Although, technically, 256 bits of entropy means higher level of unpredictability than 128 bits of entropy, generally speaking, they're both secure enough to protect your funds. What's left to make sure of is that you won't leak it, whether half of it, whether disarranged.
I guess the problem most of the time is not the number of words in your seed phrase but how you safekeep them. Nobody has ever brute-force attack even a 12-word seed phrase.
And, if I may add, a random passphrase provides additional protection.
Topic: You should use a 12 or 24 words seed phrase ? - page 2. (Read 363 times)
Sure 24 words is somewhat more secure than 12 words but for all practical purposes there is no difference.
Its like the difference between 100 quadrillion and 50 quadrillion.
Sure one number is twice as big as the other but in either case the chances of someone cracking your seed phrase is virtually zero.
Its like the difference between 100 quadrillion and 50 quadrillion.
Sure one number is twice as big as the other but in either case the chances of someone cracking your seed phrase is virtually zero.
12 words provide 128 bits of entropy.
24 words provide 256 bits of entropy.
It means 24 words are safer in security than 12 words, 256 bits of entropy compares to 128 bits of entropy. 24 words are more secure than 12 words.
Because Bitcoin private key provides 128 bits of entropy, 12 words for your seed phrase is enough.
Don't mix/ rearrange your word orders, it will complicate your recovery process and you have risk to lose your coins.
How to back up a seed phrase?
Bitcoin Q&A: Why is Seed Splitting a Bad Idea?
24 words provide 256 bits of entropy.
It means 24 words are safer in security than 12 words, 256 bits of entropy compares to 128 bits of entropy. 24 words are more secure than 12 words.
Because Bitcoin private key provides 128 bits of entropy, 12 words for your seed phrase is enough.
Don't mix/ rearrange your word orders, it will complicate your recovery process and you have risk to lose your coins.
How to back up a seed phrase?
Bitcoin Q&A: Why is Seed Splitting a Bad Idea?
Using this examples, i want to conclude this topic saying that both 12 and 24 SP words are secure, but 24 is way more, in one hand we have the dilema of scrambling the words and having the 24 SP its would be imposible to recover, although the 12 SP its definetly more ''easy'' or '' lot less difficult'' than the 24 one. My suggestion is to pick the 24 SP and not scrambling the words , i hope you learned something.
24 woryd seed phrases are not more secure than 12 word seed phrases. 24 words seed phrases can be impossible to rearrange if the words are not in order while there is possibility that 12 word seed phrase can be rearranged. But that does not mean 24 words seed phrases are more secure. If an attacker sees your seed phrase, the chance that the seed phrase are in order is higher as usual and the coins can be stolen after the wallet has been compromised. Also not recommended to disarrange a 24 word seed phrase because it can not be rearranged. 12 words seed phrases have 128 bits of security just as bitcoin private key which makes 24 word seed phrase to also have 128 bit of security because private key bit of security is not more than 128. 
This is a very important topic that I want to comment on, since lately I see a lot of confusion on it on Twitter and in other platforms about “What’s the difference between a 12 word seed phrase and a 24 word seed phrase?” Many people simply have a basic preference or default wallet. For some, like me, the issue goes further, and is about security, i will try to summarise it as quite as posible. I will split this topic in three parts: 12 words seed phrase , 24 words seed phrase and finally the scrambled Seed Words.
Note: SP will stand to seed phrase.
12 Words SP
And if you are wondering wich words are in the BIP39 list here its is a llink to check it by yourself.
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/english.txt
The number of posible combinations exceeds 2.6 undecillion potential pairings. This implies that in order to calculate all of the potential 12-word SP that exist, someone would have to predict all 2.6 undecillion permutations, quite a heavy proces to be honest.
24 Words SP
As you see 14 quattuorvigintillion possible word combinations, its the first time you heard it, i know....
Astronimcal number, although guessing a 24-word seed phrase is not impossible in theory, we can described as "practically impossible." In other words, given the constraints of a human lifespan and the full extent of computer power now accessible to humanity, it is not conceivable to estimate a seed phrase (Who knows in the future...).
Scrambled SP
Two cases the 12 and the 24 SP case.
So here we will gonna talk about having the correct list of words but scrambled, in wich case we can restore our wallet its is posible? two cases the 12 and the 24 SP case.
Starting with the 12 scrambled words:
A web page throw it as a challenge in November 13, 2022 and in December 8, 2022 the sats were gone.
So, in order to guess the order of 12 known seed words, you have to guess all 479,001,600 possible combinations. That’s less than half a billion different combinations. It probably wouldn’t take someone very long to guess with the right computer script and a decent amount of computing power.
The 24 scrambled words:
bc1qxsd68d42agvykdueutm228uzn4s2g9qp2kk7t8
The bounty started in November 13, 2022 till now nobody breaking in to it ! ( you can try
That’s more than 620 sextillion possible combinations, which is more than one quadrillion (1,295,295,050,649,600) times the number of possible combinations with just 12 words. That’s the power of “Vires in numeris”, or “strength in numbers”, which is one of the many mantras that bitcoiners put on t-shirts, artwork, and cliché engagement tweets. The raw level of security that you have with a 24 word seed phrase is essentially 1,295,295,050,649,600 times greater than with just 12 words.
Conclusion
Using this examples, i want to conclude this topic saying that both 12 and 24 SP words are secure, but 24 is way more, in one hand we have the dilema of scrambling the words and having the 24 SP its would be imposible to recover, although the 12 SP its definetly more ''easy'' or '' lot less difficult'' than the 24 one. My suggestion is to pick the 24 SP and not scrambling the words , i hope you learned something.
Note: SP will stand to seed phrase.
12 Words SP
And if you are wondering wich words are in the BIP39 list here its is a llink to check it by yourself.
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/english.txt
The number of posible combinations exceeds 2.6 undecillion potential pairings. This implies that in order to calculate all of the potential 12-word SP that exist, someone would have to predict all 2.6 undecillion permutations, quite a heavy proces to be honest.
24 Words SP
As you see 14 quattuorvigintillion possible word combinations, its the first time you heard it, i know....
Astronimcal number, although guessing a 24-word seed phrase is not impossible in theory, we can described as "practically impossible." In other words, given the constraints of a human lifespan and the full extent of computer power now accessible to humanity, it is not conceivable to estimate a seed phrase (Who knows in the future...).
Scrambled SP
Two cases the 12 and the 24 SP case.
So here we will gonna talk about having the correct list of words but scrambled, in wich case we can restore our wallet its is posible? two cases the 12 and the 24 SP case.
Starting with the 12 scrambled words:
Quote
off energy lounge crisp library inmate accident occur boring aunt cherry gallery
The list above is a 12 word SP scrambled, that contained 100,000 sats in this adddres: bc1ql7ka7ut3vcveydx8sy9ylhurpnc6cpy02yjrgeA web page throw it as a challenge in November 13, 2022 and in December 8, 2022 the sats were gone.
So, in order to guess the order of 12 known seed words, you have to guess all 479,001,600 possible combinations. That’s less than half a billion different combinations. It probably wouldn’t take someone very long to guess with the right computer script and a decent amount of computing power.
The 24 scrambled words:
Quote
grab merit chuckle can island wash floor car exit mother box festival october odor camp country trial nephew coil fabric galaxy napkin appear apple
The list above is a 24 word SP scrambled, that contained 1,000,000 sats in this adddres: bc1qxsd68d42agvykdueutm228uzn4s2g9qp2kk7t8
The bounty started in November 13, 2022 till now nobody breaking in to it ! ( you can try
That’s more than 620 sextillion possible combinations, which is more than one quadrillion (1,295,295,050,649,600) times the number of possible combinations with just 12 words. That’s the power of “Vires in numeris”, or “strength in numbers”, which is one of the many mantras that bitcoiners put on t-shirts, artwork, and cliché engagement tweets. The raw level of security that you have with a 24 word seed phrase is essentially 1,295,295,050,649,600 times greater than with just 12 words.
Conclusion
Using this examples, i want to conclude this topic saying that both 12 and 24 SP words are secure, but 24 is way more, in one hand we have the dilema of scrambling the words and having the 24 SP its would be imposible to recover, although the 12 SP its definetly more ''easy'' or '' lot less difficult'' than the 24 one. My suggestion is to pick the 24 SP and not scrambling the words , i hope you learned something.
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