Export as watch only

[takuma sato]

Is there a way to export a wallet that has 1000's of different addresses as a "watch only" wallet? Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a new file format, like wallet.wol (watch only wallet), and this would be all your public keys that can then be imported as watch only on your online laptop. Similar to how .psbt file makes things easier, this would be the same. The goal is to minimize command line usage and automate these things because you can screw up by accident specially if dealing with tons of addresses.

[1714668877]

1714668877

[1714668877]

1714668877

[1714668877]

1714668877

[NeuroticFish]

Is there a way to export a wallet that has 1000's of different addresses as a "watch only" wallet? Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a new file format, like wallet.wol (watch only wallet), and this would be all your public keys that can then be imported as watch only on your online laptop. Similar to how .psbt file makes things easier, this would be the same. The goal is to minimize command line usage and automate these things because you can screw up by accident specially if dealing with tons of addresses.

If the wallet you want to "export" is a HD wallet, the master public key (xPub) would do the job. You can see how this is done in Electrum in the first part of this tutorial: https://electrum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/coldstorage.html

If there are just separate addresses... I don't know a better way than making a list with those addresses (although this would be indeed unnatural).

However, I think that xPub is what you're looking for.

[bitmover]

However, I think that xPub is what you're looking for.

Xpub looks to be what the OP is looking. But you should be careful with your xpub as well.

Although XPUB is very convenient, they are also risky to be used. If one private key leeks, all private keys might be compromised.

Take a look at mastering bitcoin, where Antonopoulos explains that:

The ability to derive a branch of public keys from an extended public key is very useful, but it comes with a potential risk. Access to an extended public key does not give access to child private keys. However, because the extended public key contains the chain code, if a child private key is known, or somehow leaked, it can be used with the chain code to derive all the other child private keys. A single leaked child private key, together with a parent chain code, reveals all the private keys of all the children. Worse, the child private key together with a parent chain code can be used to deduce the parent private key.

https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/mastering-bitcoin/9781491902639/ch04.html

[nc50lc]

Is there a way to export a wallet that has 1000's of different addresses as a "watch only" wallet? -snip-

Since the thread is not in a specific wallet software board, I assume that you're referring to Bitcoin Core.

There's a workaround but it involves using iancoleman's BIP39 tool and will not work with "Descriptor wallets".
For reference, here's the steps (Air-gap machine is recommended):

• Use dumpwallet command to export your wallet's "extended private master key" [dumpwallet]
• Open the dump file using a text editor to view the 'extended private master key'
• Launch iancoleman's BIP39 tool [github.com/iancoleman/bip39]
• Paste the 'master key' to the BIP39 tool's "BIP32 Root Key" input box.
• Select "BIP32" under 'Derivation Path' for legacy addresses or "BIP141" for Native SegWit and P2SH-SegWit (select the correct script), then change "BIP32 Derivation Path" into m/0'/0' or m/0'/1' (change addresses)
• Tick "Use hardened addresses" under 'Derived Addresses', then toggle: "Private Key" and "Public Key".
• Scroll down and type 1000 (addresses) to "Show" and 0 to "starting from index" input boxes, then click "More Rows".
• There's you'll have a list of 1000 addresses derived from your master key, you can use the "CSV" tab on top if you want to export the list.

Then use the list to create a watch-only wallet.