Term of the Moment
assistive technology
Definition: crypto keys
The public/private key pair used to send and receive cryptocurrencies. The public key can be published anywhere like a bank account number to receive crypto assets. The private key is used to send assets. The following examples are wallets that users download and self-manage. Both public and private keys are never encountered on a centralized exchange such as Coinbase or Bitfinex unless the account is closed or transferred elsewhere. See crypto exchange.
Receive Assets - Public Key
Send Assets - Private Key
Receive Bitcoins
The public key is the address that receives funds and can be published anywhere. QR codes of the public key are always available because copying and pasting long alphanumeric keys in a phone is tedious. This is a Mycelium wallet example. See crypto wallet.
The private key in the wallet unlocks tokens on the blockchain to be sent to a recipient's public key. Private keys are never divulged, but in this MetaMask wallet example, the private key can be exposed in order to transfer assets to a different wallet or service.
Normally the public address (top) is published to receive bitcoins; however, payment services that accept and pay in bitcoins may require a uniform resource identifier (URI). In Request Mode, either can be selected in this Electrum wallet. See URI.