Your seed phrase backs up keys, not your wallet.
12 or 24 words don't say which scripts those keys wrap, which paths hold receive vs change, or who your multisig cosigners are. Restore in a different app and "I have the words" can become "I can't see the coins."
BIP 380 output descriptors are the missing piece: one checksummed string naming script type, key origins and ranges. Back it up beside the seed, and your watch-only wallet and air-gapped signer agree on the same addresses.
https://cryptodecentral.co.za/notes/self-custody-output-descriptors-bip380
#bitcoin #selfcustody
cryptodecentral / CryptoDecentral
npub10e…z384g
2026-10-09 18:05:52 UTC
Author Public Key
npub10eg6hnelz5yy65dmlmfa85j56gltc8jayayjzeqagvxml84027aq0z384gSeen on
wss://relay.primal.netPublished at
2026-10-09 18:05:52 UTCEvent JSON
{
"id": "4d22ac30efc3b402adf1d6f1cd74a7ab6244d107764a1aea6e6038f62d746698",
"pubkey": "7e51abcf3f15084d51bbfed3d3d254d23ebc1e5d274921641d430dbf9eaf57ba",
"created_at": 1791569152,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
[
"t",
"bitcoin"
],
[
"t",
"selfcustody"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nos.lol/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nostr.land/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.primal.net/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.snort.social/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://purplepag.es/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.damus.io/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://relay.nostr.net/"
],
[
"r",
"wss://nostr.mom/"
],
[
"client",
"Primal Web"
]
],
"content": "Your seed phrase backs up keys, not your wallet.\n\n12 or 24 words don't say which scripts those keys wrap, which paths hold receive vs change, or who your multisig cosigners are. Restore in a different app and \"I have the words\" can become \"I can't see the coins.\"\n\nBIP 380 output descriptors are the missing piece: one checksummed string naming script type, key origins and ranges. Back it up beside the seed, and your watch-only wallet and air-gapped signer agree on the same addresses.\n\nhttps://cryptodecentral.co.za/notes/self-custody-output-descriptors-bip380\n\n#bitcoin #selfcustody",
"sig": "b0bd8eb498fdd46dd577621fe000d7db2d1859382fb4744b663f76f67fc518b3251bd2a037c2a6e52120e593faddb03fdba6483c384191187dd2f473898c8e1e"
}