Difference Between BIP39, SLIP39 and Other Seeds

Seed phrases (also called mnemonic or recovery phrases) are the foundation of crypto self-custody. They allow you to recover your wallet and access your coins, even if your hardware device or computer is lost. However, not all seed phrases are created equal — different standards define how seeds are generated, stored, and restored.

In this article, we’ll explore the differences between BIP39, SLIP39, and other seed phrase formats, how they work, and which one is best for your crypto security setup.

What Is a Seed Phrase Standard?

A seed phrase standard defines how human-readable words represent the underlying private keys that control your cryptocurrency. It includes:

• How random data (entropy) is converted into words.

• How wallets interpret those words to generate deterministic private keys.

• Whether and how additional passwords or shares can be added.

Different standards exist because crypto wallets evolve and new security challenges appear over time — such as the need for multi-share backups, recovery thresholds, or extra passphrase layers.

BIP39 – The Most Common Seed Phrase Standard

What Is BIP39?

BIP39 (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 39) is the most widely used standard for generating mnemonic phrases. Introduced in 2013, it’s used by almost every major wallet — including Trezor, Ledger, Electrum, MetaMask, and Exodus.

Difference Between BIP39, SLIP39 and Other Seed Phrase Standards 01

How It Works

BIP39 converts random entropy (128–256 bits) into a list of 12, 18, or 24 words from a fixed wordlist of 2048 English words. Each word maps to a binary value that represents a portion of the private key.

A checksum is appended to ensure data integrity.
From this mnemonic, the wallet generates a seed and then hierarchical deterministic (HD) private keys using BIP32 or BIP44 derivation paths.

Optional Passphrase

BIP39 also allows an optional “25th word” — the passphrase — which adds another layer of protection.
If someone steals your 24-word seed but doesn’t know your passphrase, they can’t access your funds.

Supported By

• Trezor (all models)

• Ledger Nano / Stax

• MetaMask, Electrum, BlueWallet, Wasabi, etc.

Pros

✅ Widely supported across wallets and software.
✅ Simple and human-readable.
✅ Compatible across different ecosystems.

Cons

❌ Only one copy of the seed — no built-in redundancy.
❌ If lost or stolen, full access is compromised.
❌ No threshold recovery (must have 100% of words).

SLIP39 – Shamir Backup for Advanced Security

What Is SLIP39?

SLIP39 (SatoshiLabs Improvement Proposal 39), developed by Trezor, is a modern alternative to BIP39. It implements Shamir’s Secret Sharing, a cryptographic method that splits a single secret (your seed) into multiple parts (called shares).

Each share looks like a mini seed phrase, and you can specify how many shares are required to reconstruct the wallet (for example, 3-of-5, 5-of-8, etc.).

How It Works

Instead of one 12/24-word seed, SLIP39 creates multiple 20 or 33-word shares.
Each share is valid only as part of a group — alone, it reveals nothing.
You decide how many total shares exist and how many are needed to recover the wallet (the threshold).

For example:

• You create 5 shares.

• You set a 3-of-5 recovery threshold.

• Any 3 shares can restore the wallet, but fewer than 3 cannot.

Advantages of SLIP39

✅ Redundancy: You can lose one or two shares and still recover your wallet.
✅ Security: A single stolen share is useless without the others.
✅ Custom flexibility: Perfect for inheritance planning or team-managed funds.

Limitations

❌ Not all wallets support SLIP39 (mostly Trezor Model T, Trezor Safe 3, Safe 5).
❌ Slightly more complex to back up.
❌ Shares are longer (20+ words each).

Supported By

• Trezor Model T, Trezor Safe 3, Trezor Safe 5

Difference Between BIP39, SLIP39 and Other Seed Phrase Standards 01

⚙️ Other Seed Phrase Standards

1. BIP32 / BIP44 – Key Derivation, Not Mnemonic

While not mnemonic standards themselves, BIP32 and BIP44 define how keys are derived from the master seed.

• BIP32: Introduced hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets — one seed can create infinite addresses.

• BIP44: Standardized account structures across coins (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum).

These standards work with BIP39 or SLIP39 — not as replacements.

2. Electrum Seed Standard

Some older wallets (like Electrum) use a proprietary mnemonic format that’s not compatible with BIP39.

• Seeds look similar but can’t be imported into BIP39 wallets.

• Electrum seeds also encode wallet versioning for better backward compatibility.

3. BIP85 – Deterministic Child Seeds

BIP85 allows generating child seeds from a master seed, each for a separate wallet (e.g., one for Bitcoin, one for Lightning, one for testnet).
It provides isolation while still deriving from a single root.

Summary: BIP39 vs SLIP39 vs Others

Which Seed Standard Should You Use?

• Casual or individual users: BIP39 — easy, supported everywhere, simple backup.

• High-security users or family inheritance plans: SLIP39 — redundancy and shared recovery.

• Advanced multi-wallet setups: Combine BIP39 + BIP85 or multisig for isolation.

If you own a Trezor Model T, Safe 3, or Safe 5, you can choose between BIP39 and SLIP39 during wallet setup. For most users, BIP39 is still the default — but SLIP39 is ideal for those who want redundant, share-based backups.

✅ Key Takeaways

• BIP39 = Simple, widely supported, single-seed backups.

• SLIP39 = Secure, redundant, share-based backups (Trezor exclusive).

• BIP32/BIP44 = Define how keys are derived from seeds.

• BIP85 = Creates deterministic child seeds for multiple wallets.

Your choice depends on your threat model, number of trusted people, and your technical comfort level.
Remember: whichever standard you use, protect your seed like gold — keep it offline, private, and backed up safely.