{"id":7015,"date":"2022-09-16T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ci02ab788ad0002792"},"modified":"2025-10-01T12:14:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T17:14:14","slug":"new-mnemonics-for-bitcoin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitcoinmagazine.com\/technical\/new-mnemonics-for-bitcoin","title":{"rendered":"New Mnemonics For Memorizing Bitcoin Seed Phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

This is an opinion editorial by Thorbj\u00f8rn K\u00f6nig, a principal product designer with a sole focus on creating great user experiences for bitcoin products and services.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

One of the more curious features of bitcoin is that if you are able to memorize 12 or 24 words, known as a recovery phrase or seed phrase, you can essentially hold your bitcoin in your head.<\/p>\n

The motivation behind creating a mnemonic phrase, complementing the existing and not so human-friendly, binary and hexadecimal representation of the seed, was to create a group of easy to remember words, which could easily be written on paper or spoken over the phone.<\/p>\n

The introduction of the mnemonic phrase has given rise to a wealth of self-custody products and services \u2014 the reasoning being that you should never be relying on your memory alone to access your wealth.<\/p>\n

These self-custody products and services come with a set of security and user experience challenges themselves.<\/p>\n

We have been developing for a specific challenge \u2014 secure encoding, storing and retrieval of a string of words, providing solutions for people that are mostly logical-mathematical oriented.<\/p>\n

People are different though, and for a subset of people it is easier to memorize musical tones, shapes, objects or motion, than it is to memorize words. For these people, new mnemonics, such as musical or spatial mnemonics \u2014 would present a more meaningful user experience.<\/p>\n

New mnemonics would require novel self-custody solutions for secure encoding, storing and retrieval of information \u2014 presenting a new opportunity for software and hardware developers and designers.<\/p>\n

Brains<\/h2>\n

Having an understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, preferences and aversions, can help us single out individual tools for learning and memorizing.<\/p>\n

Our brain, consciousness and understanding of self, is one of the most contended spaces of contemporary science \u2014 and pop-culture alike.<\/p>\n

Following this is some of the thinking behind personality types, learning and memory \u2014 which can assist us in building new mnemonics and the accompanying self-custody solutions.<\/p>\n

Although not entirely conclusive or unanimously accepted by the scientific community, there is something here worth our attention.<\/p>\n

Left-Brained Versus Right-Brained<\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\n

Psychobiologist Roger Sperry discovered that our brain has specialized functions on both hemispheres, and that the two sides can operate practically independently \u2014 for example he discovered that language was controlled by the left-side of the brain. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his split-brain research.<\/p>\n

Over the years this has been over-generalized by popular psychology, stating that people are either left-brained or right-brained.<\/p>\n

More recent research suggests that while the brain’s hemispheres have distinct processing styles, mental processes are shared among both sides \u2014 they do not function exclusively, but complementarity.<\/p>\n

For example, math abilities are strongest when both brain hemispheres work together.<\/p>\n

Still, the left brain hemispheres tend<\/em> to manage many aspects of language and logic, while the right brain hemispheres tend <\/em>to manage spatial information and visual comprehension. And most people have, if not a dominant brain hemisphere, then at least a distinct individual preference for activities related to one of the two brain hemispheres.<\/p>\n

Multiple Intelligences<\/h2>\n
<\/figure>\n

Developmental psychologist Howard Gardner challenged the notion that there is a single type of intelligence with his theory of multiple intelligences.<\/p>\n

He argued that we each have several types of intelligences, at varying levels of proficiency, such as; linguistic intelligence; logical-mathematical intelligence; spatial-visual intelligence; bodily-kinesthetic intelligence; and musical intelligence.<\/p>\n

Note that the linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences are the most valued in school and society.<\/p>\n

In summary:<\/p>\n

Linguistic Intelligence: Is sensitive to the spoken and written language, easily learns languages and uses language to achieve goals.<\/p>\n

Logical-mathematical: Analyzes problems logically, performs mathematical operations and investigate issues scientifically.<\/p>\n

Spatial-visual intelligence: Recognizes and manipulates the patterns of wide space, as well as patterns of more confined areas.<\/p>\n

Bodily-kinesthetic: Uses the whole body or parts of the body to solve problems.<\/p>\n

Musical intelligence: Is skillful in the performance, composition and appreciation of musical patterns.<\/p>\n

Now we can explore the alternative expressions of the classic mnemonic phrase \u2014 with the personality types and various intelligences mentioned above in mind.<\/p>\n

Expressions<\/h2>\n

Mnemonic Phrase\/Words<\/h3>\n

The mnemonic we know and love \u2014 12 or 24 words. Introduced with BIP39.<\/p>\n

Often managed by the user alone, preferably secured on stainless steel, but in many ill-considered cases simply written down on paper.<\/p>\n

Also, several self-custody services stand ready to assist you \u2014 should you find yourself losing sleep over being your own bank.<\/p>\n

All the above with the add-on possibility of memorizing the string of words yourself.<\/p>\n

An example of a mnemonic phrase, 12 words: <\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Mnemonic Phrase\/Braille<\/h3>\n

There are ~8 million individuals<\/a> with visual impairment in the U.S. alone \u2014 and over 253 million<\/a> globally.<\/p>\n

More inclusive bitcoin self-custody products and services are needed.<\/p>\n

Braille is a tactile system of touch reading and writing for the visually impaired, in which raised dots represent the letters of the alphabet. <\/p>\n

Braille is read by moving the hand or hands from left to right along each line.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Numbers are generated by placing the Braille number sign # before the Braille letters \u201cA\u201d (#A = 1) through \u201cJ\u201d (#J = 0).<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

This mnemonic phrase:<\/p>\n

alpha \u2014 day \u2014 december \u2014 valid \u2014 abstract \u2014 stone \u2014 panda \u2014 industry \u2014 robust \u2014 culture \u2014 kidney \u2014 youth<\/p>\n

Would be this in Braille:<\/p>\n

alpha<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

day<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

december<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

.. and so forth.<\/p>\n

Some Braille Resources: <\/h3>\n