Key Management
BlockVault uses a single recovery phrase to manage addresses across every supported blockchain. That phrase is the master key — keep it offline, keep it private, and you can restore everything from it.
One phrase, all your chains
When you create a wallet, BlockVault generates a BIP-39 recovery phrase (12 or 24 words). From that phrase, it derives the addresses for every blockchain you use:
Recovery phrase → seed → one address per chainThis follows the well-known BIP-32 and BIP-44 standards that hardware wallets and most other modern wallets use, so the same phrase can be restored anywhere that supports the same paths.
Derivation paths by chain
You don't need to know this to use the wallet — but if you're restoring on another device, this is what BlockVault expects.
| Blockchain | Path | Curve | Address looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | m/44'/0'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | bc1q… (or 1… / 3…) |
| Counterparty | m/44'/0'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | Same format as Bitcoin |
| Ethereum | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Polygon | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| BNB Chain | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Base | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Arbitrum | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Optimism | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Tempo | m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | 0x… |
| Solana | m/44'/501'/0'/0' | Ed25519 | Base58 string |
| dYdX | m/44'/118'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | dydx1… |
| Osmosis | m/44'/118'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | osmo1… |
| Noble | m/44'/118'/0'/0/0 | secp256k1 | noble1… |
A few things worth knowing:
- All EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Tempo) share the same path, so your address looks identical on all of them.
- All Cosmos chains share the same path too, but the prefix changes (
dydx1…,osmo1…,noble1…). - Solana uses a different curve (Ed25519), so it produces a different-looking address even from the same phrase.
Bitcoin: three address types
Bitcoin supports several formats. From the same phrase you can generate any of them, and BlockVault lets you choose which one to use when you add an address:
| Type | Looks like | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Native SegWit (P2WPKH) | bc1q… | Lowest fees, modern default. |
| Wrapped SegWit (P2SH-P2WPKH) | 3… | Wider compatibility with older services. |
| Legacy (P2PKH) | 1… | Oldest format, highest fees. |
Multiple wallets
You can keep more than one wallet in BlockVault — each with its own recovery phrase and its own set of addresses. Useful for separating personal funds, savings, or a trading account. Switching between them is one tap, and each phrase is encrypted independently.
Private keys: derived, not stored
Private keys are never saved to disk. The flow is:
- You authenticate (password or biometrics).
- The recovery phrase is briefly decrypted in memory.
- The exact key needed is derived.
- The transaction is signed.
- The key is wiped from memory.
This means that even if someone got a copy of your phone's storage, they would still need your password to do anything with your funds.