Whatsapp to send privkey ???

[calkob]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

[pawel7777]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

There's always a risk of sender's/receiver's device being compromised, so even if whatsapp itself is secure you can get your privkey stolen.

But why send the key if you could just transfer bitcoins to recipient's own wallet/cold storage?

[calkob]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

But why send the key if you could just transfer bitcoins to recipient's own wallet/cold storage?

Thanks for the reply, well firstly there is no fee he can just put the key into his core node.  and also no waiting to get a confirmation which has been up to an hour at times.

[Hazir]

1. I don't imagine the idea behind sending private key instead of BTC itself. Can you explain why you specifically need to send private key? Sending BTC would be far more efficient, safer and faster.
2. You can use any means of communication to send your private key - but first it would be safe to encrypt it. Also, alternatively you can use some kind of messenger with build in encryption features.

For example: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6981-secure-messaging-apps-business.html

[thejaytiesto]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

But why send the key if you could just transfer bitcoins to recipient's own wallet/cold storage?

Thanks for the reply, well firstly there is no fee he can just put the key into his core node.  and also no waiting to get a confirmation which has been up to an hour at times.

Lol this is not a proper solution. Just pay the recommended fee, its cheap and it should not take that long to confirm. Why does he need the funds THAT quick? Cmon man, sending private keys around is a very bad practice, just send him the bitcoins.

[jhenfelipe]

Agree on the answers above. Just choose what result in the end you want. If you want a free and instant way for the receiver to get your coins, then go ahead and send your privkey at your own risk. On the other side, if you want your wallet, especially your coins to be safer, then keep your privkey in you and just send bitcoins to the receiver regardless of the fee and waiting time. SAFETY FIRST, that fee and waiting time are nothing compared to all of your coins to be at risk once your privkey spreads. Just my opinion.

[Qunenin]

Agree on the answers above. Just choose what result in the end you want. If you want a free and instant way for the receiver to get your coins, then go ahead and send your privkey at your own risk. On the other side, if you want your wallet, especially your coins to be safer, then keep your privkey in you and just send bitcoins to the receiver regardless of the fee and waiting time. SAFETY FIRST, that fee and waiting time are nothing compared to all of your coins to be at risk once your privkey spreads. Just my opinion.

You can send the private key through Whatsapp but Whatspp communication is not secure. If you have larger amount of bitcoins, i will advice not to take that risk and keep your bitcoins safe.

[macedoniantable]

Agree on the answers above. Just choose what result in the end you want. If you want a free and instant way for the receiver to get your coins, then go ahead and send your privkey at your own risk. On the other side, if you want your wallet, especially your coins to be safer, then keep your privkey in you and just send bitcoins to the receiver regardless of the fee and waiting time. SAFETY FIRST, that fee and waiting time are nothing compared to all of your coins to be at risk once your privkey spreads. Just my opinion.

You can send the private key through Whatsapp but Whatspp communication is not secure. If you have larger amount of bitcoins, i will advice not to take that risk and keep your bitcoins safe.

Even with the currently added encryption security feature they have incorporated into their app it is still not secure? So I guess blackberry messaging is the only secure way of doing this then.

[Kprawn]

Break the private key up in 3 or 4 parts and send it with different platforms. Eg : 2EF3B95FB6975  05BFEA200E58C81D  3158058CAF91CDE  376D26A93FD6C68DFEC6

You send the first part via email and the second part with WhatsApp and the third part with a facebook message and the forth part with a in game chat option of a game you are playing... or something

else you are sharing. There are many ways to hide private keys in plain sight, without people knowing what you send. 

[eternalgloom]

1. I don't imagine the idea behind sending private key instead of BTC itself. Can you explain why you specifically need to send private key? Sending BTC would be far more efficient, safer and faster.
2. You can use any means of communication to send your private key - but first it would be safe to encrypt it. Also, alternatively you can use some kind of messenger with build in encryption features.

For example: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6981-secure-messaging-apps-business.html

Encrypting itself does not protect you from any keyloggers that are running on the device.
The only truly safe way to send a private key would be to encrypt it on a computer that has never been connected to the internet, save the file to a usb drive and load the encrypted file on your internet connected pc to send it.

But it's easier to just pay the fee, it's not that much..

[RodeoX]

I think whatsapp has become increasingly compromised. You may want SureSpot instead. But any messenger could be safe if it is:

1. OPEN SOURCE
2. USES END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
3. HAS A UNIVERSAL DELETE THAT DELETES ALL OCCURRENCES OF THE POST

Without  those features the answer is NO!

[n691309]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

If you have any other alternative to transfer the private key then don't send, whats up recently has added the encryption end to end but we can't never know what happens on the backend on their servers. Even telegram which was supposed to be the most secured messenger was hacked recently.

[calkob]

thanks for all the replies, i fully understand that big corporations like whatsapp is now cant be trusted.  but lets be honest as bitcoin users, are you saying that if i want to send bitcoin to my brother who i fully trust, that i should send it over the network (at a fee) rather than send the privkey to him?   so i have 1 btc at an address and rather than send/or tell him the privkey which is free, i should send it over the network which will cost a mining fee?  and in the future will cost more and more. 

We as users off bitcoin should always be looking the best option and in my opinion this is the best option when sending to a fully trusted family/friend.  if i am completely wrong then please explain way i am wrong and i will reply but this is the best way as i see it.

[rizzlarolla]

thanks for all the replies, i fully understand that big corporations like whatsapp is now cant be trusted.  but lets be honest as bitcoin users, are you saying that if i want to send bitcoin to my brother who i fully trust, that i should send it over the network (at a fee) rather than send the privkey to him?   so i have 1 btc at an address and rather than send/or tell him the privkey which is free, i should send it over the network which will cost a mining fee?  and in the future will cost more and more. 

We as users off bitcoin should always be looking the best option and in my opinion this is the best option when sending to a fully trusted family/friend.  if i am completely wrong then please explain way i am wrong and i will reply but this is the best way as i see it.

The answers to your dilemma are already written here. If you wont spend $0.13 to transfer $590, then go ahead, lose your bitcoin.
That is not how to use bitcoin, but you seem to know better. Good luck. Goodbye bitcoin.

[calkob]

thanks for all the replies, i fully understand that big corporations like whatsapp is now cant be trusted.  but lets be honest as bitcoin users, are you saying that if i want to send bitcoin to my brother who i fully trust, that i should send it over the network (at a fee) rather than send the privkey to him?   so i have 1 btc at an address and rather than send/or tell him the privkey which is free, i should send it over the network which will cost a mining fee?  and in the future will cost more and more. 

We as users off bitcoin should always be looking the best option and in my opinion this is the best option when sending to a fully trusted family/friend.  if i am completely wrong then please explain way i am wrong and i will reply but this is the best way as i see it.

The answers to your dilemma are already written here. If you wont spend $0.13 to transfer $590, then go ahead, lose your bitcoin.
That is not how to use bitcoin, but you seem to know better. Good luck. Goodbye bitcoin.

what are you talking about why is it goodbye bitcoin??? bitcoin like any technology it will be used in the best and cheapest way possible, that is a fact.  yeah it may cost 0.13 to send but why not send it for free to a person you completely trust can you seriously not see my point??? 

i am not saying that i know best i am just asking the question, and i think it is relevant for the future when fees will increase........

[Wapinter]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

If your relative is online and you have made sure that you are sending it to right person,than sending it over whatsapp is safe.

[JeffBrad12]

thanks for all the replies, i fully understand that big corporations like whatsapp is now cant be trusted.  but lets be honest as bitcoin users, are you saying that if i want to send bitcoin to my brother who i fully trust, that i should send it over the network (at a fee) rather than send the privkey to him?   so i have 1 btc at an address and rather than send/or tell him the privkey which is free, i should send it over the network which will cost a mining fee?  and in the future will cost more and more. 

We as users off bitcoin should always be looking the best option and in my opinion this is the best option when sending to a fully trusted family/friend.  if i am completely wrong then please explain way i am wrong and i will reply but this is the best way as i see it.

The answers to your dilemma are already written here. If you wont spend $0.13 to transfer $590, then go ahead, lose your bitcoin.
That is not how to use bitcoin, but you seem to know better. Good luck. Goodbye bitcoin.

what are you talking about why is it goodbye bitcoin??? bitcoin like any technology it will be used in the best and cheapest way possible, that is a fact.  yeah it may cost 0.13 to send but why not send it for free to a person you completely trust can you seriously not see my point??? 

i am not saying that i know best i am just asking the question, and i think it is relevant for the future when fees will increase........

Okay, He say you wanna to transfer $590 but you get the fee $0.13 for your transaction fee, he said you're become a niggard it's just about $0.13 and choose another way si more difficult than just sending and paying the fee amount.

[Kevin77]

Hi,  in light of the encryption on whatsapp these days is it safe to send a privkey to a relative who needs it?

Also you can simply call him and read him the key, yes it will be a lot longer and if you live in different countries it might cost a bit but that is a lot more secure then sending a whatsapp message. Tell him to write it on a piece of paper and you can read it to him. Then he will enter it , even if he loses it somehow there is always the paper he initianlly wrote. I know reading that long thing will take time but it is %100 more secure way of doing it.

[Milkduds]

It bothers me that sites like Whatsapp sell the public on a secured product to use,the public takes most of these things at face value.
So they are completely shocked and out of place when they do get hit with a issue,just the fact of who owns Whatsapp now should give everyone pause before sending any personal info.
Act like they are watching and what you are using is faulty and you should be in a decent spot.