Add comprehensive user guide for Pallectrum wallet
This initial version of the user guide covers all major wallet features including: - Wallet creation and seed phrase backup - Seed recovery process - Master key usage - Security best practices - Technical specifications
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# Pallectrum User Guide
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Welcome to the Pallectrum user guide. This document will help you understand and use Pallectrum, the lightweight wallet for the Palladium blockchain.
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---
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## Table of Contents
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1. [What is Pallectrum?](#1-what-is-pallectrum)
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2. [How Pallectrum Works](#2-how-pallectrum-works)
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3. [Creating a New Wallet](#3-creating-a-new-wallet)
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4. [Backing Up Your Seed Phrase](#4-backing-up-your-seed-phrase)
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5. [Recovering a Wallet from Seed](#5-recovering-a-wallet-from-seed)
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---
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## 1. What is Pallectrum?
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Pallectrum is a lightweight wallet application for the Palladium blockchain, based on the popular Electrum Bitcoin wallet. It provides a secure and user-friendly way to manage your Palladium (PLM) coins without downloading the entire blockchain.
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**Key Features:**
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- **Instant startup**: No blockchain download required
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- **Secure**: Private keys are encrypted and never leave your computer
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- **Forgiving**: Your funds can be recovered from a secret seed phrase
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- **Cross-platform**: Available for Windows, Linux and Android
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---
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## 2. How Pallectrum Works
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Pallectrum uses the **SPV (Simplified Payment Verification)** model, which means it connects to remote Electrum-style servers to retrieve blockchain data without storing the entire chain locally.
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**Architecture:**
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- **Lightweight client**: Connects to Palladium Electrum servers
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- **SPV verification**: Verifies transactions using block headers only
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- **No full node required**: Your wallet is ready to use immediately
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- **Privacy-focused**: Your private keys never leave your device
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**Technical Details:**
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- BIP44 coin type: 746 (Palladium-specific)
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- Address types:
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- **Bech32 SegWit (Strongly Recommended)**: Native SegWit addresses with `plm` prefix - most supported in Palladium network, lowest fees, best efficiency
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- P2PKH (Legacy): Addresses start with 'P' - basic support
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- P2SH: Addresses start with '3' - basic support
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- Network: Connects to multiple servers for redundancy
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---
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## 3. Creating a New Wallet
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Creating a new wallet in Pallectrum is a straightforward process that generates a secure seed phrase for you.
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**Steps to create a new wallet:**
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1. Launch Pallectrum application
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2. Select "Create new wallet" from the wallet wizard
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3. Choose your wallet type:
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- **Standard** (Recommended - fully tested)
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- Multi-signature (experimental)
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- Hardware wallet (experimental)
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- **Import addresses or private keys** (fully tested)
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4. For a Standard wallet, choose how to create it:
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- **Create a new seed**: Generate a new 12-word seed phrase (recommended for new wallets)
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- **I already have a seed**: Restore from an existing seed phrase
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- **Use a master key**: Import using a master private/public key
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- **Use a hardware device** (experimental - not tested)
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5. If creating a new seed, the application will generate a 12-word seed phrase
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6. Write down your seed phrase and store it safely
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7. Confirm your seed phrase by entering it again
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8. Set a password to encrypt your wallet file (recommended)
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9. Your wallet is ready to use
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**Important:**
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- Your seed phrase is the master key to your funds
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- Never share your seed phrase with anyone
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- Store it in a secure, offline location
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- **Use Standard wallet type** for production use (other types are not fully tested yet)
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### Advanced Wallet Creation Options
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#### Extending Seed Phrase with Custom Words (Passphrase)
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When creating or restoring a wallet from seed, you can optionally extend your seed phrase with custom words (also called a "passphrase" or "salt"):
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**How it works:**
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- After entering your 12-word seed phrase, you can add additional custom words
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- These custom words are combined with your seed using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (2048 rounds)
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- Each different passphrase creates a completely different wallet
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- The passphrase is NOT part of the BIP39 standard seed words
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**Use cases:**
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- **Enhanced security**: Even if someone finds your 12-word seed, they cannot access funds without the passphrase
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- **Plausible deniability**: Create multiple wallets from the same seed with different passphrases (e.g., one with small amounts, one with larger amounts)
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- **Two-factor security**: Seed phrase (something you have) + passphrase (something you know)
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**Critical warnings:**
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- If you forget your passphrase, your funds are **permanently lost** - there is no recovery mechanism
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- Write down your passphrase separately from your seed phrase
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- Test wallet recovery with both seed AND passphrase before depositing funds
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- The passphrase is case-sensitive and spaces matter
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#### Using a Master Key
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A **master key** is the root cryptographic key from which all your wallet addresses are derived. Pallectrum allows you to import a wallet using a master key instead of a seed phrase.
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**What is a master key?**
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- A master key is a long hexadecimal string (extended private or public key)
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- Format: starts with `xprv` (private) or `xpub` (public) for mainnet
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- Derived from your seed phrase using BIP32 hierarchical deterministic key derivation
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- Contains both the key material and chain code for generating child keys
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**Types of master keys:**
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Master keys come in different formats depending on the address type they generate:
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1. **Standard (Legacy) Keys - P2PKH addresses**
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- **xprv** (private) / **xpub** (public) - mainnet
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- **tprv** (private) / **tpub** (public) - testnet
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- Generates legacy P2PKH addresses (starting with 'P' in Palladium)
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- Most compatible format, supported by all wallets
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2. **SegWit Wrapped Keys - P2WPKH-P2SH addresses**
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- **yprv** (private) / **ypub** (public) - mainnet
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- **uprv** (private) / **upub** (public) - testnet
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- Generates SegWit addresses wrapped in P2SH (starting with '3')
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3. **Native SegWit Keys - P2WPKH addresses (Bech32)**
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- **zprv** (private) / **zpub** (public) - mainnet
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- **vprv** (private) / **vpub** (public) - testnet
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- Generates native SegWit Bech32 addresses (starting with 'plm')
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- **Strongly Recommended**: Most supported in Palladium network
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- Lowest fees and best efficiency
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**Private vs Public Keys:**
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- **Private keys** (xprv, yprv, zprv):
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- Can generate both addresses and private keys (full wallet control)
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- Allows spending funds
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- Should be kept secure like a seed phrase
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- **Public keys** (xpub, ypub, zpub):
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- Can only generate addresses, not private keys
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- Creates a "watch-only" wallet (can see balance but cannot spend)
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- Safe to share for monitoring purposes
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**When to use master keys:**
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- **Cold storage setup**: Use xpub on online device (watch-only), keep xprv offline
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- **Business accounting**: Share xpub with accountants to monitor transactions without spending ability
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- **Advanced key management**: Import keys from other BIP32-compatible wallets
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- **Hardware wallet coordination**: Some advanced users coordinate between devices
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**Security considerations:**
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- Master private key (xprv) = same security level as seed phrase
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- Master public key (xpub) reveals all your addresses and transaction history
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- Never share your xprv with anyone
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- Be cautious sharing xpub as it reduces privacy
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**Example format:**
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```
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xprv9s21ZrQH143K3QTDL4LXw2F7HEK3wJUD2nW2nRk4stbPy6cq3jPPqjiChkVvvNKmPGJxWUtg6LnF5kejMRNNU3TGtRBeJgk33yuGBxrMPHi
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xpub661MyMwAqRbcFtXgS5sYJABqqG9YLmC4Q1Rdap9gSE8NqtwybGhePY2gZ29ESFjqJoCu1Rupje8YtGqsefD265TMg7usUDFdp6W1EGMcet8
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```
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---
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## 4. Backing Up Your Seed Phrase
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Your seed phrase is the most critical backup of your wallet. Pallectrum uses industry-standard cryptographic methods to derive your keys from the seed.
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### Seed Phrase Basics
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- **12 words**: Your seed is a sequence of words from the BIP39 wordlist
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- **Deterministic**: The same seed always generates the same wallet
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- **Portable**: Can be used to restore your wallet on any device
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### Encryption and Passphrase (Salt)
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Pallectrum supports an **optional passphrase** (also called "salt" or "extension word") for additional security:
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**How it works:**
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- The passphrase is combined with your seed phrase during key derivation
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- Uses **PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512** with 2048 rounds
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- Salt format: `electrum` + your passphrase
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- Creates a completely different wallet for each passphrase
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**Benefits of using a passphrase:**
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- **Plausible deniability**: Different passphrases create different wallets
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- **Additional security layer**: Even if someone finds your seed, they need the passphrase
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- **Two-factor security**: "Something you have" (seed) + "Something you know" (passphrase)
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**Important warnings:**
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- If you forget your passphrase, your funds are **permanently lost**
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- Write down both your seed phrase AND passphrase separately
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- Test your backup by restoring it before depositing large amounts
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- Store seed and passphrase in different secure locations
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### Wallet File Encryption
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In addition to the optional passphrase, Pallectrum encrypts your wallet file with a password:
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- Protects your wallet data on disk
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- Required every time you open the wallet
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- Does NOT affect seed phrase recovery
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- Can be changed from the wallet settings
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---
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## 5. Recovering a Wallet from Seed
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If you need to restore your wallet (new device, lost wallet file, etc.), you can recover it using your seed phrase.
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**Steps to recover a wallet:**
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1. Launch Pallectrum application
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2. Select "I already have a seed" in the wallet wizard
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3. Enter your seed phrase (12 words)
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4. If you used a passphrase, enter it when prompted
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5. Choose wallet type and address type (use "Standard" if unsure)
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6. Set a new password for the wallet file
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7. Wait for the wallet to synchronize and scan for transactions
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8. Your funds and transaction history will appear
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**Recovery Options:**
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- **Standard recovery**: Enter your seed phrase to restore your wallet
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- **With passphrase**: Include your passphrase if you used one during creation
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- **BIP39 compatibility**: Pallectrum supports standard BIP39 seeds
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- **Multi-language**: Seeds can be entered in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, or Chinese
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**Troubleshooting:**
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- **No funds visible**: Ensure you entered the correct passphrase (if used)
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- **Wrong wallet type**: Try different address types (P2PKH, P2SH, SegWit)
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- **Synchronization issues**: Check your network connection and server status
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- **Invalid seed**: Verify you copied all words correctly and in the right order
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**Best practices:**
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- Test your seed phrase recovery shortly after creating the wallet
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- Verify the first receiving address matches your original wallet
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- Never enter your seed phrase on untrusted devices or websites
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- Use the official Pallectrum application from trusted sources only
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