Seed phrase security for first-time wallet owners
The seed phrase — usually twelve or twenty-four English words — is the master backup for your wallet. Anyone with those words can control your funds. Treat the phrase like a physical key, not a password you can reset.
Write on paper, not in digital notes
Do not store the phrase in email drafts, cloud notes, screenshots, or messaging apps. Cloud-synced notes are especially risky because a compromised account exposes the phrase. At CoreStream Base we provide acid-free card stock and a fine-tip pen during sessions specifically so participants establish a paper-first habit.
Write legibly and in order
Number each word as the wallet displays it. Unclear handwriting has caused more recovery failures in our feedback forms than theft has. If a word could be "affect" or "effect," rewrite that line.
Verify before you deposit mainnet funds
After writing, many wallets offer a quiz asking you to select words in order. Complete it. For extra confidence, delete the wallet app (after confirming you have the phrase on paper) and restore from the phrase on the same device. If restoration works, your backup is likely correct.
Storage at home
Keep the paper somewhere dry and private — a locked drawer, not taped to your monitor. Some readers make a second copy stored separately in case of fire or flood. Never give a copy to someone who calls claiming to be support; legitimate wallet teams never ask for your phrase.
What we refuse to do in sessions
Facilitators will not photograph your card, enter your phrase into any device, or store it on your behalf. If someone offers to "verify" your phrase online, leave the site and report it to the wallet publisher.
After backup: practice on devnet, then read how to confirm transactions on the explorer before your first mainnet receive.