Adding extra layer of security to your seed phrases using a Passphrase

[Ashawowo(OS)]

A passphrase is a custom word which you add to your seed phrases to make it longer and increases the security of your wallet. Wallets with a passphrase creates a completely different wallet from using just the seed phrases. A person who comes in contact with your seed phrases would never have access to your funds since the private key and addresses are completely different, hence the passphrase acts as an extra layer of security for your wallet and can be used as the 13th word and 25th word for a 12 word and 24 words seed phrases respectively.  It would transform your standard 12 or 24 word seed phrase into a new cryptographic key, which would make the original mnemonic a different wallet on its own.

Benefits of using a passphrase

• It acts as an extra layer of security to your seed phrases
• Your seed phrase can be compromised without access to your funds since the passphrase combination unlocks a totally different wallet
• Under Wrench attacks, you can hand over the seeds to the attacker which bears an empty wallet while your funds remain safe
• You can use it for asset segmentation: This means to have different wallets with same seed phrases but different passphrase and they would have different key/address pairs since their word extensions are different
• Encourages a better backup as you can write it down in a very different place from your seeds and can memorize the passphrase easily since it is the completion of your mnemonic. It also saves you from backing up several seed phrases for different wallets since you only have to backup the different passphrase and only one seed phrase

The only trade off I know about this is that if you loose your passphrase, you loose access to your funds permanently, even when it is wrongly typed, you recover a completely different wallet.

Creating a wallet with passphrase(with Electrum)
While creating a new wallet, select Standard wallet>Create a new seed, on the window that shows your seeds, click on Options and Check Extend this seeds with custom words, then on the next window, you'll be given a field to input your custom words, after it you can move on to retype your seeds as well as the custom words and create the wallet.

Creating more wallets with same seed phrases and different passphrase(with Electrum)
Select Standard wallet>I already have a seed, on the window that you type in your seeds, click on Options and Check Extend this seeds with custom words, on the next window, you'll be given a field to input your custom words, after it you can move on to finish and launch a different wallet with same seed phrases. You can create as much new wallets as you want from a single seed phrase.

Note You should re-import the seed phrases + passphrase pair after each creation to ensure you got the correct pairs documented because any mistake can lead to a new wallet all together and loss of funds.

Contributions are always welcome

[promise444c5]

You missed the important aspect which is “re-importing” after setting up a wallet with passphrase..

It’s essential because if you make any mistake by omitting or typing a single wrong character , then you will be completely left with a new  wallet but then, you can always brute force [if you have the knowledge]  yet  the more you have a wrong character or you wrote an entirely different thing while typing  the higher your chance of losing any money sent to that wallet if you did test by re-importing it .

The other part is memorizing part , you shouldn’t add that part but it’s fine..just make sure you make it clear that even with memoizing, there’s need for a written  backup because brain can’t be relied on for a long period of time.

[Ashawowo(OS)]

You missed the important aspect which is “re-importing” after setting up a wallet with passphrase..

It’s essential because if you make any mistake by omitting or typing a single wrong character , then you will be completely left with a new  wallet but then, you can always brute force [if you have the knowledge]  yet  the more you have a wrong character or you wrote an entirely different thing while typing  the higher your chance of losing any money sent to that wallet if you did test by re-importing it .

Thanks, I'll update the OP

The other part is memorizing part , you shouldn’t add that part but it’s fine..just make sure you make it clear that even with memoizing, there’s need for a written  backup because brain can’t be relied on for a long period of time.

See it bolded here, the memorizing part is just an addition to writing it down.

• Encourages a better backup as you can write it down in a very different place from your seeds and can memorize the paraphrase easily since it is the completion of your mnemonic. It also saves you from backing up several seed phrases for different wallets since you only have to backup the different paraphrases and only one seed phrase

[Charles-Tim]

I have not heard of it as paraphrase before, it is called passphrase for BIP39 wallet, and extended wallet on Electrum.

It is very important to note that space is also a character for passphrase.

Another important thing is that the passphrase should be long. I will recommend at least 30 characters to make it impossible to brute force.

[Ashawowo(OS)]

I have not heard of it as paraphrase before, it is called passphrase for BIP39 wallet, and extended wallet on Electrum.

It is very important to note that space is also a character for passphrase.

Another important thing is that the passphrase should be long. I will recommend at least 30 characters to make it impossible to brute force.

Thanks for spoting this, you sure have an eagle's eye, it has been updated in the OP.

[Shadiq]

Passphrases have their advantages as well as disadvantages. By using a passphrase, you are definitely creating an additional security system for your wallet. At some point, this additional security system becomes a cause of damage. If you somehow lose or forget your passphrase, you will also lose access. Even if you die suddenly in an accident or lose your memory or become incapacitated, your Bitcoin may also be buried with you.

Using a passphrase is certainly good, but make sure that if you leave this world or lose access, your successor can save that seed phrase and passphrase and access your wallet. Otherwise, your whole life's work may be in vain. Be careful when adopting security. If it is difficult for others to access the security system, it will be difficult for you too.

[PostQuantumBTC]

Passphrases have their advantages as well as disadvantages. By using a passphrase, you are definitely creating an additional security system for your wallet. At some point, this additional security system becomes a cause of damage. If you somehow lose or forget your passphrase, you will also lose access. Even if you die suddenly in an accident or lose your memory or become incapacitated, your Bitcoin may also be buried with you.

Using a passphrase is certainly good, but make sure that if you leave this world or lose access, your successor can save that seed phrase and passphrase and access your wallet. Otherwise, your whole life's work may be in vain. Be careful when adopting security. If it is difficult for others to access the security system, it will be difficult for you too.

It is just like saying seed phrase has a disadvantage also, if the person can be able to let those that will inherit his bitcoin to have access to the seed phrase after his death, letting them also know about the passphrase would also be simple and led to the people that will inherit the coins. Passphrase is very good, only what I am seeing is its advantages. Passphrase is an extra security layer that does not complicate the backup.

[Akaenyi]

Passphrase is an extra layer of security to your seed phrase, it is essential but not necessary or compulsory for every wallet holder to have, as it has its advantages the disadvantage can be fatal. The extra layer of security for your seed phrase is also an extra bargage that you have to carry, as you're hiding your seed phrase you have to also hide your passphrase in a different place because it doesn't make any sense to hide it together with your seed phrase.

If you have the capacity to add passphrase to your seed phrase you should go ahead but you should be mindful that the extra layer can cause you to lose your coins if you lose it.

[Emjay24]

Passphrases have their advantages as well as disadvantages. By using a passphrase, you are definitely creating an additional security system for your wallet. At some point, this additional security system becomes a cause of damage. If you somehow lose or forget your passphrase, you will also lose access. Even if you die suddenly in an accident or lose your memory or become incapacitated, your Bitcoin may also be buried with you.

Using a passphrase is certainly good, but make sure that if you leave this world or lose access, your successor can save that seed phrase and passphrase and access your wallet. Otherwise, your whole life's work may be in vain. Be careful when adopting security. If it is difficult for others to access the security system, it will be difficult for you too.

It's important to write down both your seed phrases and passphrase, but they must not be in the same place so that when your seed phrases is compromised by a third party, he would've have access to the passphrase as well and claim your coins.

As a person that has a successor, they should be aware of the location of seed+passphrase just in case. Honestly I don't like the idea of my coin being considered a donation to the network simply because of my carelessness and not informing my would be successors. If the person doesn't trust his people not to tamper his coins, he can tell the family where the seed phrases is kept and keep the passphrase with a lawyer or trusted friend. And as Charles-Tim right said, it should be long enough so as not to be easily brute-forced.

[letteredhub]

Technically this use of passphrase is a way of adding higher level of security to our wallet which I think there are lots of bitcoin wallet users that are already applying this security measure to increase their wallet security against simple hacks. Nevertheless, it doesn't come without some risks in as much as it gives the wallet owner richer control, this should also be made known as well.

[Shadiq]

It is just like saying seed phrase has a disadvantage also, if the person can be able to let those that will inherit his bitcoin to have access to the seed phrase after his death, letting them also know about the passphrase would also be simple and led to the people that will inherit the coins. Passphrase is very good, only what I am seeing is its advantages. Passphrase is an extra security layer that does not complicate the backup.

Accidents don't come to you with advance notice, they happen unexpectedly. If one key is hard to find, another key is twice as hard to find. If your wallet is protected by a seed phrase and a passphrase, then just as your security is doubled, so are your keys. And finding two keys will be twice as hard, that's normal. You might not say that you store the seed phrase and the passphrase in the same place.

If a wallet is protected by a passphrase, one is useless without the other, so after your accident, it won't be enough for someone to find one, but they have to find both. If they don't find one, your funds will be stuck on the network. If the passphrase isn't working, your successor, if lucky, can recover the funds. And if you tell your heirs about the seed phrase and passphrase in advance, there is also the possibility of betrayal. So you have to be careful about security so that that security doesn't become a cause of your loss.

I wouldn't recommend a passphrase unless there is an additional security risk, if you feel the need to use a passphrase, then you should have a good plan for recovering the funds.