There are two keys for every crypto wallet, a private and a public key. Both are a sequence of numbers and letters. This is a foundational component of how cryptography securely enables blockchain technology.
A public key is your crypto wallet's public address. This is what you use to send and receive cryptocurrency.
A private key works like a password. It has the power to sign transactions and authorize the transfer of funds from your wallet. It is not safe to share your private key with others as it proves ownership of your crypto assets.
Think of your private key as the code used to open a digital safe where your crypto funds live. Your assets are safe as long as you are the only person who has access to your private key.
A private key is different than a recovery phrase. A private key controls a single wallet. A recovery phrase generates the private keys for all associated wallets.
Your recovery phrase allows you to restore your Uniswap wallet, as well as any other wallets derived from your recovery phrase. Each of those wallets has its own unique private key.
The Uniswap wallet uses recovery phrases. Our app does not provide private keys for individual wallet addresses.
If you do need to access your private key, we recommend finding an alternative wallet provider that exposes this information once the recovery phrase has been entered.
Never share your recovery phrase or private keys with anyone.