Private key
The secret number that authorises spending from an address; whoever holds it controls the funds, so where it lives and who can use it is the core question of custody.
A private key is a large random number. From it comes a public key, and from that the address. Signing a transaction with the private key is what proves to the network that the owner approved it. There is no password reset: lose the key and the funds are gone, leak it and anyone can take them.
For a business, the questions about keys are practical ones:
- Where is the key generated? A key that has ever existed on an ordinary server or laptop may have been copied.
- Where is it used? Every signature needs the key, so the signing environment matters as much as storage.
- Who can make it sign? Protection is only as good as the rules about what gets signed.
- How is it backed up, and could one person restore it alone?
On Valtu
Wallet keys are generated and used only inside hardware enclaves: isolated machines with no disk, no network and no operator access. Each workspace has its own keys. The enclave signs only what your approval policies allowed, and anyone can check which code is running with remote attestation.
Related terms
Keep reading.
More in wallets and custody: Blockchain address · Self-custody · Wallet-as-a-service · Hot wallet · Cold storage · Treasury wallet. The whole glossary.
Put it into practice.
Every workspace starts on testnets with free test coins: same dashboard, same API. Go live when your team is ready.