When you create an account with Cape, you generate a 24-word passphrase on your device instead of a traditional username and password. This passphrase is based on BIP-39 (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 39), a widely used standard for creating and managing cryptographic wallets in a user-friendly way. The passphrase is generated using specific algorithms that convert random numbers into a list of words selected from a standardized dictionary of 2,048 words.
Cape uses public key cryptography, also known as asymmetric cryptography, to secure your account. Your 24-word passphrase acts as a human-readable representation of a cryptographic seed used to generate your private and public keys.
- Private Key: Kept secret and stored locally and securely on your device. This key never leaves your device, so Cape’s backend, nor any other system, never has access to your private key.
- Public Key: Derived from the private key and used by Cape’s systems to verify your identity.
Whenever you need to access, to take important action on your Cape account or authenticate yourself, such as when replacing your phone or getting a new number, you use your 24-word passphrase. Entering this passphrase regenerates the cryptographic seed, and from that, your private and public keys. Cape’s server verifies your public key with a digital signature based proof of ownership check. Only your on-device private key can generate a valid signature for your public key, ensuring that the person accessing the account is indeed you.
How to Port out in the Cape App (and Obtain a Transfer Pin)
iOS
Step 1: Open the Cape Mobile App
Step 2: Navigate to "My Subscription"
Step 3: Select "Manage Subscription"
Step 4: Select Cancel Subscription
Step 5: Answer Cancellation Survey/Skip Survey
Step 6: Proceed to Cancel
Step 7: Select "Yes, Port Out"
Step 8: Read Port out Instructions
Step 9: Enter Recovery Phrase
Step 10: Obtain PIN/Account Number
Android
Step 1: Open the Cape Mobile App
Step 2: Navigate to "My Profile"
Step 3: Select Cancel Service
Step 4: Acknowledge Cancellation
Step 5: Proceed to Cancel
Step 6: Select "Yes, Port Out"
Step 7: Read Port out Instructions
Step 8: Enter Recovery Phrase
Step 9: Obtain PIN/Account Number
Please Note: When you port out of Cape, you only need to provide a phone number and PIN to your new carrier. Your phone number is your account number.