These are physical, often wallet-sized, cards designed for recording and storing a seed phrase, also known as a recovery phrase or mnemonic phrase. The seed phrase, typically a sequence of 12 to 24 words, is crucial for accessing and recovering cryptocurrency wallets. These cards provide a tangible alternative to digital storage, mitigating the risk of digital compromise. An example is a laminated card with numbered spaces for writing each word of the seed phrase.
The significance of these cards lies in bolstering the security of cryptocurrency assets. Seed phrases represent the ultimate key to wallet access; losing or compromising them results in irreversible asset loss. Storing the phrase solely in digital form exposes it to hacking, malware, and hardware failures. A physical card, properly secured, provides resilience against these threats. Historically, the lack of user-friendly security solutions led to significant cryptocurrency losses; these cards address that vulnerability by promoting secure offline storage.
Subsequent sections will delve into the advantages of using these cards over purely digital storage, explore different design considerations for optimal security, and outline best practices for their creation and safekeeping.