Why steel? CRYPTO SEED BANK
The words matter. So does what they’re written on.
A wallet can be replaced. A readable recovery backup is what helps you find your way back. This is the story of giving those words a stronger place to live.
Watch the story unfold. Explore the details at your own pace.
Your wallet has a backup.
When you set up a wallet, you record its recovery words. Those words help you restore access if the device is lost or stops working.
You write them down, check the order and put the sheet somewhere safe. For now, it feels like the job is finished. But a backup has a second job: to remain readable until the day you need it.
Crypto Seed Bank stores a physical copy of those words. You still use your wallet to manage your crypto.
One ordinary accident.
A spilled coffee. A nearby flame. A sudden gust through an open window. A sheet mistaken for rubbish. Paper can be damaged or lost in a moment.
Four ordinary accidents, one fragile record. Keeping a backup readable also means keeping it somewhere it will not disappear.
The danger comes when you need to recover your wallet and no usable backup remains. A damaged sheet alone does not erase your crypto.
- A spilled coffee
- A nearby flame
- A sudden gust
- Mistaken for rubbish
Slow down. Make every mark count.
Lay one card over the other and use the integrated letter stencil as your guide. The included tungsten tipped pen scratches each character into the steel beneath it.
Two 304 grade stainless steel cards. Each card has 24 numbered recovery-word rows and a separate bottom row for your wallet nickname.
The animation demonstrates the engraving technique. Never copy example words as your own wallet backup.
See how the tip locks in place.
See it in action
Make your first mark.
Choose a row and a sample word. Watch one card guide the pen over the other, turning to find each letter. Then the stencil lifts away to reveal your engraving.
Use a sample word, not a real recovery phrase. Your entry stays in this demo.
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The actual test
Beyond the everyday spill.
In our blowtorch demonstration, the card was heated until red hot. The engraved words remained readable. These are the original before-and-after images.
Drag the torch across the card, then hold still to heat a spot. Moving resets the temperature; your burn marks stay. Swipe beside the image to scroll, or choose Watch demo.
Before the test
This demonstration is not a certified fire rating or a guarantee of survival in every fire. Conditions, exposure and the quality of the engraving matter.
A different material. A different outcome.
Paper absorbs a spill. Engraved steel records the letters in its surface. Those marks cannot run like ink when liquid reaches them.
This is your actual Crypto Seed Bank card photographed in muddy water. It shows the kind of physical exposure that motivates a more durable backup—not a reason to leave your completed card exposed.
After exposure, clean and inspect your backup carefully. Storage, engraving quality and the conditions it encounters still matter.
Put it away with a plan.
A stronger material helps protect the record. Privacy and thoughtful storage help protect access. Choose a secure place you can reliably find when recovery is needed.
Think beyond today’s device. Follow your wallet provider’s recovery instructions and know where any separately required passphrase is stored. A durable card is one part of a complete backup plan.
Do not photograph, upload or share your completed recovery words. Never send them to us.
Before you put it away
A few deliberate steps. A more considered backup.
Record privately
Use the recovery words created by your wallet and follow its instructions. Work somewhere private, with your original record beside you.
Verify carefully
Compare every engraved entry and its position with the original. Follow the engraving guide and your wallet provider’s recommended backup check.
Store thoughtfully
Keep the backup secure and accessible to you. Account for loss, unauthorized access and any separate information your recovery process requires.
Understand what you are protecting
The questions worth asking.
Does the card hold my cryptocurrency?
It holds a physical record of your recovery words. You continue using your wallet to manage your cryptocurrency; the card is there for the recovery process if you need it.
If my paper gets damaged, is my crypto gone?
Damage to a sheet alone does not erase your crypto. The serious problem is needing to recover your wallet when no readable backup or other required recovery information remains.
Is steel indestructible?
No. Steel offers a more durable surface than paper, but exposure conditions, clear engraving and secure storage still matter. Our blowtorch demonstration is not a certified rating for every fire.
Can I use a photograph as my backup?
Keep recovery words offline and private, following your wallet provider’s guidance. A photograph can be copied or synced to other devices and accounts. We will never ask to see your completed words.
Make your backup tangible
Words you can come back to.
Two steel cards. Integrated letter stencils. An engraving pen included. A practical way to make a durable record of your recovery words.
Keep your recovery words private. We will never ask you to send them or photograph your completed cards.
New to recovery phrases?
Recovery words are a wallet backup, not an ordinary website password. Follow your wallet provider’s instructions for its backup format. If you use an additional wallet passphrase, preserve that separately and exactly as your provider directs.
Read Trezor’s guide to wallet backups