Keys and seeds

A key pair has a public half you can share and a secret half you never do.

Every account is controlled by a key pair: a private key and a public key, linked mathematically. The private key makes the digital signatures that approve transactions. The public key lets everyone check those signatures but can't make new ones, so it's safe to share. The address is worked out from the public key.

Most wallets never show the private key. They keep a seed instead: a compact secret value the keys are made from. The seed, the private key and any passphrase used to make them are all secrets, and anyone who knows one controls the account.

An account's first key pair is its master key pair. It can be switched off but never changed. A good habit is to keep it offline and set up a second, regular key pair for everyday signing, which can be swapped out if it's ever exposed.

Some accounts need several people to approve a transaction. That's multi-signing: the account keeps a list of signers who approve transactions together.

Sources

Cryptographic Keys (xrpl.org) (checked 2026-10-22)
Accounts (xrpl.org) (checked 2026-10-22)

General information about how the XRP Ledger works, not financial, legal or tax advice.