Sparrow Bitcoin Wallet

[arabspaceship123]

I didn't have memorable experiences with Sparrow Wallet. I used Sparrow when it supported mixes. I'm interested in downloading to test Sparrow again because of your post. I don't intend to use it as my main wallet because I won't switch from use Electrum. Fun & learning with Sparrow Wallet on Electrum EPS & Bitcoin Core QT in Win 11 & Which one's better Wasabi or Sparrow

I watched it yesterday, good video as always, especially for newbies.

I love the feature you refer to, I 've been using it everytime I needed to send UTXOs between my wallets.

Another similar cool feature is the fact that Sparrow, in the same dropdown, has an option that's called Consolidation and it basically does a similar thing with what you mentioned, sending the funds to a single unfunded address in the same wallet.

[apogio]

I didn't have memorable experiences with Sparrow Wallet. I used Sparrow when it supported mixes. I'm interested in downloading to test Sparrow again because of your post. I don't intend to use it as my main wallet because I won't switch from use Electrum. Fun & learning with Sparrow Wallet on Electrum EPS & Bitcoin Core QT in Win 11 & Which one's better Wasabi or Sparrow

That's what I said too. "I won't switch from using Electrum". But Sparrow offers me everything I need and now I mostly use Sparrow instead of Electrum.

The features that I recall that Electrum has and don't exist in Sparrow are:

1. Electrum uses another mnemonic derivation and not BIP39, so the wallets I had created with Electrum, I am still using them with Electrum.
2. Raw WIF import (not sweep).
3. Lightning.

[Pmalek]

I love the feature you refer to, I 've been using it everytime I needed to send UTXOs between my wallets.

Another similar cool feature is the fact that Sparrow, in the same dropdown, has an option that's called Consolidation and it basically does a similar thing with what you mentioned, sending the funds to a single unfunded address in the same wallet.

A healthy dosage of paranoia isn't bad. It helps you stay on your toes and remain vigilant. The two features are handy, but I am not sure I like them. I am not confident sending to an address without checking and double-checking that it really belongs to my wallet. Especially if I am consolidating a big amount of coins and stand to lose more than usual if the BTC end up in the wrong address. I don't think I will ever take advantage of that faster way of sending without manual address verification.

I didn't have memorable experiences with Sparrow Wallet. I used Sparrow when it supported mixes.

What happened? You didn't mention the reasons of your unpleasant experience.

[apogio]

A healthy dosage of paranoia isn't bad. It helps you stay on your toes and remain vigilant. The two features are handy, but I am not sure I like them. I am not confident sending to an address without checking and double-checking that it really belongs to my wallet. Especially if I am consolidating a big amount of coins and stand to lose more than usual if the BTC end up in the wrong address. I don't think I will ever take advantage of that faster way of sending without manual address verification.

I can't disagree with this, although most of the time I do it instictively and not on purpose. I do check the address, but I avoid copy-paste, just in case. It has happened to me, to have an address copied from an DEX and also to have forgotten to copy my own address. Luckily, I double checked, because otherwise I would be doing a donation to the DEX.

[arabspaceship123]

That's what I said too. "I won't switch from using Electrum". But Sparrow offers me everything I need and now I mostly use Sparrow instead of Electrum.

I've used it yesterday. If you're wanting to receive & send I'd say use Electrum because Sparrow's for ppl who want to do more.

I didn't have memorable experiences with Sparrow Wallet. I used Sparrow when it supported mixes.

What happened? You didn't mention the reasons of your unpleasant experience.

When Sparrow mixed it was taking a long time. I'd leave my comp running for hours but it didn't mix so I didn't like it. I didn't get a notice before losing 50% of badbank balance in fees when I'd tested mixing. Sparrow's updated it doesn't mix any more. Electrum's good for receiving & sending but Sparrow's good for ppl who want analysis.

[apogio]

I've used it yesterday. If you're wanting to receive & send I'd say use Electrum because Sparrow's for ppl who want to do more.

Yes, but at the same time, Sparrow explains better the whole process.
The transaction graph is much better illustrated in Sparrow, as far as I am concerned. Apart from that, it's better at instructing newbies that they have to first sign and then broadcast the transaction. In general, I would say Sparrow is more user friendly than Electrum. But obviously it's a matter of taste.

[Forsyth Jones]

I've used it yesterday. If you're wanting to receive & send I'd say use Electrum because Sparrow's for ppl who want to do more.

Yes, but at the same time, Sparrow explains better the whole process.
The transaction graph is much better illustrated in Sparrow, as far as I am concerned. Apart from that, it's better at instructing newbies that they have to first sign and then broadcast the transaction. In general, I would say Sparrow is more user friendly than Electrum. But obviously it's a matter of taste.

I'm really liking Sparrow, even though I don't use it very often. I'm using Electrum less and less, which is still an excellent wallet, and I would never stop recommending it to both new and experienced users (and BTW, it's hard for a non-beginner not to have known or used Electrum at least once in their life).

Bottom line: I agree with everything you said, Electrum for those who know, and Sparrow for those who are learning. Although, even if that order were reversed a non-technical user could still manage to use Electrum.

[apogio]

Bottom line: I agree with everything you said, Electrum for those who know, and Sparrow for those who are learning. Although, even if that order were reversed a non-technical user could still manage to use Electrum.

And let's also note that my reasoning for using these 2 wallets is mostly the fact that they are well-established and secure. Both of them are great choices and I am using both. For PC desktops and laptops where the OS is more vulnerable, I would suggest these 2. For mobile, since Android and iOS are fairly well hardened, we would be discussing otherwise.

[Cricktor]

And let's also note that my reasoning for using these 2 wallets is mostly the fact that they are well-established and secure.

I'm mostly still using Electrum a lot which I consider more mature. I played a bit with Sparrow when it still had the mixing feature and it looked promising to me to keep a close eye on it. Compared to Electrum, Sparrow is the younger product and I perceive it as less "battle-tested", frankly without being able to provide solid proof for this claim. Maybe only a gut feeling.

I lost some of my interest in Sparrow when they removed the mixing feature, which disappointed me quite a bit. Moving on, it's still an interesting and good wallet and I follow the development with eager interest. I quite like the clear visualization of some stuff in Sparrow, nothing wrong with it even when you understand Bitcoin quite a bit.

[apogio]

I lost some of my interest in Sparrow when they removed the mixing feature, which disappointed me quite a bit. Moving on, it's still an interesting and good wallet and I follow the development with eager interest. I quite like the clear visualization of some stuff in Sparrow, nothing wrong with it even when you understand Bitcoin quite a bit.

Indeed this was a good feature.
I liked it and used it so much that I had made a tutorial about it in [BitcoinTalk Node Tutorial #3] Sparrow terminal / infinite Whirlpool mixes.
I know for a fact that Craig Raw loves his product and it's a very good software, but I agree with all of you who say that Electrum has been strongly tested all these years. It has, indeed.

[arabspaceship123]

Yes, but at the same time, Sparrow explains better the whole process.
The transaction graph is much better illustrated in Sparrow, as far as I am concerned. Apart from that, it's better at instructing newbies that they have to first sign and then broadcast the transaction. In general, I would say Sparrow is more user friendly than Electrum. But obviously it's a matter of taste.

Sparrow's got a better display to Electrum. It's showing more info it's bringing more info to ppl so it's different explaining details in ways Electrum can't because of it's lay out. Electrum features ppl want so it's sending & receiving bitcoin in a way inexperienced ppl understand.

I'm mostly still using Electrum a lot which I consider more mature. I played a bit with Sparrow when it still had the mixing feature and it looked promising to me to keep a close eye on it. Compared to Electrum, Sparrow is the younger product and I perceive it as less "battle-tested", frankly without being able to provide solid proof for this claim. Maybe only a gut feeling.

I lost some of my interest in Sparrow when they removed the mixing feature, which disappointed me quite a bit. Moving on, it's still an interesting and good wallet and I follow the development with eager interest. I quite like the clear visualization of some stuff in Sparrow, nothing wrong with it even when you understand Bitcoin quite a bit.

I've used Sparrow to test mixing before they removed it. The visualisation's better in Sparrow for ppl who'll use it for more than receiving & sending bitcoin. I'm testing it again.

[Pmalek]

And let's also note that my reasoning for using these 2 wallets is mostly the fact that they are well-established and secure. Both of them are great choices and I am using both. For PC desktops and laptops where the OS is more vulnerable, I would suggest these 2. For mobile, since Android and iOS are fairly well hardened, we would be discussing otherwise.

A hot wallet remains hot with its keys always online regardless if it's Sparrow, Electrum, or something else. If the system is vulnerable and infected with malware, for instance clipboard malware because that seems to be a big trap many newbies fall into, neither Sparrow nor Electrum can protect you. Especially if the person likes to take shortcuts and doesn't verify their actions before broadcasting transactions. In fact, due to their popularity, these two wallets may be a greater target for scammers than unknown software wallets with smaller user bases.

[apogio]

In fact, due to their popularity, these two wallets may be a greater target for scammers than unknown software wallets with smaller user bases.

This is, generally, important for newbies to take note of. Because when any service is widely used, it's more easily set as a target for scammers.
Having said that, it's most likely for scammers to create fake instances of well established products than newly created ones. And, of course, the easiest way is to imitate services creating new websites that look identical to the original ones. Because, any packaged software can be validated with cryptography, making it more robust and secure, but with websites and apps on the browser, that's not true.

[Forsyth Jones]

It is also worth noting that beginners who own hardware wallets are easy targets for scammers, as they search for the name of the wallet directly through google searches and end up on a malicious domain (phishing) and inadvertently end up typing the backup words, losing all their funds.
Beginners shouldn't purchase a hardware wallet if they do not understand the critical importance of a seed phrase, specifically that it's completely unique and personal' and must never be entered anywhere online. Doing so would mean falling for a scam.

By first practicing with wallets like Electrum or Sparrow, moving small amounts of sats, making backups, and taking around 15 minutes to research their importance (using google or chatGPT), newcomers can prevent numerous future issues.

Another mistake that beginners make is thinking they're indestructible when using hardware wallets and do not check the sending address, they can easily be susceptible to clipboard hijacking malware.

[BitHodlers]

I've been using Sparrow for a couple of years now, after previously using Electrum. It is a very nice alternative and I have never had any real issues with it.

And let's also note that my reasoning for using these 2 wallets is mostly the fact that they are well-established and secure. Both of them are great choices and I am using both. For PC desktops and laptops where the OS is more vulnerable, I would suggest these 2. For mobile, since Android and iOS are fairly well hardened, we would be discussing otherwise.

The user is the biggest vulnerability and not the OS, regardless of hardening. You won't get hacked if you don't do anything wrong on desktops either. Mobile wallets lose out on privacy concerns and more limited features in comparison to some desktop wallets.

[apogio]

Beginners shouldn't purchase a hardware wallet if they do not understand the critical importance of a seed phrase, specifically that it's completely unique and personal' and must never be entered anywhere online. Doing so would mean falling for a scam.

Yes because most beginners think that hardware wallets store coins. In general the word "wallet" has misled many beginners into thinking that a wallet stores actual bitcoin instead of keys. And, on the other hand, it's difficult to explain to a beginner (especially to those who are completely tech-ignorant), what is a cryptographic key and how it can be stored on a device.

[satscraper]

Beginners shouldn't purchase a hardware wallet if they do not understand the critical importance of a seed phrase, specifically that it's completely unique and personal' and must never be entered anywhere online. Doing so would mean falling for a scam.

Zack Herbert ^{CEO of Foundation, the company behind the well known Passport line of wallets} recently shared his belief that "seed phrases may soon be obsolete". He said that Foundation is already working on developing of the seedless wallet. It should be mentioned that other companies have already entered this space. Notably, Tangem and Cypherock X1 offer alternatives to seed phrases. ^{I have Tangem 2}

[apogio]

Zack Herbert ^{CEO of Foundation, the company behind the well known Passport line of wallets} recently shared his belief that "seed phrases may soon be obsolete". He said that Foundation is already working on developing of the seedless wallet. It should be mentioned that other companies have already entered this space. Notably, Tangem and Cypherock X1 offer alternatives to seed phrases. ^{I have Tangem 2}

It can be discussed in another thread, because it's a big deal and innovation and, as such, it has its advantages and its drawbacks. However, it's true that saving a seed phrase, on any medim -even the most durable one-, can cause some stress because if a seed phrase is found and it's not part of a multi-sig, or a passphrase, or anything isn't encrypted, then the wallet can be emptied. In sort, saving a seed phrase in plain text, on any medium, can be stressful, at least for me.

Bonus point for the seedless setup, if you have a 2-of-3 multisig with 3 different devices as cosigners, then you must store the XPUBS somewhere (or the wallet configuration). But, that's all it takes. If you have the configuration and the 3 devices, you don't need to write down any seed as a backup.

[arabspaceship123]

It's probably because I'm familiar with Electrum I've removed Sparrow. I won't test it again. I haven't adjusted well to using it. The wallet's good for ppl who want to see more detail about tx's but Electrum's perfect for keeping it simple to send & receive.

[Forsyth Jones]

The user is the biggest vulnerability and not the OS, regardless of hardening. You won't get hacked if you don't do anything wrong on desktops either. Mobile wallets lose out on privacy concerns and more limited features in comparison to some desktop wallets.

Some wallets like BlueWallet, Stack Wallet and others allow you to add a custom server, such as an Electrum server (electrs, EPS, electrumx etc) connected directly to your full node.

Optionally, you can enable Tor on these mentioned wallets. It's always best to prioritize wallets that offer privacy-enhancing features.

Zack Herbert ^{CEO of Foundation, the company behind the well known Passport line of wallets} recently shared his belief that "seed phrases may soon be obsolete". He said that Foundation is already working on developing of the seedless wallet. It should be mentioned that other companies have already entered this space. Notably, Tangem and Cypherock X1 offer alternatives to seed phrases. ^{I have Tangem 2}

In theory, the seed would be split into three parts - two on physical cards and one on the user's device (like a phone). But what if I lose one of these cards or the phone? I'd still need to exercise the same caution as with multisig wallet keys or shared Shamir backup shares.

The user will still have to save things and it won't change much that people will continue to lose things.
Do you have an official statement from Passport about this? I checked their blog but couldn't find anything related.