ABOUT PASSPHRASES

The passphrase is your unique key for representing your identity to issuing organizations. It allows you to prove ownership of your digital records.

It's critical that you backup this passphrase. You can save it in a secure password manager or write it down on paper.

Never share your passphrase with anyone. While anyone can verify a credential, only the person with the appropriate passphrase can claim ownership of a credential. This prevents someone who has a similar name to yours from claiming your accomplishments as their own.

If you ever change devices or lose your phone, simply enter this same passphrase into another Blockcerts Wallet. This will let you claim ownership of your credentials even if the device they were originally stored on is lost or destroyed.

What is it?

A passphrase is a series of 12-16 words chosen randomly from a word list. These words correspond to a much longer string of numbers and characters, which is your private key. Owning your private key is what allows you to own your digital credentials.

Can I choose my own passphrase?

No. Passphrases must be generated by a Blockcerts application to make sure they're sufficiently random & complex to uniquely identify an individual.

Who should I share my passphrase with?

No one. Anyone who knows your passphrase may be able to impersonate you and claim ownership of any Blockcerts that have previously been issued to you.