Glossary
Address
Also called: wallet address
The string you send funds to. It is derived from a public key and is safe to share; the format differs by network, which is why an address that works on one chain is refused on another.
See also
Private keyThe secret that authorises spending from an address. Anyone who has it controls the funds, permanently and without recourse. It is never needed by support, an exchange or a wallet maker.
Seed phraseTwelve or twenty-four ordinary words that regenerate every private key in a wallet. It is the wallet, not a password for it: whoever types those words into any compatible wallet has the funds.
Wrong networkSending an asset over a network the recipient does not support. The transfer succeeds on-chain and the funds are simply somewhere the destination cannot see, which is why it is the most common self-inflicted loss in crypto.
Last checked 19 Oct 2026.