Seed, spend key, view key: what never to share
Your seed is your money. The view key shows your incoming payments. Here is what each one reveals.
3 min read
Seed: never share
The 25-word (or 16-word) seed contains everything needed to view and spend your funds. Sharing it means giving someone complete access to your money. No real support team, wallet, exchange or tool, including RugWard, will ever ask for it.
Private spend key: never share
The spend key is what sends payments. Treat it like the seed.
Private view key: think first
Sharing your private view key lets someone see every incoming payment to your wallet. It cannot spend. Outgoing payments cannot be reliably seen with it, so a balance shown from a view key alone should not be trusted. Share it only for a real reason such as accounting, and never because a stranger asks.
Proving one payment needs no key
To show that you paid someone, you do not need to share any wallet key. A transaction proof covers only that one payment; see the payment proof guide.
Hot wallets
Do not keep more than you can afford to lose in a wallet on a device that is or has been online.
Sources
Next: Prove a payment without giving up your keys
Educational content, not legal or financial advice. Users are responsible for complying with their local laws. Internally reviewed by RugWard.