What is Passphrase?

A passphrase, sometimes called a 25th word, is an optional secret you can add on top of your seed phrase. Combined with the seed, it derives an entirely separate hidden wallet. Without the exact passphrase, even someone holding your seed phrase cannot access the funds behind it.

This matters as an advanced protection. It defends against physical seed theft and adds plausible deniability, since a discovered seed can lead to a small decoy wallet while the real funds sit behind the passphrase.

Example: your written seed phrase leads to a small balance, but adding your memorised passphrase unlocks the hidden wallet where your main holdings actually live.

Safety note: a passphrase is powerful but unforgiving. If you forget it, the funds are permanently lost, because there is no recovery and it is not stored anywhere. It is case-sensitive and exact. Only use a passphrase once you fully understand it, and back it up as carefully and separately as the seed itself. Do not confuse it with a wallet password, which only unlocks the app locally. Related terms include seed phrase, private key, hardware wallet, and self-custody.