Private key in Electrum

[h1327612]

Hello,

I bought Bitcoin at a local ATM and got them sent via mail. Now I have Electrum fully set up and would like to get the bought amount of Bitcoin from this mail into my wallet. The problem is, that I am unsure how to do it  .

The mail contained three different data, a privatekey.txt, a adress.txt and a privatekey_multibit.key data. I know that this is now a pretty newbie-question, but I just want to avoid any difficulties:  As far as I have read it, it's just done by clicking Wallet -> Private keys -> Sweep -> and then entering the private key but what do I write into the "adress" field? My "receiving adress" in Electrum or the adress that they sent me via mail? (Why did they even send me a textfile with an adress  )

[mocacinno]

Hello,

I bought Bitcoin at a local ATM and got them sent via mail. Now I have Electrum fully set up and would like to get the bought amount of Bitcoin from this mail into my wallet. The problem is, that I am unsure how to do it  .

The mail contained three different data, a privatekey.txt, a adress.txt and a privatekey_multibit.key data. I know that this is now a pretty newbie-question, but I just want to avoid any difficulties:  As far as I have read it, it's just done by clicking Wallet -> Private keys -> Sweep -> and then entering the private key but what do I write into the "adress" field? My "receiving adress" in Electrum or the adress that they sent me via mail? (Why did they even send me a textfile with an adress  )

I don't know the specifics of this ATM, but if you have a private key in WIF format, you should just go to private keys => sweep.
The paste the private key in the big form.

The address should be pre-filled, and should be the next unused address from your electrum wallet

[h1327612]

Hello,

I bought Bitcoin at a local ATM and got them sent via mail. Now I have Electrum fully set up and would like to get the bought amount of Bitcoin from this mail into my wallet. The problem is, that I am unsure how to do it  .

The mail contained three different data, a privatekey.txt, a adress.txt and a privatekey_multibit.key data. I know that this is now a pretty newbie-question, but I just want to avoid any difficulties:  As far as I have read it, it's just done by clicking Wallet -> Private keys -> Sweep -> and then entering the private key but what do I write into the "adress" field? My "receiving adress" in Electrum or the adress that they sent me via mail? (Why did they even send me a textfile with an adress  )

I don't know the specifics of this ATM, but if you have a private key in WIF format, you should just go to private keys => sweep.
The paste the private key in the big form.

The address should be pre-filled, and should be the next unused address from your electrum wallet

Next newbie question, but what is the WIF format? I tried to google it, but didn't really understand it respectiveley I am unsure. The key has 52 digits and starts with an L, if that might help you.

[mocacinno]

Hello,

I bought Bitcoin at a local ATM and got them sent via mail. Now I have Electrum fully set up and would like to get the bought amount of Bitcoin from this mail into my wallet. The problem is, that I am unsure how to do it  .

The mail contained three different data, a privatekey.txt, a adress.txt and a privatekey_multibit.key data. I know that this is now a pretty newbie-question, but I just want to avoid any difficulties:  As far as I have read it, it's just done by clicking Wallet -> Private keys -> Sweep -> and then entering the private key but what do I write into the "adress" field? My "receiving adress" in Electrum or the adress that they sent me via mail? (Why did they even send me a textfile with an adress  )

I don't know the specifics of this ATM, but if you have a private key in WIF format, you should just go to private keys => sweep.
The paste the private key in the big form.

The address should be pre-filled, and should be the next unused address from your electrum wallet

Next newbie question, but what is the WIF format? I tried to google it, but didn't really understand it respectiveley I am unsure. The key has 52 digits and starts with an L, if that might help you.

Your private key might be shown in different formats. A private key in one format can usually be converted in a different format. Not all wallets support all import formats, so if you try to import a private key into a wallet, and it doesn't work, it might be due to the fact that this particular wallet doesn't accept this particular format.

As a newbie, you can download the sourcecode of https://www.bitaddress.org/ and run it on an offline machine, the last tab (wallet details) can be used to convert private key formats

In your case, 52 digits, starting with L => probably a WIF compressed key...

As a matter of fact, i think electrum only allows WIF compressed keys, not WIF keys (it has been a while since i last swept a wallet).

[bL4nkcode]

Download electrum client and go import your private keys there the one on the privatekey.txt which begins '5', 'K' or 'L' and you can see those bitcoin once imported. Just go on electrum File/Restore/Standard/Already have a private keys/then paste the one on your privatekeys.txt

[mocacinno]

Download electrum client and go import your private keys there the one on the privatekey.txt which begins '5', 'K' or 'L' and you can see those bitcoin once imported. Just go on electrum File/Restore/Standard/Already have a private keys/then paste the one on your privatekeys.txt

If you do this, you have to realise you're not the only one in posession of this private key.
If the ATM company gets hacked, or if an employee steals the private key database, they can steal everything!

If you sweep the private key into your HD wallet, you generate an on-chain transaction, the output of which can only be spent by you...

[Abdussamad]

As a matter of fact, i think electrum only allows WIF compressed keys, not WIF keys (it has been a while since i last swept a wallet).

It'll take uncompressed keys too.

OP go ahead and sweep your key already!

[Muhammed Zakir]

Next newbie question, but what is the WIF format? I tried to google it, but didn't really understand it respectiveley I am unsure. The key has 52 digits and starts with an L, if that might help you.

WIF private key - 51 characters and starts with '5'
Compressed WIF private key - 52 characters and starts with 'K' or 'L'

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=129652.msg1384929#msg1384929

Compressed WIF private key uses less space than WIF private key.

Your private key might be shown in different formats. A private key in one format can usually be converted in a different format. Not all wallets support all import formats, so if you try to import a private key into a wallet, and it doesn't work, it might be due to the fact that this particular wallet doesn't accept this particular format.

As a newbie, you can download the sourcecode of https://www.bitaddress.org/ and run it on an offline machine, the last tab (wallet details) can be used to convert private key formats

In your case, 52 digits, starting with L => probably a WIF compressed key...

As a matter of fact, i think electrum only allows WIF compressed keys, not WIF keys (it has been a while since i last swept a wallet).

If you convert WIF private key to compressed or vice versa, you will get a different address. WIF private keys have prefix which notifies the wallet whether to use compressed or uncompressed public key.

[bL4nkcode]

Download electrum client and go import your private keys there the one on the privatekey.txt which begins '5', 'K' or 'L' and you can see those bitcoin once imported. Just go on electrum File/Restore/Standard/Already have a private keys/then paste the one on your privatekeys.txt

If you do this, you have to realise you're not the only one in posession of this private key.
If the ATM company gets hacked, or if an employee steals the private key database, they can steal everything!

If you sweep the private key into your HD wallet, you generate an on-chain transaction, the output of which can only be spent by you...

That will be the next step once done doing those I said earlier (just to apologize that I never include the next step to secure the coins), to secure your coins since the ATM owner/company also holds those private keys and there's no guarantee that your coin will be safe on that private keys.
Hope OP will get those purchased bitcoin already.