Derivation path
BIP32 path
A derivation path is the sequence of indexes, written like m/84'/0'/0'/0/0, that tells a wallet which branch of its key tree to use for an account, address type and address.
BIP32 arranges keys in a tree; later standards fix which branch is used for what. BIP84, for instance, puts native SegWit accounts at m/84’/0’/account’. An apostrophe marks hardened derivation.
The same seed restored in software that uses a different path will show different addresses, which can look like a broken backup. Matching the path, or the address type, is the first thing to check when a restored wallet looks empty.
Recording the path, or a full output descriptor, alongside a backup removes the guesswork for whoever restores it later.
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