Deterministic Wallet
Definition
A deterministic wallet generates all cryptographic keys from a single master seed using a deterministic algorithm. Given the same seed, the wallet will always produce the same sequence of key pairs, enabling complete wallet recovery from a single backup while supporting unlimited address generation.
Technical Explanation
Deterministic wallets use key derivation functions (KDFs) to generate child keys from parent keys in a predictable manner. The master seed—typically 128 to 256 bits of entropy—feeds into HMAC-SHA512 or similar functions to produce key hierarchies. Each derived key has an index, allowing wallets to regenerate specific keys on demand.
Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) wallets extend this concept with tree structures defined by BIP-32, enabling organizational separation of funds. The derivation path specifies which branch of the tree a key belongs to, with hardened derivation preventing child key exposure from compromising parent keys.
SynX Relevance
SynX implements quantum-safe deterministic key derivation, generating both Kyber-768 and SPHINCS+ key pairs from your seed phrase. This ensures you can recover all your quantum-resistant keys from a single 24-word backup, combining the convenience of deterministic wallets with post-quantum security.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is my seed phrase enough to recover everything?
- Yes, SynX deterministically derives all keys from your seed, including quantum-resistant signature and encryption keys.
- How many addresses can a deterministic wallet create?
- Theoretically unlimited—billions of unique addresses from a single seed.
- What if someone discovers my derivation path?
- Derivation paths are not secret; security comes from the seed itself remaining private.
One seed, infinite quantum-safe addresses. Create your SynX wallet