How can a single recovery seed create multiple Bitcoin addresses?

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#1Nov 14, 2022, 01:20 AM
I'm curious about how this works with Bitcoin. Just one recovery seed and you can have various wallet addresses? Like, I can give my boss one for my salary and another to a friend for some payment. They all come from the same seed? Sounds confusing.
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diamond_minerFull Member
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#2Nov 14, 2022, 06:07 AM
Stop wondering and start learning, my dude. Check out this link for the details.
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wagmiNewbie
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#3Nov 14, 2022, 06:42 AM
Right? You asked a pretty basic question. Look at this link, it explains it all. I mean, it’s been shared already.
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chrisomegaFull Member
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#4Nov 14, 2022, 10:49 AM
You're mixing things up. The seed phrase isn’t the same as a private key. Each Bitcoin address has its own private key. If you try to restore using just one address's private key, you’ll only get that address back. If you're still confused after reading, hit up the tech support board.
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#5Nov 14, 2022, 10:57 AM
The seed phrase is like a random number that creates your master private key, which then generates individual private keys. This whole process is based on math, and that's how you get multiple addresses. Using an HD wallet makes it easier since you only need to remember the seed.
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stacksatsHero Member
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#6Nov 15, 2022, 03:45 AM
Chapter 5 in Mastering Bitcoin talks about wallets and is a solid resource for understanding HD wallets. HD wallets are just better organized than the old school ones.
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sigma2016Newbie
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#7Nov 15, 2022, 05:19 AM
It’s pretty straightforward with HD wallets. The seed creates the seed for the master private key, which can then generate child private keys and their corresponding addresses. You’ll see it like a tree structure.
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dave.forkMember
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#8Nov 17, 2022, 02:03 AM
Yep, exactly. Think of a recovery seed as a random number like a private key, but it’s special because it can create endless secure private keys. Instead of generating a new private key each time, you derive them from the seed using a hash function. Makes everything easier.
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