Crypto wallet backups: long-term storage and inheritance
A backup only counts if it survives a fire, a burglary, and you.
Back up a self-custody wallet by writing its seed phrase by hand, checking it, and storing it offline somewhere private, ideally on metal for long-term durability. Decide deliberately how many copies to keep and where, test that the backup restores the wallet, and leave instructions so a trusted person can find it if something happens to you, without ever putting the words themselves in a will or online.
Legitimate support will never ask for your seed phrase (recovery phrase) or private key. Not an exchange, a wallet maker, a lawyer, the police or the FBI. Anyone who asks for it, or asks you to type it into a website, is trying to steal from you.
What a backup has to survive
| Threat | What helps |
|---|---|
| Fire, flood, fading ink | Stamped or engraved metal; a second copy elsewhere |
| Burglary or a nosy visitor | Discreet storage; a passphrase; multisig |
| Hackers and malware | Never photographed, typed or stored in the cloud |
| Your own mistakes | Checking every word; a test restore |
| Death or incapacity | Instructions your heirs can follow |
Paper or metal?
Paper is fine to start: use the card that came with your wallet, write clearly in pen, and number each word. It's vulnerable to fire, water and being thrown out. Metal backups (steel plates you stamp, engrave or fill with letter tiles) survive house fires and floods far better and are worth it for long-term savings. You only need the first four letters of each word on most metal plates, because every word in the English BIP-39 list is unique by its first four letters.
How many copies, and where
Every extra copy protects against loss but is another place to be stolen from. A common balance is two copies in two separate secure places, such as a home safe and a safe-deposit box or a trusted relative's safe. Don't store a copy alongside the hardware wallet it unlocks. Never cut a phrase in half and store the halves separately: each half gives a thief a huge head start, and losing either half loses the wallet. If you need to split trust, use multisig or Shamir backup instead.
Passphrases and Shamir backups
- Optional passphrase (sometimes called the "25th word"). An extra word or phrase of your choosing, added to the seed phrase, that creates an entirely different wallet. Someone who finds your 24 words gets nothing without it. The catch: forget the passphrase and the funds are gone, so it needs its own backup, stored separately.
- Shamir backup (SLIP-39). Some hardware wallets can create several shares, for example any 2 of 3, that each look like a word list. Unlike cutting a phrase, any single share reveals nothing. It only works with wallets that support the standard.
Test it
A backup you've never tested is a hope. With a small amount, wipe or reset a spare device (or use a second compatible wallet), restore from your written words, and confirm the same receiving address appears. Check your backups once a year for legibility and that they're still where you think.
Planning for your family
- Write a letter of instruction: what you own, which wallets or exchanges, where the backups are, and who to call for help. Keep it with your estate documents.
- Never put the seed phrase in a will. Wills can become public records during probate.
- Make sure someone you trust knows the letter exists, and that a tech-savvy helper or attorney could follow it.
- For larger sums, consider a 2-of-3 multisig where heirs or a professional hold a key. Read crypto estate planning for trusts and legal steps.
Work through it step by step with the recovery phrase storage checklist.
If it happened to you
- If a backup was lost, photographed or seen by someone else, treat it as exposed: create a new wallet with a new seed phrase, move everything to it, and back up the new phrase properly. You can't change the words of an existing wallet.
- Write everything down before anything gets deleted: wallet addresses, transaction IDs (hashes), website addresses, usernames, phone numbers, screenshots of chats, dates and amounts.
- Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Reports are free. If funds land at a regulated exchange, law enforcement can sometimes freeze them, and speed matters. A local police report gives you a reference number for your bank or insurer.
- Contact the exchange you sent from, and the receiving exchange if the blockchain shows one, through its official website or app (never a number or link from a search ad or a stranger). Ask them to flag the addresses and the transactions.
- Expect a second scam. Victims are targeted again by fake "recovery" firms, fake lawyers and fake FBI agents. Real law enforcement never charges a fee. Read crypto recovery scams.
Need the steps in order? Use the emergency checklist for a compromised wallet or account.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to store my seed phrase in a bank safe-deposit box?
It protects against fire and burglary at home, but access depends on bank hours and, after death, on the estate process. Many people use it for one of two copies.
Should I store my seed phrase in a password manager?
Most security guides advise against it for significant sums, because it puts the phrase on internet-connected devices and depends on one account's security.
What is the 25th word?
An optional passphrase added to your seed phrase that creates a separate hidden wallet. It improves security against someone finding your words, but if you forget it the funds are lost.
Do exchange accounts need a seed phrase backup?
No. Exchanges hold the keys. Your backup there is a strong password, secure two-factor and your recovery codes.
Where to next
Sources
- BIP-39: mnemonic code for generating keys
- SLIP-0039: Shamir's Secret-Sharing for mnemonic codes (SatoshiLabs)
- Ethereum security and scam prevention (ethereum.org)
Written for beginners and checked against the sources listed. Last reviewed November 5, 2026. This page is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. How we write and check pages.