Keys & addresses

In plain words

Your private key is a giant secret number. It is not a login. It is ownership. From it, your wallet creates addresses — the labels you share to get paid. The math runs one way: anyone can check your signature; no one can steal the key behind it. Whoever knows the key owns the coins. Your wallet handles the numbers so you never touch them.

Why it matters

• In Bitcoin, the key IS the ownership — no name attached, no recovery desk.
• Share an address freely. Share a private key and you have handed over the money.
• One seed phrase backs up every key your wallet will ever make.

Not to be confused with

• Password — passwords can be reset. A lost private key is lost money.

Go deeper

• Seed phrase
• Address types
• "Not your keys, not your coins"