Public and Private Keys

Each digital signature consists of two identifiers: a public key and a private key.

You can share your public key with others, like you do with your email address. This lets others send you their digital assets, like bitcoin.

Your private key is your password; you need it to access and retrieve your assets from a distributed ledger. If someone learns your private key, they can steal your bitcoin. And if you lose your private key, you lose access to your digital assets forever.