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What Is a Private Key?

My Wallet

A private key is a secret string of characters that signs transactions and proves you control a crypto account.

What Is a Private Key?

Quick answer

Your private key works like a digital signature. It authorizes every transfer, swap, and dapp action from your account. In a non-custodial wallet like My Wallet, the key is generated from your seed phrase and stays under your control. Anyone with your private key can take full control of that account.

What a private key does

  • Signs transactions. Without it, nothing can be sent from your account.
  • Restores access. A private key can be used to recover a specific account.
  • Connects to other apps. Some third-party apps use it to sign on your behalf, which is why you should only share it with software you fully trust.

Private key vs public address

  • Private key: secret. It signs.
  • Public address: safe to share. It receives.
  • The address is derived from the key, but the key cannot be worked out from the address.

Private key vs seed phrase

  • A seed phrase is 12 or 24 words used to generate your private keys.
  • One seed phrase can restore every account that comes from it.
  • A private key usually controls one account.
  • Both give full access, so protect both the same way.

Where your key lives

  • My Wallet keeps your keys on your device. It does not hold them on a server.
  • When you confirm a transaction, the wallet signs it locally and then sends it to the network.
  • You do not need to copy your key for everyday use.

Viewing your TON private key in My Wallet

You can export a TON Private Key from the My Wallet multichain wallet, starting from wallet version W5:

  1. Open Settings from the wallet icon.
  2. Select Security, then Back Up.
  3. Tap View TON Private Key, read the rules, and confirm.

See How to get your private key in My Wallet.

When you might need it

  • Moving a TON account into another TON wallet.
  • Recovering a TON account if you only have the key.
  • For most people, the seed phrase is the main backup and the private key is rarely needed.

How to keep it safe

  • Store it the same way as your seed phrase: offline, written down, or in encrypted offline storage.
  • Never enter it on a website you reached from a link.
  • Never send it in chat, email, or a screenshot.

Warning signs

  • Someone asks you to "verify" or "sync" your wallet with your key.
  • A site offers rewards in exchange for a key.
  • A "support agent" messages you first.

Start with a secure wallet

Download My Wallet to explore crypto with self-custody—you hold the keys.

About My Wallet

FAQ

Is a private key the same as a password?

No. A password unlocks the app on one device. The private key controls the funds on the blockchain.

Can My Wallet recover my private key?

No. My Wallet is non-custodial and does not keep a copy. Keep your seed phrase backed up so you can restore your keys.

Can I recover a wallet with only a TON private key?

Yes, for the TON account. See How to recover your crypto wallet using TON Private Key.

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