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Public key vs private key: how crypto ownership works

By SendPay Business · · 2 min read

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Crypto ownership rests on a pair of keys. The public key can be shared and is used to create your wallet address. The private key proves you own the funds and signs your transactions. Anyone who has it can take your crypto.

How the keys fit together

  • A wallet creates a private key, a very large secret number.
  • The public key is worked out from the private key, but not the other way round.
  • The wallet address is made from the public key and is what you share to get paid.
  • To send crypto, the wallet signs the transaction with the private key, and nodes check it with the public key.
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What you can share

Your wallet address and public key are safe to share. Your private key and seed phrase are not. Legitimate services will never ask for them, so anyone who does is running a scam.

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Keeping keys safe

Many people use hardware wallets to keep private keys offline, or leave them with a regulated custodian. Losing a private key and its seed phrase usually means losing access to the funds for good.

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Where SendPay fits

SendPay platforms let your customers buy, sell and hold crypto, held with regulated partners, alongside GBP, EUR and USD accounts and branded Visa cards under your own brand.

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How it works

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SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.

Questions people ask

Is this wallet address valid?

Check a Bitcoin or Ethereum address for mistakes before you send.

Crypto wallet address checker →
What is a private key?

The secret that controls your crypto.

What is a private key? →
What is a seed phrase?

A list of words that backs up your wallet's keys.

What is a seed phrase? →
What is a crypto wallet address?

The public address you share to receive crypto.

Wallet addresses →

Read next

Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.