Wallets
Keys and security
After this, you'll understand how Ballistic protects your wallet keys and how to lock down your account.
Ballistic generates your wallets and stores their keys for you, encrypted. You can export any key you own, and you can add a second sign-in step with two-factor authentication.
How your keys are stored
Ballistic encrypts every wallet private key at rest with AES-256-GCM, an authenticated encryption standard. Keys are never stored in plain text.
Each key is bound to its own wallet, so a stored key can't be lifted and used to decrypt or act for a different wallet.
Ballistic never logs your keys and never shows them during normal use. A key appears only when you export it yourself.
Exporting your own key
You can reveal the private key of any wallet you own. Ballistic puts this behind a two-step confirmation that you start.
Complete both steps to see the key. The export is rate-limited: if you request keys too often in a short window, you have to wait before trying again. It works only for your own wallets.
If the wallet holds sale proceeds that haven't paid the platform fee, exporting its key charges that fee first. See Fees.
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second step when you sign in. After you sign in, you enter a rotating 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone.
Scan the QR code with your authenticator app to link it to your account. From then on, each sign-in asks for the current code.
When you turn on 2FA, Ballistic gives you backup codes. Save them somewhere safe: if you lose your phone, a backup code gets you back into your account.
What can go wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| You lost your 2FA device and can't sign in | The phone with your authenticator app is gone or reset | Use one of your saved backup codes to sign in, then set up 2FA again on a new device. |
| You exposed a private key you exported | The key was copied, screenshotted or pasted somewhere it could leak | Move funds to a fresh wallet and stop using the old one. A key that leaves Ballistic is outside Ballistic's protection. |
| You can't complete a key export | You didn't finish both steps within the time window, or you hit the rate limit | Start over and complete both steps promptly. If you are rate-limited, wait for the limit to reset, then retry. |