Cryptionary
Term

Shamir's Secret Sharing

A cryptographic method to split a secret into multiple shares so any threshold subset can reconstruct it.

Type:
security
wallet
Also known as:
SSS
SLIP-0039
1
definition

Shamir's Secret Sharing splits a secret (like a seed) into N shares such that any M shares can reconstruct it, but fewer reveal nothing. Some wallets implement a standardized variant (SLIP-0039).

2
caution
  • Poor storage of shares can still leak the secret
  • Consider multisig + distributed backups as an alternative
  • Practice recovery to avoid misconfiguration

All terms and definitions may update as the Cryptionary improves.