Accounts, Keys, and Wallets¶
Koinos accounts are controlled through cryptographic authorization. Before using a wallet, it helps to distinguish an account, an address, a key, and the software that manages them.
The basic terms¶
| Term | Meaning | Safe to share? |
|---|---|---|
| Private key | Secret value used to authorize actions | No |
| Public key | Value derived from a private key and used to verify signatures | Usually |
| Address | Public identifier derived from a public key | Yes |
| Account | On-chain identity and state associated with an address | Yes |
| Wallet | Software that manages keys and requests signatures | Not applicable |
| Recovery phrase | Words from which wallet keys can be restored | No |
Koinos tools use the secp256k1 elliptic curve for account signatures. Common
tools encode private keys in Wallet Import Format (WIF) and addresses with a
Base58Check-style encoding. These encodings improve interoperability and error
detection; they do not encrypt the underlying secret.
An address is not a private key
Share an address when someone needs to send you tokens or inspect public activity. Never share a private key, recovery phrase, wallet backup password, or wallet PIN.
Account authority¶
For a conventional account, a valid signature from its private key proves authority. Koinos also allows smart-contract logic to participate in authorization. This makes designs such as multisignature approval, recovery rules, and application-sponsored transactions possible.
Programmable authority is an advanced feature. It does not make key handling optional: the account's configured rules determine which signatures or contract conditions are required.
Protect your keys¶
- Generate keys only with trusted wallet or cryptographic software.
- Keep recovery phrases offline and away from screenshots, chat, email, and cloud notes.
- Verify the application and network before approving a transaction.
- Keep a tested backup before moving funds to a new wallet.
- Use separate wallets for production funds and testnet experiments.
- Treat testnet keys as secrets too; reusing them on mainnet creates avoidable risk.
No Koinos maintainer, wallet developer, faucet operator, or community moderator needs your private key or recovery phrase.
Wallet options¶
Kondor¶
Kondor is a self-custody Chrome extension for Koinos. The current Kondor 2 documentation covers creating and importing wallets, transaction approval, encrypted backups, network selection, and dApp connections.
Use it when: you want a graphical wallet in Chrome or need to approve transactions from a dApp.
Koinos CLI¶
The Koinos CLI is an interactive command-line application for key management and blockchain operations.
Use it when: you need a terminal workflow, contract registration, or scripted command execution and understand command-line security.
Choose a network before using a wallet¶
Koinos mainnet and the public testnet use different chain IDs and contract deployments. A familiar address format does not prove that the selected network is correct.
Before approving a transaction:
- confirm whether you are using mainnet or testnet;
- verify the destination address and token;
- review every operation the wallet displays; and
- reject the request if the network or operation is unexpected.
Continue with Mainnet vs Testnet for current connection details.