Security

Sui Wallet Seed Phrase Guide

Sui Wallet Desktop generates a 24-word BIP39 seed phrase using the Sui derivation path (m/44'/784'/0'/0'/0'). This seed phrase is the master key to your wallet — anyone with it can spend your funds. Store it offline (paper or metal backup), never digitally, never in cloud storage, never shared.

Last updated: 11 May 2026.

Sui seed phrase — what it is

A seed phrase (also called a "mnemonic" or "recovery phrase") is a sequence of words that encodes your wallet's master private key. From this single seed, your wallet derives all your accounts, addresses, and signing keys.

Sui Wallet Desktop uses 24 words drawn from the standard BIP39 wordlist (2,048 English words). These 24 words contain 256 bits of cryptographic entropy — effectively impossible to guess by brute force.

When you create a new wallet, the seed phrase is generated locally on your device using a cryptographically secure random number generator. The wallet displays it once for you to back up; after that, it's encrypted at rest using your operating system's secure storage.

Sui wallet seed phrase length — how many words

Sui Wallet Desktop uses 24 words. This is the BIP39-256 standard, providing maximum entropy.

How many words in Sui seed phrase

24 words. Always 24 for Sui Wallet Desktop.

Sui wallet 12 words vs Sui wallet 24 words

• 12 words — 128 bits of entropy, considered secure, used by older standards
• 24 words — 256 bits of entropy, current best practice, used by Sui Wallet Desktop

Both are practically unguessable, but 24 is the higher standard.

Sui mnemonic / Sui mnemonic phrase

"Mnemonic" and "mnemonic phrase" are technical terms for the seed phrase. Same thing.

Sui derivation path

Sui Wallet Desktop derives Sui addresses from the seed phrase using the Sui derivation path: m/44'/784'/0'/0'/0'.

• m/ — master seed
• 44' — BIP44 standard
• 784' — Sui's coin type (registered with SLIP-44)
• 0' — account index
• 0'/0' — change/address indexes

This is the standard Sui derivation path. Other Sui wallets use the same path, which is why a single seed phrase recovers the same addresses across wallets.

Sui seed phrase backup — how to back up

1. When the wallet displays the 24 words, write them down on paper. Use a pen, not pencil. Number each word so you can verify order.
2. Verify by re-entering when the wallet asks. This catches transcription errors before you commit funds.
3. Store the paper backup somewhere safe — fireproof safe or another secure location.
4. For larger balances, consider a metal backup. Stainless steel plates with stamped or engraved words survive fire, flood, and decades of storage.
5. Consider geographic distribution — keep one copy at home, one in a different location.

Sui seed phrase storage — where to store

Where to store:

• Paper, in a fireproof safe
• Stainless steel backup plate
• Safe deposit box (with trusted backup access)
• Geographically distributed copies

Where NOT to store:

• Any digital file on your phone or computer
• Email (drafts, sent, anywhere)
• Cloud-synced storage of any kind
• Software designed for credentials rather than seed material
• Photos, screenshots, or anything in a cloud-synced gallery
• Browser bookmarks or any document that syncs to the cloud
• Sharing with anyone — including "support" or anyone who asks

The principle: anywhere a network attacker, malicious app, or compromised account could read it is unsafe. Keep storage offline, redundant, and in a physically secure location.

Sui seed phrase security

• Anyone with the seed phrase can recover your wallet and spend your funds
• There's no second factor — just the 24 words
• Seed phrase compromise has no remediation; the only response is to move funds to a new wallet with a fresh seed phrase
• Lost seed phrase + lost device = funds permanently inaccessible (no recovery service)

Where to store Sui seed phrase

The short answer: paper or metal, offline, in physical secure storage. Never digital, never online, never in any system that could be remotely accessed or compromised.

How to backup Sui seed phrase

1. Write 24 words on paper with numbering
2. Verify each word in the wallet's confirmation flow
3. Place in fireproof safe at home
4. Optional: stamp/engrave on stainless steel for fire/water resistance
5. Optional: keep a second copy in a safe deposit box for disaster redundancy

Sui seed phrase recovery — using the backup

1. Install Sui Wallet Desktop on the new device
2. Choose "Recover existing wallet" at first launch
3. Enter your 24-word seed phrase in order
4. Confirm
5. The wallet derives your addresses and syncs from the Sui blockchain

Recovery typically takes seconds for the wallet, then a minute or two to sync transaction history. For more, see Sui Wallet Recovery.

Frequently asked questions