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public:setting_up_a_watch-only_bitcoin_wallet

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Setting up a watch-only Bitcoin wallet

On an airgapped computer

First, set up a new wallet the usual way. Then, export the descriptors for that wallet via the following console command:

listdescriptors

:!: Do not add true as a parameter, as that would also export your private key descriptors!

Copy the descriptors array to a removable drive. It should look similar to this (but you will probably see more):

[{
    "desc”: "wpkh([66bb13d5/84'/0'/0']xpub6CtDSW4S3XVd5uYp9CgsLTZKQcKieJSmjehcvfVJBSy1rPbkKNU3T6UmZ3mn7DoSsTsM6uH8ZKem7LQh3PHyrBAtZopSvF2tonEE7foTWFe/1/*)#a9twa6j5",
    "timestamp": 1647182091,
    "active": true,
    "internal": true,
    "range": [
    0,
    999
    ],
    "next": 0
    },
    {
    "desc": "wpkh([66bb13d5/84'/0'/0']xpub6CtDSW4S3XVd5uYp9CgsLTZKQcKieJSmjehcvfVJBSy1rPbkKNU3T6UmZ3mn7DoSsTsM6uH8ZKem7LQh3PHyrBAtZopSvF2tonEE7foTWFe/0/*)#v3w0q0zv",
    "timestamp": 1647182091,
    "active": true,
    "internal": false,
    "range": [
    0,
    1000
    ],
    "next": 1
    }]

Note that you should only see descriptors with the key prefix xpub. If you see the prefix 'xprv' instead, you have also exported your private descriptors.

On a connected, synced computer

Create a new, blank wallet that cannot store private keys. You can do so using the GUI or with the following console command:

bitcoin-cli createwallet walletname true true

Then, import the descriptors in your wallet:

bitcoin-cli -rpcwallet="walletname" importdescriptors '[{ "desc": "<my descriptor>", "timestamp":1455191478, "internal": true }, { "desc": "<my desccriptor 2>", "label": "example 2", "timestamp": 1455191480 }]'

References

public/setting_up_a_watch-only_bitcoin_wallet.1722635939.txt.gz · Last modified: by thomas

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