# Private Key

*Crypto & Digital Assets — Finicade finance glossary*

A private key is the secret number that authorises spending from a crypto address — whoever holds it owns the assets, with no reset and no appeal.

A private key is the secret number that authorises spending from a crypto address — whoever holds it owns the assets, with no appeal, no reset and no support line. This is the sector's defining trade-off: real self-custody with no counterparty, paid for by absolute personal responsibility. A meaningful share of all Bitcoin ever mined is permanently inaccessible because keys were lost.

**Also known as:** secret key, not your keys not your coins

**Related terms:** [Public Key](https://finicade.com/glossary/public-key), [Seed Phrase](https://finicade.com/glossary/seed-phrase), [Cold Storage](https://finicade.com/glossary/cold-storage), [Custodial vs Non-Custodial Wallet](https://finicade.com/glossary/custodial-vs-non-custodial-wallet), [Hash Function](https://finicade.com/glossary/hash-function)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/private-key