The mailbox analogy

Imagine a mailbox on the street. Anyone can see its address. Anyone can drop a letter in. But only the person with the key can open it and take things out.

Your public key (and the wallet address derived from it) is like the mailbox address and slot — share it freely, let anyone send you crypto. Your private key is the physical key that opens the box. Whoever holds it controls everything inside.

🔓 Public key / address

Share with anyone

Lets people send you crypto

Like your bank account number

Safe to put on a QR code or website

🔑 Private key

Never share with anyone

Proves you own the wallet

Like the PIN to your bank account

Losing it = losing your Bitcoin forever

What a private key actually is

A private key is a very large random number — 256 bits long, displayed as 64 hexadecimal characters. Your wallet app generates this when you create a new wallet and hides it behind a user-friendly interface. You never need to see or type the raw key — but it's always there, silently proving your ownership every time you sign a transaction.

How they work together in a transaction

  1. Your wallet uses your private key to create a digital signature — mathematical proof you authorized this specific transaction.
  2. That signature is broadcast to the network along with the transaction details.
  3. Every node verifies the signature using your public key — confirming authorization — without ever learning your private key.
  4. The transaction is confirmed and permanently recorded on the blockchain.
"Not your keys, not your coins."
The most important phrase in crypto security — if you don't control the private key, you don't really own the crypto

The one rule that protects everything

⚠️ Never share your private key or seed phrase with anyone

No legitimate service, exchange, wallet company, or support team will ever ask for your private key or seed phrase. Anyone who asks is attempting to steal your funds.

If someone has your private key, they have complete, irrevocable control of everything in that wallet. There is no customer service to call. There is no way to reverse the loss.

Custodial vs. non-custodial wallets

When you hold Bitcoin on an exchange like Coinbase.com, the exchange controls the private keys on your behalf — a custodial wallet. When you use a self-custody wallet like Muun or Coinbase Wallet (the app), you control the private keys yourself.

For receiving payments as a merchant, a non-custodial wallet is strongly recommended — payments go directly to a wallet you control, with no exchange account that could be frozen between you and your money.

What happens if I lose my private key? ▼
If you lose your private key and have no backup (seed phrase), the crypto in that wallet is permanently inaccessible. This is why backing up your seed phrase before putting any real money in a wallet is non-negotiable.
Can someone steal my crypto by knowing my wallet address? ▼
No. Your wallet address is public by design — sharing it only lets people send you crypto. To take crypto out of a wallet, you need the private key. The mathematical relationship between address and private key is one-way.
Does OrangeTill ever have access to my private key? ▼
No. OrangeTill is non-custodial — it generates QR codes from your wallet address and displays payment history. OrangeTill never holds, touches, or has access to your funds or your private key at any point.

Your keys. Your coins. Your business.

OrangeTill is non-custodial — payments go straight to your wallet. No intermediary, no percentage fees.

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