BIP39 Derivation Path m/44'/0'/0': What Each Segment Means

Reading the path

A derivation path looks like m/44'/0'/0'/0/0. Read it left to right; each segment scopes the keys more narrowly.

m / 44' / 0' / 0' / 0 / 0
│    │     │    │    │   │
│    │     │    │    │   └── address index
│    │     │    │    └────── change (0 = external, 1 = internal)
│    │     │    └─────────── account
│    │     └──────────────── coin type (SLIP-44)
│    └────────────────────── purpose (BIP number)
└─────────────────────────── master (from the seed)

Segment by segment

• m — the master key derived from your BIP39 seed (which itself comes from the mnemonic + passphrase).
• 44' — purpose. The ' means hardened. 44 signals “use BIP44 structure.” Other purposes exist (49' for SegWit, 84' for native SegWit, 32' for BIP32 ed25519).
• 0' — coin type (SLIP-44). 0 = Bitcoin, 60 = Ethereum, 145 = Bitcoin Cash, 1 = Testnet.
• 0' — account. Lets you separate funds into accounts (e.g., 0' personal, 1' savings) under one seed.
• 0 — change. 0 = external receiving addresses, 1 = internal change.
• 0 — address index. The nth address in that branch.

Why a different path gives a different address

The same seed run through m/44'/0'/0'/0/0 and m/44'/60'/0'/0/0 produces unrelated keys, because the coin-type segment differs. This is why restoring a wallet on the wrong coin type shows zero balance even though the seed is correct.

Hardened vs non-hardened, quickly

Hardened (') segments require the private parent to derive the child; a watch-only wallet with only the public key cannot compute them. Non-hardened segments can be derived from the public key, which is what lets hardware wallets show addresses without exposing the seed.

Generate and inspect

Create a mnemonic and walk the path yourself with the BIP39 Mnemonic tool on Toolbox.

Related tools

• BIP39 Mnemonic on Toolbox

Next steps

• Need sortable, collision-resistant IDs instead of keys? See UUID vs ULID.
• Compare cipher parameters in SM4 vs AES.