Namespace: BIP39

BIP39

BIP39 mnemonic and seed generation utilities

Provides functionality for generating secure mnemonic phrases, validating checksums, and deriving cryptographic seeds according to the BIP39 standard.

Source:

Example

// Generate a random mnemonic and seed
const { mnemonic, seed } = BIP39.random('my-passphrase');

// Validate an existing mnemonic
const isValid = BIP39.checkSum(mnemonic);

// Convert mnemonic to seed
const seed = BIP39.mnemonic2seed(mnemonic, 'passphrase');

Methods

(static) checkSum(mnemonicopt) → {boolean}

Validates the checksum of a BIP39 mnemonic phrase

The validation process:

  1. Converts words back to 11-bit indices
  2. Concatenates all indices to reconstruct the binary data
  3. Splits into entropy (128 bits) and checksum (4 bits)
  4. Recalculates checksum from entropy using SHA256
  5. Compares calculated checksum with embedded checksum
Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase to validate
Source:
Returns:

True if checksum is valid, false otherwise

Type
boolean
Example
const validMnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const isValid = BIP39.checkSum(validMnemonic); // true

const invalidMnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon";
const isInvalid = BIP39.checkSum(invalidMnemonic); // false

(static) mnemonic() → {string}

Generates a random 12-word mnemonic phrase using cryptographically secure entropy

The function:

  1. Generates 16 bytes (128 bits) of secure random entropy
  2. Computes SHA256 hash and takes first 4 bits as checksum
  3. Concatenates entropy + checksum to create 132 bits
  4. Splits into 12 groups of 11 bits each
  5. Maps each 11-bit value to a word from the BIP39 wordlist
Source:
Returns:

Space-separated 12-word mnemonic phrase

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = BIP39.mnemonic();
// Returns: "abandon ability able about above absent absorb abstract absurd abuse access accident"

(static) mnemonic2seed(mnemonicopt, passphraseopt) → {string}

Converts a mnemonic phrase to a seed with checksum validation

This method validates the mnemonic's checksum before deriving the seed, ensuring that only valid mnemonics are processed.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for additional security
Source:
Throws:

Throws 'invalid checksum' if mnemonic validation fails

Type
string
Returns:

Hex-encoded 64-byte seed

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const seed = BIP39.mnemonic2seed(mnemonic, "passphrase");

// With invalid mnemonic
try {
  const seed = BIP39.mnemonic2seed("invalid mnemonic phrase");
} catch (error) {
  console.log(error); // "invalid checksum"
}

(static) random(passphraseopt) → {MnemonicResult}

Generates a random mnemonic with validated checksum and derives its seed

This is a convenience method that combines mnemonic generation and seed derivation with built-in checksum validation for additional security.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for seed derivation
Source:
Throws:

Throws 'invalid checksum' if generated mnemonic fails validation

Type
string
Returns:

Object containing both mnemonic and seed

Type
MnemonicResult
Example
const { mnemonic, seed } = BIP39.random('my-secure-passphrase');
console.log(mnemonic); // "word1 word2 word3 ..."
console.log(seed);     // "a1b2c3d4e5f6..."

(static) seed(mnemonicopt, passphraseopt) → {string}

Derives a cryptographic seed from a mnemonic phrase using PBKDF2

Uses PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 with 2048 iterations as specified in BIP39. The salt is constructed as "mnemonic" + passphrase.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for additional security
Source:
Returns:

Hex-encoded 64-byte (512-bit) seed

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const seed = BIP39.seed(mnemonic, "my-passphrase");
// Returns 128-character hex string

BIP39

BIP39 mnemonic phrase and seed generation utilities

Source:

Methods

(static) checkSum(mnemonicopt) → {boolean}

Validates the checksum of a BIP39 mnemonic phrase

The validation process:

  1. Converts words back to 11-bit indices
  2. Concatenates all indices to reconstruct the binary data
  3. Splits into entropy (128 bits) and checksum (4 bits)
  4. Recalculates checksum from entropy using SHA256
  5. Compares calculated checksum with embedded checksum
Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase to validate
Source:
Returns:

True if checksum is valid, false otherwise

Type
boolean
Example
const validMnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const isValid = BIP39.checkSum(validMnemonic); // true

const invalidMnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon";
const isInvalid = BIP39.checkSum(invalidMnemonic); // false

(static) mnemonic() → {string}

Generates a random 12-word mnemonic phrase using cryptographically secure entropy

The function:

  1. Generates 16 bytes (128 bits) of secure random entropy
  2. Computes SHA256 hash and takes first 4 bits as checksum
  3. Concatenates entropy + checksum to create 132 bits
  4. Splits into 12 groups of 11 bits each
  5. Maps each 11-bit value to a word from the BIP39 wordlist
Source:
Returns:

Space-separated 12-word mnemonic phrase

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = BIP39.mnemonic();
// Returns: "abandon ability able about above absent absorb abstract absurd abuse access accident"

(static) mnemonic2seed(mnemonicopt, passphraseopt) → {string}

Converts a mnemonic phrase to a seed with checksum validation

This method validates the mnemonic's checksum before deriving the seed, ensuring that only valid mnemonics are processed.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for additional security
Source:
Throws:

Throws 'invalid checksum' if mnemonic validation fails

Type
string
Returns:

Hex-encoded 64-byte seed

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const seed = BIP39.mnemonic2seed(mnemonic, "passphrase");

// With invalid mnemonic
try {
  const seed = BIP39.mnemonic2seed("invalid mnemonic phrase");
} catch (error) {
  console.log(error); // "invalid checksum"
}

(static) random(passphraseopt) → {MnemonicResult}

Generates a random mnemonic with validated checksum and derives its seed

This is a convenience method that combines mnemonic generation and seed derivation with built-in checksum validation for additional security.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for seed derivation
Source:
Throws:

Throws 'invalid checksum' if generated mnemonic fails validation

Type
string
Returns:

Object containing both mnemonic and seed

Type
MnemonicResult
Example
const { mnemonic, seed } = BIP39.random('my-secure-passphrase');
console.log(mnemonic); // "word1 word2 word3 ..."
console.log(seed);     // "a1b2c3d4e5f6..."

(static) seed(mnemonicopt, passphraseopt) → {string}

Derives a cryptographic seed from a mnemonic phrase using PBKDF2

Uses PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 with 2048 iterations as specified in BIP39. The salt is constructed as "mnemonic" + passphrase.

Parameters:
Name Type Attributes Default Description
mnemonic string <optional>
 ''

Space-separated mnemonic phrase
passphrase string <optional>
 ''

Optional passphrase for additional security
Source:
Returns:

Hex-encoded 64-byte (512-bit) seed

Type
string
Example
const mnemonic = "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about";
const seed = BIP39.seed(mnemonic, "my-passphrase");
// Returns 128-character hex string