<p>From the <a href="https://github.com/blockchain/My-Wallet/blob/ddbb0995fbdb2b5f22bef9eb92a26e2bfefb6e00/account.js#L90">source code</a>, one can see that the mnemonic in fact only encodes your password and wallet identifier. You would still need to access you wallet data somehow to recover you coins.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T11:39:02.817Z
Yep. The last chunk of words I know from experience represents the password (>5 words). It's 1 words in per 2 char combination so it's probably safe to say each word represents \u0000 to \uFFFF. A checksum is involved too. Changing the password changes the mnemonic's ending
Wizard Of Ozzie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T11:59:05.207Z
@AussieCryptocurrency Each word represents two UTF-8 encoded bytes, which is two ASCII characters, or one character between `\u0080` and `\u07ff`, or 2/3 of a character between `\u0800` and `\uffff`, or 1/2 of any other character.
abacabadabacaba
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T12:04:32.567Z
Yeah that sounds right. I haven't learned JS so I haven't checked the source code. I just plugged in different values when I noticed 42 always spat out *campsites*. So it doesn't start at \u0000 bc they're whitespace keys correct? (EDIT; can you explain the 2/3 1/2 part? w/o a thread hijacking taking place? 
Wizard Of Ozzie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T12:33:35.737Z
@AussieCryptocurrency I think `\u0000` in a password may not work due to UI problems. Regarding 2/3: if a character is encoded as 3 bytes, and each word encodes 2 bytes, how many characters does each word encode?
abacabadabacaba
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-29T03:18:58.137Z
2014-09-29T03:18:58.137Z
abacabadabacaba
<p>When you create an account, you are given a mnemonic seed that you have to write down. It's supposed to be used for recovering your coins if you lose access to your account (I think that's what it said when I created one).</p>

<p>But now I'm <a href="https://blockchain.info/wallet/technical-faq" rel="nofollow">reading</a> that the wallets are non-deterministic. So what's the mnemonic for then?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-09T20:04:25.800Z
I think the FAQ answer is muddled and, as the term is normally used, their wallets *are* deterministic.
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-09T20:50:02.220Z
The FAQ specifically says there is *no* seed.  Is it possible that their system has changed since you created your account?
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-09T21:02:51.143Z
@NateEldredge It says "... you do not have to backup or remember an additional seed", which is somewhat confounding. That would be true of both deterministic and non-deterministic schemes.
David Schwartz
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-24T01:29:39.823Z
Anyone got an update on this? It looks like the mnemonic is just a password recovery tool. Not a deterministic seed. Sort of confusing. That would make the mnemonic functionally identical to the password.
pinhead
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-24T02:01:29.217Z
actually. One comment on reddit says the mnemonic encodes your password and wallet identifier.
pinhead
<blockchain.info>
What's the mnemonic seed for in Blockchain.info, if they use non-deterministic wallets?
ChocoDeveloper
# What's the mnemonic seed for in Blockchain.info, if they use non-deterministic wallets?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-09-09)

When you create an account, you are given a mnemonic seed that you have to write down. It's supposed to be used for recovering your coins if you lose access to your account (I think that's what it said when I created one).

But now I'm [reading](https://blockchain.info/wallet/technical-faq) that the wallets are non-deterministic. So what's the mnemonic for then?

**Tags:** blockchain.info

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think the FAQ answer is muddled and, as the term is normally used, their wallets *are* deterministic.  
> **username_2**: The FAQ specifically says there is *no* seed.  Is it possible that their system has changed since you created your account?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 It says "... you do not have to backup or remember an additional seed", which is somewhat confounding. That would be true of both deterministic and non-deterministic schemes.  
> **username_3**: Anyone got an update on this? It looks like the mnemonic is just a password recovery tool. Not a deterministic seed. Sort of confusing. That would make the mnemonic functionally identical to the password.  
> **username_3**: actually. One comment on reddit says the mnemonic encodes your password and wallet identifier.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

From the [source code](https://github.com/blockchain/My-Wallet/blob/ddbb0995fbdb2b5f22bef9eb92a26e2bfefb6e00/account.js#L90), one can see that the mnemonic in fact only encodes your password and wallet identifier. You would still need to access you wallet data somehow to recover you coins.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Yep. The last chunk of words I know from experience represents the password (>5 words). It's 1 words in per 2 char combination so it's probably safe to say each word represents \u0000 to \uFFFF. A checksum is involved too. Changing the password changes the mnemonic's ending  
> **username_4**: @AussieCryptocurrency Each word represents two UTF-8 encoded bytes, which is two ASCII characters, or one character between `\u0080` and `\u07ff`, or 2/3 of a character between `\u0800` and `\uffff`, or 1/2 of any other character.  
> **username_5**: Yeah that sounds right. I haven't learned JS so I haven't checked the source code. I just plugged in different values when I noticed 42 always spat out *campsites*. So it doesn't start at \u0000 bc they're whitespace keys correct? (EDIT; can you explain the 2/3 1/2 part? w/o a thread hijacking taking place?   
> **username_4**: @AussieCryptocurrency I think `\u0000` in a password may not work due to UI problems. Regarding 2/3: if a character is encoded as 3 bytes, and each word encodes 2 bytes, how many characters does each word encode?  

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