Private key
Your seed phrase encodes your private keys. The key is the thing that actually signs transactions; the seed is how you back it up.
Prediction Markets 101 editorial team Updated April 16, 2026 1 min read
Definition
A private key is the cryptographic secret that proves ownership of a wallet address and authorizes transactions.
Plain-English explanation
Every transaction on Polymarket (or any blockchain) requires a signature from the private key that owns the sending wallet. The network verifies the signature against the public key to confirm ownership.