Need a crypto wallet that gives you full control of your assets? You can download Exodus here.
For more details on what information Exodus can access, please refer to the Exodus Privacy Policy.
In this article:
Do I control my own wallet?
Yes, with Exodus, you have full control over the funds stored in your wallet.
Unlike your bank account or stock portfolio, Exodus (the company) doesn't hold any assets on your behalf. Exodus is a self-custody wallet with no counterparty risk. Even in the unlikely event Exodus goes out of business, you will still have access to your funds.
In Exodus, there is no account signup. Instead, you control your assets through the 12-word secret key and private keys that are generated when you first open your wallet.
What is the 12-word secret key, and what are private keys?
Exodus is a hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallet, which means there is a master key, known as the 12-word secret key, and from that, your Exodus wallet generates a private key for each asset's address in your wallet.
The secret key is the master key that provides access to your entire wallet, including all the assets inside. If Exodus is like an apartment building, this would be the key that can unlock the building and every apartment in it. Your secret key allows you to access the funds at every address.
Private keys are generated from your secret key. Each address in your wallet is managed with a unique private key. Unlike the secret key, which is the master key that gives you access to your entire wallet, a private key can only access the address it is tied to.
Since we do not control your funds, it is very important to keep your secret key and private keys secure. Never share your secret key or private keys with anyone. Exodus staff will never ask for your secret key or private keys. To find out more, visit: How do I keep my money safe?
How is my transaction and balance information displayed in my wallet?
Exodus uses information from each asset's blockchain to display current and past information about your transactions and wallet balance.
For more details, please refer to the Exodus Privacy Policy.
Nearly all blockchain networks, except for a few privacy networks, are designed to provide transparent and public information about transactions.
In practice, this means that with blockchain data, anyone can see any transaction sent on the network. But unless you have sophisticated tracking in place, it is unclear which transaction belongs to which individual.
How does Exodus differ from traditional exchanges with wallets?
Exodus differs from custodial exchanges like Coinbase or Binance because they control your private keys. Custodial exchanges also require you to create an account hosted on their servers.
Custodial exchanges act like traditional bank accounts, where the account provider holds your funds. The benefit is that you could lose every password or email account you have, but there is still a chance you can get back access to your account if they allow it.
On the flip side, if the account provider turns out to be untrustworthy, your funds could be lost or inaccessible. They can also freeze your account or seize your assets.
With Exodus, you are the only person who can access your 12-word secret key and private keys, so you have complete control over your funds.
How does Exodus store and use my data?
What information about my wallet is visible and stored by Exodus Movement, Inc?
For details on what information and personal data Exodus has access to, please refer to the Exodus Privacy Policy.
Exodus does not have any access to the funds stored in your wallet. You are completely in control of your funds, your 12-word secret key, and your private keys.
You can set a password to help protect your secret key in case someone gets physical access to your device. Without the password, no one can open Exodus or access the secret key stored on your device.
To protect any other locally stored data, such as personal notes, a key derived from your 12-word secret key is used to encrypt your backup metadata. Only your secret key can decrypt this data.
Without the secret key, no one, not even Exodus employees, can view this data. Because of this, if you lose your password or recovery phrase, Exodus Support cannot help you unlock your wallet or recover access. It’s essential to keep your secret key secure and backed up.
What information is stored by Exodus Support?
Whenever you contact Exodus Support, we keep a record of our conversations to better assist you throughout your experience. This includes your email address and the contents of your emails.
Exodus only collects the information you directly give us via email or other correspondence as required to provide support.
To respect your privacy, at any point, you can request a record of this data, or you can request that we amend the data if it is incorrect. You can also request that we erase your support data entirely.
To make any data request, please send an email to [email protected], and we will respond as quickly as possible.
What information is stored when I visit the Exodus website?
For information on what data we keep when you visit our website, and the different kinds of data requests you can send, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Product usage and performance data
Exodus gathers usage and performance data to help us understand how our apps perform and guide us as we work to improve them.
If you wish to stop Exodus from gathering this usage and performance data, you can opt out in your settings: How do I disable anonymous activity sharing?