tech · quantum risk
Seed phrases quantum | Quantum-Safe Claims & Education
Verdict
Seed phrases are not quantum-proof. They encode entropy that derives classical private keys on common chains; theft of the seed is catastrophic classically and under CRQC the derived public keys remain Shor-relevant.
Overview
Mnemonics are UX for key hierarchy, not a post-quantum primitive.
Cloud photos of seeds and plaintext password managers are operational failures independent of PQC.
Cryptographic profile
- Signatures: Derived classical private keys from BIP-39-class seeds (typical)
- Hash: Seed derivation hashing
- Public-key exposure: One seed → many classical keys across chains.
Claim scrutiny (buyer checklist)
Marketing / stated claims
- Quantum-proof seed storage
Open questions
- How will PQ wallets handle recovery UX?
Educational analysis only. Verify primary sources, specs, and audits yourself before any financial or procurement decision.
What breaks
- Seed in email/cloud notes
- Reused passphrases
- Assuming 24 words equals PQC
Mitigations
- Offline backups with dual control for treasuries
- Prefer multisig over single seed for large value
- Plan migration stories beyond mnemonic culture when chains support new schemes
FAQ
Related?
/glossary/seed-phrase and post-quantum-wallets
Hardware?
/is-quantum-proof/hardware-wallets-quantum
Key concepts (technical dictionary)
Terms used on this page — open a definition: