Wallets, addresses, and keys
Learn what goes into a wallet, what you can share, and what you need to keep secret.
Demo wallet
Follow a wallet signature
Ari’s wallet prepares a transfer of 3 demo credits to Bea’s public address. A receiving address can be shared.
Read all steps
- Prepare a transfer
Ari’s wallet prepares a transfer of 3 demo credits to Bea’s public address. A receiving address can be shared.
- Sign inside the wallet
The wallet uses Ari’s private key to make a digital signature for this specific transfer. Ari keeps the private key secret.
- Send the signed transfer
The wallet shares the transaction and its signature. Changing the signed details would invalidate the signature, so the network can detect edits.
- Verify with a public key
Network participants use Ari’s public key to check whether the signature authorizes this transfer. Ari’s wallet keeps the private key secret.
A wallet helps you control funds
A wallet is an app or device that can show your balance and help you send or receive cryptocurrency. A wallet you control uses private keys to authorize actions. The network’s ledger keeps the record of which funds can be spent.
Share a receiving address
A receiving address gives someone a destination for a payment. A private key lets your wallet make a signature that computers can verify. Keep the key secret. Sharing a receiving address can still expose activity associated with it on a public chain.
Protect the recovery phrase
Many wallets provide a set of recovery words that can restore access to their keys. Anyone who gets those words may be able to control the funds. Keep them somewhere private and decline requests for them, even from someone claiming to be support.