Does Atomic Wallet Team have access to my private information?

The simple answer is – no. As Atomic Wallet is a decentralized wallet, our team does not have any information about our users (sensitive or not). We cannot monitor your activities, we do not have access to your private keys, backup phrase, or transactions. We cannot make a transaction for you, take funds out of your wallet, etc. 

In this article, we'll cover each item of private data and explain how we interact with and handle that data, as well as answer some frequently asked questions about said data.  

Contents

• Private keys
• 12-word phrase
• Password
• Public coin address
• Contact information
• IP address
• Who controls my wallet?
• I have an issue, can the team fix it for me?
• How does Atomic Wallet differ from centralized exchanges?
• Can Atomic Wallet Team make a transaction for me?

Private keys  

Private keys are used to sign transactions. It is impossible to make a transaction on the blockchain without private keys. Consequently, whoever has access to private keys, has access to your funds and can send them away. You have a private key for each coin (ETH, BTC, etc) individually. They are all stored on the device that your wallet is installed on. The only person who has access to said keys is you. 

12-word phrase 

Earlier we mentioned how you have individual keys for each coin. The 12-word phrase is a master key to access all of your private keys. It is also stored on your device and is encrypted. You can view it via the wallet interface itself. Keep in mind, that whoever gets access to your 12-word phrase, gets access to all of the crypto you have in the wallet which is why it's paramount to keep it safe. The downside is that if you lose your 12-word phrase we will not be able to provide it to you (since we literally don't know it). 

Password 

Just like the private keys and the 12-word phrase, we do not have access to your password. What's important to note in this case is that we will not be able to provide it to you if you lost it, so you'll have to reset it manually. 

Public coin address 

A public coin address, also known as the public key, serves as your identifier on the blockchain. Like private keys, every coin has its own individual address. Whoever has access to that information can check it on the blockchain explorer and see your current balance and transaction history. It's important to note, however, that the address or the public key does not grant access to the funds themselves. It only allows to 'see' the funds, but not 'move' them or interact with them in any way. 

Why would we ask for your address? If you have an issue and we need to troubleshoot it, we might need your address to figure out if the issue is on our side or on the side of the coin itself. It is perfectly safe to share your public address with us. As stated above, it does not grant us access to your funds, we can only use it to look at your balance and transactions, nothing else. 

Contact information 

Your name, your phone number, your email address, or your place of residence, none of these matter to us, so we do not collect this information. The only exception is if you reach out to our support team. You will need an email address to contact us and we'll have this email address on our end (in case you reach out to us again and we'll need to check our previous conversations with you). If you are extra concerned about your privacy, feel free to use an anonymous email service that will hide your identity. 

IP address 

Neither our mobile app nor the desktop one needs to know your IP address to function properly. Thus, the wallet has no functionality to even record your IP address. 

Who controls my wallet?

In the name of the genuine decentralized spirit of the cryptocurrency world, you and only you fully control your wallet. Your private keys – your funds. This is a great advantage of Atomic Wallet and similar wallets out there.

A wallet is merely a user-friendly way to interact with the blockchain. As such, we cannot prevent you from doing anything with your wallet. We cannot 'block' or 'freeze' your funds. There are only a couple of scenarios where you cannot move your funds in and out of the wallet. First is when the blockchain itself won't allow it. For example, you don't have enough funds to cover the network fees (which we do not charge, but the blockchain still does) or your funds are locked in staking (some assets have a 'lock-up' period, while others don't). The second is some kind of a technical issue (whether it's on our side or the blockchain itself). Feel free to reach out to us anytime you encounter one. 

I have an issue, can the team fix it for me?

We’ll surely do everything possible from our side to help you, guide you and answer your questions. But as we don’t have access to your transactions, balances, and funds, we are able to assist you only by relying on the information you provide yourself.
When contacting us about a problem, always make sure to provide all the information possible. Your transaction hashes, coin addresses, screenshots, and Atomic ID.

How does Atomic Wallet differ from centralized exchanges?

Centralized services create user accounts that they control and keep your private keys. They are operating as traditional banks and act as a third party between you and your funds.
It’s true, that if you lose your password or account, they will be able to provide it back to you. On the other hand, there is always a risk of centralized hacker attacks on their servers. Many exchanges put restrictions on trade volumes and daily withdrawal limits for unverified users, as well as charging service fees. Not to mention, this third party can turn out to be untrustworthy and steal your funds or freeze them.

Holding your private keys with Atomic Wallet means fully controlling your funds.
No service fee, no user accounts, no volume limits, no centralized attacks – just you and your funds.

Can Atomic Wallet Team make a transaction for me?

Atomic Wallet Team has no access to your transactions. We can’t take out your money, or make a transaction for you from one address to another. Most importantly, we can’t reverse your transaction, cancel it or fix any mistakes regarding it. We advise you to always carefully check the details of the transaction before making it. From our side, we will do anything possible to prevent any issues within the wallet. If something went wrong – contact us immediately.