Public Key:

• This is like your bank account number — it can be shared with others.

• It's used to generate your wallet address, which people use to send you crypto.

• It does not give anyone access to your funds.

Private Key:

• This is like the PIN to your bank account — it must be kept absolutely secret.

• It gives you full control over the funds associated with the matching public key.

• If someone else gets access to it, they can move your crypto without restriction.

Your private key is used to sign transactions, proving to the blockchain that you’re the legitimate owner of the funds you're trying to send. The network checks your digital signature using your public key — a process made possible by asymmetric cryptography.

Important: If you lose your private key and don’t have a backup (like a recovery phrase), your funds are lost forever — even the platform can’t recover them.

Best practice: Store your keys in a hardware wallet or secure offline environment, never share them, and always keep a backup in a safe place.