UX: Use "Passphrase BIP39" as a universal untranslated label — don't translate it as "contraseña"

[MatheyBTC]

This is a follow-up proposal for a broader, universal change, filed previously against other clients (Trezor Suite, BlueWallet, Electrum).

Real-world context

I have personally configured dozens of cold wallets and hot wallets across different clients to observe how terminology lands in practice. The overwhelming majority of implementations use "Passphrase BIP39" as the canonical term — untranslated.

The most common support case I attend is confusion around this exact field. Users arrive having set something they thought was a passphrase but was actually their encryption password, their PIN, or a generic credential they reused — because the UI framing suggested equivalence.

In Blockstream Green specifically, the Spanish (es) translation renders "BIP39 passphrase" as "contraseña BIP39" (literally "BIP39 password"). Green already uses a PIN / password to unlock the app, so the same Spanish word ("contraseña") now points at two completely different secrets. A Spanish-speaking user can reasonably conclude that the "contraseña BIP39" is their app login password — a mistake that can lock funds with no recovery.

The core problem

When "Passphrase BIP39" is translated — even correctly — into a local term that resembles "password" or "security phrase", users of every level make assumptions instead of seeking understanding.

Reverse engineering the user journey

Consider three user profiles arriving at the Passphrase BIP39 field:

Profile A — Curious / self-taught:

• Sees a translated term like "contraseña BIP39"
• Interprets it as a password variant they already understand
• Sets it to something familiar → confusion or funds locked later

vs.

• Sees "Passphrase BIP39"
• Does not recognize it → searches → learns what it actually is
• Makes an informed decision

Profile B — Workshop-trained:

• Already knows the term "Passphrase BIP39" from their training
• A translated term creates a disconnect between what they learned and what they see on screen
• "Passphrase BIP39" confirms they are in the right place

Profile C — Basic user with no prior knowledge:

• A translated term gives false confidence: "I know what a password is"
• "Passphrase BIP39" signals: "this is specific, I should look it up"
• The unfamiliar label is the safety mechanism

Proposal

Use "Passphrase BIP39" as a universal, untranslated label across all languages — not just Spanish. Concretely, wherever the Spanish strings currently say "contraseña BIP39" (and any standalone "contraseña" that refers to the BIP39 passphrase), use "Passphrase BIP39" instead.

Reasoning:

• BIP39 is a technical standard. Standards are not translated.
• Every major hardware wallet (Trezor, Ledger, Coldcard) uses the untranslated term. Consistency across the ecosystem is itself a safety feature.
• In Spanish, "contraseña" collides with Green's own PIN/password, actively encouraging the exact confusion that locks funds.
• The label "Passphrase BIP39" invites the user to search for its meaning. A translated equivalent invites the user to assume they already know.
• Supporting UI text (descriptions, tooltips, warnings) should be fully translated — the label itself should remain canonical.

Expected outcome

One single label across all languages: Passphrase BIP39

Translated UI text around it can explain, warn, and educate in every language. The label itself stays as the standard.

Notes

• This applies to the shared localization used by all Blockstream Green / Blockstream App clients (desktop, Android, iOS), since the Spanish strings come from the same source.
• Happy to submit the corrected Spanish strings directly on Transifex if that's the preferred path — filing here so the terminology decision gets tracked.