Please take some time to understand this for your own safety. 🙏 Your funds will be stolen if you do not head these warnings.

We cannot recover your funds or freeze your account if you visit a phishing site or lose your private key.

What is MEW?

• MyEtherWallet is a free, open-source, client-side interface.
• We allow you to interact directly with the blockchain while remaining in full control of your keys & your funds.
• **You** and **only you** are responsible for your security.

• When you open an account with a bank or exchange, they create an account for you in their system.
• They keep track of your personal information, account passwords, balances, transactions and ultimately your money.
• They charge fees to manage your account and provide services, like refunding transactions when your card gets stolen.
• You can write a check or charge your debit card to send money, go online to check your balance, reset your password, and get a new debit card if you lose it.
• You have an account *with the bank* and they decide how much money you can send, where you can send it, and how long to hold on a suspicious deposit. All for a fee.

• When you create an account here, you are generating an cryptographic set of numbers: your private key and your public key (address).
• The handling of your keys happens entirely on your computer, inside your browser.
• We never transmit, receive or store your private key, password, or other account information.
• We do not charge a transaction fee.
• You are just using our **interface** to interact **directly with the blockchain**.
• If you send your *public key (address)* to someone, they can send you ETH or tokens. 👍
• If you send your *private key* to someone, they now have full control of your account. 👎

• The blockchain is like a huge, global, decentralized spreadsheet.
• It keeps track of who sent how many coins to whom, and what the balance of every account is.
• It is stored and maintained by thousands of people (miners) across the globe who have special computers.
• It is made up of all the individual transactions sent from MyEtherWallet, MetaMask, Exodus, Mist, Geth, Parity, and everywhere else.
• When you see your balance on etherwallet.mobilelab.com or view your transactions on [etherscan.io](https://etherscan.io), you are seeing data on the blockchain, not in our personal systems.
• Again: we are not a bank.

Because we need you to understand that we **cannot**...

• Access your account or send your funds for you.
• Recover or change your private key.
• Recover or reset your password.
• Reverse, cancel, or refund transactions.
• Freeze accounts.

**You** and **only you** are responsible for your security.

• Be diligent to keep your private key and password safe. Your private key is sometimes called your mnemonic phrase, keystore file, UTC file, JSON file, wallet file.
• If lose your private key or password, no one can recover it.
• If you enter your private key on a phishing website, you will have **all your funds taken**.

• Because that is the point of decentralization and the blockchain.
• You don't have to rely on your bank, government, or anyone else when you want to move your funds.
• You don't have to rely on the security of an exchange or bank to keep your funds safe.
• If you don't find these things valuable, ask yourself why you think the blockchain and cryptocurrencies are valuable. 😉
• If you don't like the sound of this, consider using [Coinbase](https://www.coinbase.com/) or [Blockchain.info](https://blockchain.info/wallet/#/signup). They have more familiar accounts with usernames & passwords.
• If you are scared but want to use MEW, [get a hardware wallet](https://myetherwallet.github.io/knowledge-base/hardware-wallets/hardware-wallet-recommendations.html)! These keep your keys secure.

• Install [EAL](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/etheraddresslookup/pdknmigbbbhmllnmgdfalmedcmcefdfn) or [MetaMask](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/metamask/nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn) or [Cryptonite by Metacert](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cryptonite-by-metacert/keghdcpemohlojlglbiegihkljkgnige) or the [MyEtherWallet Chrome Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/myetherwallet-cx/nlbmnnijcnlegkjjpcfjclmcfggfefdm) to block malicious websites.
• Always check the URL: `https://etherwallet.mobilelab.com`.
• Always make sure the URL bar has `MYETHERWALLET LLC [US]` in green.
• Do not trust messages or links sent to you randomly via email, Slack, Reddit, Twitter, etc.
• Always navigate directly to a site before you enter information. Do not enter information after clicking a link from a message or email.
• [Install an AdBlocker](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm?hl=en) and do not click ads on your search engine (e.g. Google).

• If it is too good to be true, it probably is.
• Research before sending money to someone or some project. Look for information on a variety of websites and forums. Be wary.
• Ask questions when you don't understand something or it doesn't seem right.
• Don't let fear, FUD, or FOMO win over common sense. If something is very urgent, ask yourself 'why?'. It may be to create FOMO or prevent you from doing research.