WRITTEN BY
Crypto investor and blockchain researcher
Keeping your crypto wallet secure starts with protecting your private keys and recovery backup, keeping your device locked and updated, and checking every transfer or signing request. Regular checks of connected apps and token permissions help you remove access you no longer need. The right protections depend on how you hold your crypto: a self-custody wallet puts you in charge of its keys, while an exchange account also needs a secure login and multi-factor authentication. Read the full guide below to check your setup.
Start With a Wallet Security Checklist
Open your wallet and work through these six checks:
- Check your recovery backup: Confirm that you have the complete backup, can read it, and know where it is stored. Use your wallet’s supported backup check where available.
- Lock and update your devices: Enable a screen lock, set a unique wallet app password where supported, and install official software and firmware updates.
- Verify your wallet app: Check that you installed it through the provider’s official download links. Save the genuine support page instead of relying on search ads.
- Check before signing: Verify the full recipient address, network, asset, amount, fee, and the action the wallet asks you to approve.
- Remove old access: Review connected apps and account sessions. Check spending approvals separately; disconnecting an app may leave those permissions active.
- Know your emergency response: A suspicious approval may need revocation. A leaked seed phrase or private key requires a new wallet with new recovery material.
Know What Actually Controls Your Wallet
Your crypto is recorded on a blockchain. Wallet software lets you view balances, receive funds, and sign transactions; the coins are not stored inside the app itself.
In a non-custodial wallet, you control the signing keys. On an exchange, the provider holds the keys and your login controls access to its service.
| Item | What It Does | What to Protect |
| Public Address | Receives supported assets on the selected network | The correct address, network, and your privacy |
| Private Key | Signs actions for an account | The entire secret key |
| Recovery Phrase (Seed Phrase) | Restores a compatible seed-based wallet | All required words in the correct order |
| App Password/PIN | Locks the wallet app or device | A strong credential that you keep private |
| Account Login | Opens your exchange or custodial account | Password, MFA, and the linked email account |
Changing an app password does not cancel a leaked seed phrase. Someone with the phrase can restore the wallet on another device. Some wallets use other recovery systems, so check your actual backup method rather than assuming every wallet has 12 or 24 words.
Protect and Verify Your Recovery Backup
If your wallet uses recovery words, record them exactly as displayed. Number them in order and check each word’s spelling. Let the wallet generate the phrase; do not replace words with ones you prefer or rearrange the list.
Keep the backup offline. Do not photograph it, email it to yourself, or leave it in ordinary cloud notes. Choose a private place protected from theft, fire, water, and accidental disposal. Store the backup separately from your wallet device so losing one bag does not mean losing both.
A second secure location protects against losing your only copy, but every extra copy adds a theft risk. Make only copies you can protect.
On a Trezor Safe 3, open Trezor Suite, go to Device settings, and select Check backup. Follow the device prompts and enter the words on the Trezor itself. This checks the backup without wiping the wallet.
For another wallet, follow its supported backup check or recovery instructions in a trusted setting. Do not erase a funded wallet just to test the backup. Keep the old app or device until recovery is verified.
Never send recovery words to support, email, chat, an AI assistant, or a website offering to check them.
Harden the Device and Wallet App
Lock your phone or computer with a strong passcode and enable automatic screen locking. Use a separate, unique wallet app password where supported. Lock the wallet and screen when you leave the device unattended.
Install operating system and wallet app updates through official channels. Update hardware wallet firmware through the manufacturer’s verified software and check its backup requirements first. Ignore unsolicited update links.
Install wallets through the provider’s verified download links and check the app or extension publisher. Do not rely on search advertisements.
Remove extensions you do not need and avoid cracked software or unexpected attachments. If you suspect malware, use a different, trusted device to create a new wallet or carry out recovery.
For exchange accounts, enable multi-factor authentication, or MFA, on both the account and linked email where available.
Many self-custody wallets have no account-style 2FA. A hardware wallet separates signing keys from your everyday computer, but it cannot protect a leaked backup or make a harmful instruction safe to sign.
Avoid Phishing and Harmful Wallet Connections
Phishing tricks you into giving secrets or permissions to an impostor. Open wallet services from a verified bookmark or the official app. Inspect the full domain; a brand name buried in a URL is not proof of ownership.
HTTPS encrypts the connection; it does not establish that a site is legitimate. Scam pages can use HTTPS and copy logos, interfaces, and verification badges.
Check which action the wallet prompt requests:
- Connect: usually shares your selected public address and lets the site request further actions. Connecting alone does not give it permission to spend tokens.
- Sign: signs a message or transaction. Some message formats authorize spending or asset sales even when you see no immediate transfer or gas fee.
- Approve: grants a spender permission to move specified tokens under the approval’s rules. On supported networks, that permission can remain active after you close the site.
Reject spending requests when you expected a login or a simple connection. Signature phishing can use an off-chain message signature to enable theft later, without an immediate transaction in your history.
Hypothetical Example: A support message threatens to block your wallet unless you provide recovery words. Ignore its link and check the claim through official support. Do not share the phrase.
Fake extensions and airdrop pages can request secrets or harmful signatures. Refuse requests for private keys or recovery words.
Check Every Transfer and Approval Before Signing
Before confirming a transfer, check:
- Full destination address: compare it with verified recipient details or your logged-in account’s deposit page.
- Network: confirm the recipient supports the exact network selected.
- Asset and amount: check the token, quantity, and any required memo or destination tag.
- Fee and action: check the network fee and whether you are sending, swapping, or granting access.
- Hardware wallet display: check available details on the device itself and reject any mismatch.
Clipboard malware can replace a copied address. Lookalikes can also enter your transaction history through small or zero-value transfers. Compare the complete address, including the middle, with a trusted source; do not verify only the first and last characters.
The device shows what it will sign, but cannot identify the owner of a destination address. Verify the recipient independently.
Make a small test transfer when practical and confirm receipt. Check the address, network, and amount again before the main transfer, even if the test worked.
Many Ethereum tokens require a spending approval before a swap. Check the spender, the address permitted to move tokens, and the allowance, the authorized amount. Verify the spender against official protocol information. Limit access to the intended amount where your wallet and protocol support it.
Hypothetical Example: A 30-token swap requests unlimited access. Confirm the spender and set a 30-token allowance if supported. A smaller allowance limits exposure without making a malicious spender trustworthy.
Permissions may cover future token deposits or multiple NFTs. Understand the scope before granting unlimited access. Rules vary by network and token standard. Reject unclear requests.
Review Access and Act When Something Looks Wrong
Review access monthly and after trying a new app. Investigate unexpected activity immediately. Check:
- Connected apps and account sessions: remove unused or unrecognized access.
- Token permissions: check the token, spender, and limit on each network you use.
- Updates and backup condition: confirm your backup is readable, secure, and accessible.
With MetaMask, review and revoke token approvals on supported networks. Select the account and network, check the spender and limit, and revoke unwanted permissions. Confirm the transaction completed; disconnecting the dApp alone does not cancel an approval.
Match your response to what happened:
- Opened a suspicious site without sharing secrets or signing: close it. Check connections, downloads, and permission changes before assuming key exposure.
- Signed a suspicious message or approval: stop signing and record the site, account, network, and action. Inspect permissions and use a trusted revocation route where applicable. Allowance revocation cannot neutralize every malicious signature.
- Exposed recovery phrase or private key: generate a new wallet with new recovery material on a trusted, uncompromised device. Move remaining assets carefully where possible. Another account under the same exposed seed does not fix the compromise.
- Unknown transfer: check the recipient, asset, amount, time, and status through a trusted explorer or official account activity. Save the transaction hash and relevant screenshots without secrets. Contact verified official support where appropriate.
Do not add gas funds blindly to a compromised wallet. A sweeper can steal added assets and gas. Follow MetaMask’s compromised-wallet guidance if you use MetaMask, or your wallet’s official incident instructions. Revocation cannot repair a leaked seed.
FAQ
Yes. Share your public receiving address to receive payments, but confirm the asset and network with the sender. The address does not reveal your private key, although public transaction records can expose balances and link activity to you. Keep recovery words and private keys secret; they are not payment details.
Will Changing My Wallet Password Help If My Recovery Phrase Leaked?
No. A local password change cannot stop someone restoring a seed-based wallet with the leaked phrase. Create a new wallet with new recovery material on a trusted, uncompromised device, then move remaining assets where possible. Another account created from the exposed seed remains vulnerable.
Does Every Crypto Wallet Support Two-Factor Authentication?
No. Exchanges and other account-based services may offer MFA, while many self-custody wallets rely on signing keys, an app lock, or a hardware device. Enable supported account protections and secure the linked email. For self-custody, protect the recovery backup and check every request before signing.
Does Disconnecting a dApp Revoke Token Approvals?
No. Disconnecting an app ends its wallet connection, but an existing spending approval may remain on-chain. Review the permission on the correct network and use your wallet’s verified revocation procedure. Check that the revocation confirms; closing the site or removing its connection does not cancel the approval.
What If I Signed Something Suspicious?
Stop signing and record the site, crypto wallet account, network, and requested action. Inspect affected permissions and revoke them through a trusted route where applicable. Seek verified help if the effect is unclear. A message may authorize later action without an immediate transaction, and revocation cannot undo every signature.
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Don’t forget to do your own research before buying any crypto. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
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