ENTA uses your Face ID or Touch ID instead of a seed phrase. This article explains what a seed phrase is, why we don't use one, and how your money stays under your control.
First — what is a seed phrase?
If you've used other crypto wallets, you've probably been asked to write down 12 or 24 random words — something like "orbit lemon canyon whisper…" — and told to keep them safe forever.
Those words are called a seed phrase, and they are the master key to the wallet. Whoever has the words has the money. That creates two big problems:
1. If you lose it, your money is gone. There's no "forgot password" option. If the paper is lost, damaged, or the note on your phone is deleted, nobody — not even the wallet company — can get your funds back.
2. If someone else sees it, they can take everything. Scammers know this, so most crypto theft starts with tricking people into typing their seed phrase into a fake website or "support chat". Once the words are out, the funds are gone in seconds — and it can't be reversed.
In other words: a seed phrase makes you responsible for guarding a secret that can never be changed, forever.
ENTA works differently: your face or fingerprint is your key
When you create your ENTA wallet, your phone generates a passkey — a secure digital key locked inside your device's security chip (the same hardware that protects Apple Pay and Google Pay).
That passkey is what controls your wallet, and you unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device's fingerprint scanner.
Here's why that matters:
There's nothing to write down. No words, no paper, no note to lose.
There's nothing to steal by trickery. Your passkey never leaves your device's secure hardware. You can't accidentally type it into a fake website, and no "support agent" can talk you into handing it over — because you never see it and can't copy it.
Only you can approve transactions. Every payment needs your face or fingerprint, on your device.
Does Shiga hold my keys? No.
Your ENTA wallet is self-custody. That means:
The key that controls your funds lives on your device, protected by your biometrics.
Shiga's systems help move your transactions along, but we cannot access, freeze, or spend your money.
There is no master key sitting on our servers that a hacker or a staff member could misuse.
You're in control. We just build the tools.
"But what if I lose my phone?"
This is the best part. With a seed phrase wallet, losing your backup means losing your money. With ENTA, it doesn't.
If you get a new phone or lose your device, ENTA has a secure recovery process that verifies it's really you and restores access to your wallet on your new device — without a seed phrase ever being involved.
👉 See: How to recover your ENTA wallet on a new device
Quick comparison
Seed phrase wallets | ENTA | |
What controls your money | 12–24 secret words | A passkey locked in your device |
How you approve payments | Passwords / the words | Face ID or Touch ID |
Can it be phished or copied? | Yes — the #1 cause of crypto theft | No — it never leaves your device |
Lost your backup? | Funds are gone forever | Secure recovery gets you back in |
Who can access your funds | Anyone holding the words | Only you |
The bottom line
No seed phrase to write down, lose, or have stolen
Nothing a scammer can trick you into revealing
Your money stays under your control — tied to your device and your biometrics
Safe recovery if you ever change or lose your phone
Still have questions? Message us in the chat — we're happy to help.