<p>The 12, 18, or 24 word mnemonic that you have (colloquially referred to as the seed) is a <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BIP 39</a> mnemonic. This encodes a 256 bit number which is then used to derive the private keys in your wallet.</p>

<p>All of the private keys in your wallet are derived using the method described in <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BIP 32</a>. This allows for private keys to be derived from a fixed seed (which is encoded by your BIP 39 mnemonic) and to be done so deterministically, i.e. the same keys are always derived.</p>

<p>So when you restore a hardware wallet or any other wallet that supports BIP 39 and BIP 32, you are really just setting a fixed seed which is then later used to derive all of your private keys.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-01T15:48:13.330Z
2017-11-01T15:48:13.330Z
Ava Chow
<p>Sure this asked many times before and is available but I cannot find it!
I understand that all that is stored on a hardware wallet is private and public keys etc.
My lack of understanding arises when the need to recover a lost hardware wallet occurs. How is it that entering my seed words on a new device regenerates the essential data which was on the original. Is it encoded in the seed sequence? Seems like a simple question but I cannot see it anywhere explicitly stated. Been through Trezor manual and nothing!
Much obliged if you have been able to bear with my ignorance (stupidity) and can stand to reply</p>

<hr>

<p>I am now aware that data reconstructed from seed. Where else? Sorry to have had to ask the obvious. Got this off your forum.</p>

<hardware-wallet>
Restoring a hardware wallet
uktouche
# Restoring a hardware wallet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-01)

Sure this asked many times before and is available but I cannot find it!
I understand that all that is stored on a hardware wallet is private and public keys etc.
My lack of understanding arises when the need to recover a lost hardware wallet occurs. How is it that entering my seed words on a new device regenerates the essential data which was on the original. Is it encoded in the seed sequence? Seems like a simple question but I cannot see it anywhere explicitly stated. Been through Trezor manual and nothing!
Much obliged if you have been able to bear with my ignorance (stupidity) and can stand to reply

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I am now aware that data reconstructed from seed. Where else? Sorry to have had to ask the obvious. Got this off your forum.

**Tags:** hardware-wallet


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-01. Score: 1

The 12, 18, or 24 word mnemonic that you have (colloquially referred to as the seed) is a [BIP 39](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki) mnemonic. This encodes a 256 bit number which is then used to derive the private keys in your wallet.

All of the private keys in your wallet are derived using the method described in [BIP 32](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki). This allows for private keys to be derived from a fixed seed (which is encoded by your BIP 39 mnemonic) and to be done so deterministically, i.e. the same keys are always derived.

So when you restore a hardware wallet or any other wallet that supports BIP 39 and BIP 32, you are really just setting a fixed seed which is then later used to derive all of your private keys.


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