is compromised

If your seed phrase is compromised, act immediately to protect your funds. Do these things: 

1. Make a new wallet - Use a new seed phrase to set up a new wallet.

2. Transfer your funds - Move all assets immediately to your new wallet before an attacker does.

3. Revoke approvals - Use tools like Revoke.cash to remove access from decentralized finance (DeFi) apps and smart contracts.

4. Stop using the old wallet - Once compromised, never use the old wallet again—it’s no longer safe.

5. Identify the breach - Figure out how your seed phrase was exposed—digital storage, phishing, or theft? Fix the weakness.

6. Strengthen security - Always store your seed phrase offline, use a hardware wallet, and stay alert for scams.

Take action fast—delays can cost you every effort you’ve made to earn your capital.

Conclusion

Seed phrase meaning lays in being your single path to restore your crypto wallet. Imagine waking up one day to find all your crypto assets gone. Not because of a hack but because you lost access yourself. It happens more often than you think. And the culprit is often a misplaced or forgotten seed phrase.

Gaining awareness is the first step to ensuring crypto security. Never let a small mistake ruin everything. Make your crypto wallet seed phrase and save it by following the steps in this guide!

For any reliable crypto solution - consider Peiko as your reliable partner! We’re always here to create exciting and innovative projects. Contact us and let’s see what we can achieve together!

FAQ
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