Electrum wallet: segwit and the @dresse starting with "3"

[CryptoLexis]

(sorry, I repost in english because nobody knows in my language)

Hello,

if I understood the @ btc with segwit must start with a "3"
I saw it at coinbase when they made the switch: my new reception btc @ starts well with a "3" ...

On the other hand on Electrum wallet no change of address (I just updated with 3.0.6)
yet it seems to be supported: https://bitcoincore.org/en/segwit_adoption/#91

Is there any manipulation to do for passing the wallet in segwit

Thank you to enlight me...

[1714824112]

1714824112

[cryptorTUX]

(sorry, I repost in english because nobody knows in my language)

Hello,

if I understood the @ btc with segwit must start with a "3"
I saw it at coinbase when they made the switch: my new reception btc @ starts well with a "3" ...

On the other hand on Electrum wallet no change of address (I just updated with 3.0.6)
yet it seems to be supported: https://bitcoincore.org/en/segwit_adoption/#91

Is there any manipulation to do for passing the wallet in segwit

Thank you to enlight me...

There are basically 2 formats for SegWit one that starts with "3" . Another one starts with "bc1" or as it is called bech32. Both of these are compatible with SegWit. Altough some older clients can see addresses that starts with 3, they are not able to decode and see bech32. There is not much of the difference on which one you use from my understanding but these 2 are available formats for SegWit and electrums supports bech32 and was one of the first wallets to implement SegWit support.

As I understood main client has SegWit enabled, latest version of it.

[Ayanamirs]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Electrum/comments/7dku5r/segwit_wallets_and_electrum/

[TryNinja]

It's probably better if you just create a new wallet and move all your coins from your old wallet.

Electrum's Segwit address will start with "bc1" (bech32 format), which is current not supported by several services/exchanges/explorers. So, for now you can create a Segwit wallet with addresses starting with a "3", since they are already supported by almost (if not all) services. Here is how you can do it:

1. Go to iancoleman's BIP39 seed generator[1] (optional - download the source code and run offline for better security);
2. Select 12 words and generate a new seed;
3. SAVE THIS SEED AND DON'T LOSE IT! You can't see it again in Electrum and without the seed you can't restore your wallet in the future;
4. Download Electrum;
5. While creating the wallet, select: Standard Wallet -> I already have a seed -> Paste the seed from step 2.
6. Click Options -> check "BIP39 seed" -> Next.
7. In the Derivation part, paste m/49'/0'/0'/0 and click next.
8. Now you have an Segwit wallet with addresses starting with 3.

[1] https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

[HCP]

Hello,

if I understood the @ btc with segwit must start with a "3"
I saw it at coinbase when they made the switch: my new reception btc @ starts well with a "3" ...

No, SegWit does NOT have to start with a "3"... there are currently two address formats for SegWit... a "backwards compatible" format known as P2SH-P2WPKH which starts with "3"... Any wallet will be able to SEND to a P2SH-P2WPKH "3" address...

Then there is the "native" SegWit address format called "bech32", which starts "bc1"... Currently, only a small subset of wallets/exchanges are able to SEND to "bc1" addresses.

On the other hand on Electrum wallet no change of address (I just updated with 3.0.6)
yet it seems to be supported: https://bitcoincore.org/en/segwit_adoption/#91

Upgrading your wallet does not magically make your wallet into a "SegWit" wallet with SegWit addresses... You need to create a new "SegWit" wallet:

File -> New\Restore -> Standard Wallet -> Create a new seed -> Segwit:


This will create a wallet that generates "bech32" ('bc1') addressses... Note the warning!! - NOT ALL WEBSITES AND OTHER WALLETS SUPPORT THESE ADDRESS TYPES!

If you want more compatibility... Follow TryNinja's suggestion above to generate a SegWit wallet that generates the "P2SH-P2WPKH" ('3') addresses

[CryptoLexis]

thank you all for the infos and links it's muuuuuch clearer !

What I conclude from your messages, the best and easiest way to do it would be to create a new electrum wallet with segwit seed and keep the old to keep compatibility with those who are not yet...

[nc50lc]

It's probably better if you just create a new wallet and move all your coins from your old wallet.

Electrum's Segwit address will start with "bc1" (bech32 format), which is current not supported by several services/exchanges/explorers. So, for now you can create a Segwit wallet with addresses starting with a "3", since they are already supported by almost (if not all) services. Here is how you can do it:

1. Go to iancoleman's BIP39 seed generator[1] (optional - download the source code and run offline for better security);
2. Select 12 words and generate a new seed;
3. SAVE THIS SEED AND DON'T LOSE IT! You can't see it again in Electrum and without the seed you can't restore your wallet in the future;
4. Download Electrum;
5. While creating the wallet, select: Standard Wallet -> I already have a seed -> Paste the seed from step 2.
6. Click Options -> check "BIP39 seed" -> Next.
7. In the Derivation part, paste m/49'/0'/0'/0 and click next.
8. Now you have an Segwit wallet with addresses starting with 3.

[1] https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

Hello, I generated a "24 words" seed from iancoleman's BIP39 seed generator, not 12.
Which I've used to make my SegWit  P2SH-P2WPKH electrum wallet.
Question is, will there be any implications to the addresses generated or difference to the one which is made from a 12-word BIP39 seed?

[HCP]

Hello, I generated a "24 words" seed from iancoleman's BIP39 seed generator, not 12.
Which I've used to make my SegWit  P2SH-P2WPKH electrum wallet.
Question is, will there be any implications to the addresses generated or difference to the one which is made from a 12-word BIP39 seed?

No... The addresses generated will be entirely indistinguishable from addresses generated using a 12 word seed.

The seed itself is just a really really REALLY big number... The seed Mnemonic is just a way to represent that really big number, encoded as words... Because humans tend to do better with transcribing words than they do writing down a long string of numbers

Using 24 words as opposed to 12 allows for more entropy as it is 256bits vs 128bits... Which is technically more "secure". Note that this doesn't mean 12 word seed mnemonics are insecure.

[Artemis3]

1. Go to iancoleman's BIP39 seed generator[1] (optional - download the source code and run offline for better security);
2. Select 12 words and generate a new seed;
3. SAVE THIS SEED AND DON'T LOSE IT! You can't see it again in Electrum and without the seed you can't restore your wallet in the future;
4. Download Electrum;
5. While creating the wallet, select: Standard Wallet -> I already have a seed -> Paste the seed from step 2.
6. Click Options -> check "BIP39 seed" -> Next.
7. In the Derivation part, paste m/49'/0'/0'/0 and click next.
8. Now you have an Segwit wallet with addresses starting with 3.
[1] https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

Today I followed this guide to the letter with v3.3.3 but i ended with bech32 addresses. I guess this trick doesn't work anymore?

[nc50lc]

-snip-

Today I followed this guide to the letter with v3.3.3 but i ended with bech32 addresses. I guess this trick doesn't work anymore?

This was for the Old version when Electrum doesn't have an option for making Segwit "3-prefix" addresses.
New version's setting is actually easier and simplified unlike the old versions.

First, you just have to select "BIP39" from the "options" button in the input SEED window; it will display BIP39 checksum "ok".
Next and lastly, in the next window, select "p2sh-p2wpkh" when prompted to choose which wallet type you are trying to create.
That will make Segwit "3" addresses.

[Artemis3]

-snip-

Today I followed this guide to the letter with v3.3.3 but i ended with bech32 addresses. I guess this trick doesn't work anymore?

This was for the Old version when Electrum doesn't have an option for making Segwit "3-prefix" addresses.
New version's setting is actually easier and simplified unlike the old versions.

First, you just have to select "BIP39" from the "options" button in the input SEED window; it will display BIP39 checksum "ok".
Next and lastly, in the next window, select "p2sh-p2wpkh" when prompted to choose which wallet type you are trying to create.
That will make Segwit "3" addresses.

Thanks that did the trick. I think my mistake was not choosing p2sh-p2wpkh.