Watch only wallet

[wheelsonic]

My watch only wallet shows my bitcoin that I`ve received earlier with a bitcoin address. But even though I can see it I can never get it out/send it to a trader or another wallet. It just sits there unpaid. I even had one opportunity once where I got to broadcast it and it still never left, but maybe it was unsigned, I just forget. Usually on the advanced tab its no transaction ID, not signed and not broadcast, just sits there.
I`ve created a default wallet and a named wallet since but they never show my bitcoin amount. Although I did send some bitcoin to one and it showed for awhile but no longer does. Yet full amount is seen in watch only wallet. But if I ever try to use either of those other wallets it errors me for insufficient funds.. probably because there is nothing showing in them

I`m new to all this but its been about 6 months now , I think I brought the btc when it was 32k and its double that amount now. To give you an idea. Would love a solution if anyone can help.

[1715093950]

1715093950

[1715093950]

1715093950

[OmegaStarScream]

Which wallet are you using? and most importantly, do you have the private keys associated with that address? If not, I'm afraid there is no way to spend your funds.

[Charles-Tim]

Which wallet are you using? and most importantly, do you have the private keys associated with that address? If not, I'm afraid there is no way to spend your funds.

I guess he/she will be using Electrum, but I may not be right.

Also seed phrase (which can generate the private key needed to spend the coin) is enough to spend from a wallet. wheelsonic, do you still have the seed phrase or the private key?

[dkbit98]

My watch only wallet shows my bitcoin that I`ve received earlier with a bitcoin address. But even though I can see it I can never get it out/send it to a trader or another wallet.

That is why it's called watch only wallet only used for monitoring your balance.
You can't send coins from wallet you are only watching, but you can send it using your private key or seed words and then import it to normal wallet.

[NeuroticFish]

Would love a solution if anyone can help.

I'll start with the beginning, for better understanding. The coins are not in the wallet. A simple way to tell is that the coins are on the network and the wallet only allows you handle them.
Maybe you know, any block explorer allows anybody see how much coins are at an address. But this doesn't mean that anybody can just spend them.
In order to spend coins from an address you need to have the correct private key (or the seed, since newer wallets can calculate the private key based on the seed).
Your address tells it's watch only. That means that the wallet doesn't know of the seed/private key. And this means that you cannot spend from there.

Solution:
If you do have the seed or private key, you'll have to restore a wallet based on those. Then you'll be able to spend. If this is the case, please tell and people will help you restore (don't ever post seed or private key online, don't save it in cloud storage or email, keep it safe offline).
If you have lost those, tough luck, sorry.
If you've never had them then somebody may have scammed you (and again, tough luck).

[o_e_l_e_o]

My watch only wallet shows my bitcoin that I`ve received earlier with a bitcoin address.

How did you create this watch only wallet? You must have imported the address(es) or master public key from somewhere. Where did you get the address(es) or master public key from? Did someone or some website give them to you? Did you generate them yourself? How?

But even though I can see it I can never get it out/send it to a trader or another wallet. It just sits there unpaid. I even had one opportunity once where I got to broadcast it and it still never left, but maybe it was unsigned, I just forget. Usually on the advanced tab its no transaction ID, not signed and not broadcast, just sits there.

This is normal behavior for a watch only wallet. You will never be able to spend funds directly from it.

I`ve created a default wallet and a named wallet since but they never show my bitcoin amount.

Each wallet you create is a brand new wallet and will have no link to your watch only wallet, so your coins will not show up in them.

But if I ever try to use either of those other wallets it errors me for insufficient funds.. probably because there is nothing showing in them

Correct. Those are completely separate wallets and will not be able to spend the coins currently viewable on your watch only wallet.

It all comes down to how you created the watch only wallet. You need to access either the seed phrase or the private keys associated with the addresses in that wallet. How you do that depends on all the answers to the question I asked above.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

My watch only wallet shows my bitcoin that I`ve received earlier with a bitcoin address. But even though I can see it I can never get it out/send it to a trader or another wallet. It just sits there unpaid

It is how Watch-only wallet should work.

With same mnemonic seed, example you use Electrum wallet, you can import it to create a Watch-only wallet or not
https://electrum.org/#download
Create an empty wallet, choose an address, right click to get private key.

create a new wallet, choose Import bitcoin address or private key, and do like this
p2wpkh:privatekey
You will get a warning that it will create a Watch-only wallet. It means you can watch, check your wallet balance but can not spend Bitcoin.

[o_e_l_e_o]

With same mnemonic seed, example you use Electrum wallet, you can import it to create a Watch-only wallet or not

This is not at all how you create a watch only wallet. If you import a seed phrase in to Electrum, it will never create a watch only wallet. It also does not give you an option to create a watch only wallet or a standard wallet.

create a new wallet, choose Import bitcoin address or private key, and do like this
p2wpkh:privatekey

That imports the private key, which again, does not create a watch only wallet. That creates a non-HD wallet containing one or more private keys, which you can sign transactions from.

The only way to create a watch only wallet is to import one or more addresses (not private keys), or a master public key (xpub, ypub, zpub). If you import a seed phrase or a private key, it will never create a watch only wallet.

[decodx]

@wheelsonic, I think that you asked too many questions at once and jumbled several unrelated issues together. If you want a concrete, and straitforward answer, it is best to concentrate on one problem at a time.

I think the other members have already answered your first question, you cannot spend coins from a "watch only" wallet. That's why it's called "watch only". 

[wheelsonic]

Thanks everyone for your responses I got down about half way and it was starting repeat things.

So it`s the default wallet that shows both transactions and its the one I named that shows only the second transaction. I was attempting set up link that could be reciprocated I guess.

The default wallet has "seed" shaded grey, which means no seed. It does have menu option for private keys and once you click it another option says sweep. Then a blank box comes up asking for private keys.
So I`m thinking any private keys I got are from either default wallet 1 or the named wallet.

Its an Electrum wallet and I went to the official Electrum wallet site to download.

I`m only a beginner but my btc coins (and the amount is for both transactions 0.00727113 roughly 500 bucks) is at a bc address and just because this wallet is being obnoxious I don`t see how I can not get my bitcoin from the bc address.

Sorry I took so long to respond I lost this address I hadn`t added it to faves,

[wheelsonic]

My watch only wallet shows my bitcoin that I`ve received earlier with a bitcoin address.

How did you create this watch only wallet? You must have imported the address(es) or master public key from somewhere. Where did you get the address(es) or master public key from? Did someone or some website give them to you? Did you generate them yourself? How?

But even though I can see it I can never get it out/send it to a trader or another wallet. It just sits there unpaid. I even had one opportunity once where I got to broadcast it and it still never left, but maybe it was unsigned, I just forget. Usually on the advanced tab its no transaction ID, not signed and not broadcast, just sits there.

This is normal behavior for a watch only wallet. You will never be able to spend funds directly from it.

I`ve created a default wallet and a named wallet since but they never show my bitcoin amount.

Each wallet you create is a brand new wallet and will have no link to your watch only wallet, so your coins will not show up in them.

But if I ever try to use either of those other wallets it errors me for insufficient funds.. probably because there is nothing showing in them

Correct. Those are completely separate wallets and will not be able to spend the coins currently viewable on your watch only wallet.

It all comes down to how you created the watch only wallet. You need to access either the seed phrase or the private keys associated with the addresses in that wallet. How you do that depends on all the answers to the question I asked above.

Both receives or deposts with Electrum using my bc address came from TradeOgre first deposit was like $450 dollars and the second deposit was about $40
 So I went to the receive tab at Electrum and cut n paste the withdraw address from TradeOgre. Did it that way both times.

Yet I sent a second amount to understand things I guess and it is visible my second transaction in my named wallet which at the time was just my second wallet. (I may have renamed it later). My third which is now default wallet 1 has no transactions at all and was never used to receive funds. However my original default wallet (watch only) shows both transactions.

[wheelsonic]

Which wallet are you using? and most importantly, do you have the private keys associated with that address? If not, I'm afraid there is no way to spend your funds.

I`m using a Electrum watch only wallet apparently but it is at my bc address if that makes a difference. Its not an Electrum generated address. I was only using Electrum as a medium to transact. If that makes sense ?

[nc50lc]

The default wallet has "seed" shaded grey, which means no seed. It does have menu option for private keys and once you click it another option says sweep. Then a blank box comes up asking for private keys.
So I`m thinking any private keys I got are from either default wallet 1 or the named wallet.

No, there's no private key in your default wallet.

That is totally normal for a watching-only wallet.
In the private key menu, there's no "import" option because you cannot add a private key to a wallet with only addresses in it (it is available for imported wallets).
You can only "sweep" because you can still send bitcoins to those imported addresses (but you cannot spend them using that wallet).
'Sweep' sends the pasted private key's entire balance to one of the wallet's address so it's available for all wallet types including watching only.
Lastly, "export" should be grayed-out too because there are no keys in that wallet.

The "named wallet" doesn't display the same transactions so I take that the keys for your default wallet aren't there.

-snip- Its not an Electrum generated address. I was only using Electrum as a medium to transact. If that makes sense ?

That's a good news if the source of the address isn't an exchange, custodial service or some wallet with undisclosed non-standard derivation path.
Depending on where you got it, you may be able to spend those funds.

[OmegaStarScream]

I`m using a Electrum watch only wallet apparently but it is at my bc address if that makes a difference. Its not an Electrum generated address. I was only using Electrum as a medium to transact. If that makes sense ?

As said above, you may be able to spend your funds in that case. Do you mind telling us which service did you use to generate and that address? and do you still have access to it?

[o_e_l_e_o]

The default wallet has "seed" shaded grey, which means no seed.

I'll repeat my question above which you haven't answered yet: How did you create this watch only wallet? Did you go through the Electrum set up wizard and write down the seed phrase of 12 random words it showed you at some point? Or did you get a master public key (a long string of characters starting with "zpub") from somewhere else and use that to create the wallet? Or did you just import the addresses manually? Answering this is necessary before we can potentially work out how you can spend your coins.

Its not an Electrum generated address.

So where was it generated?

[wheelsonic]

The default wallet has "seed" shaded grey, which means no seed.

I'll repeat my question above which you haven't answered yet: How did you create this watch only wallet? Did you go through the Electrum set up wizard and write down the seed phrase of 12 random words it showed you at some point? Or did you get a master public key (a long string of characters starting with "zpub") from somewhere else and use that to create the wallet? Or did you just import the addresses manually? Answering this is necessary before we can potentially work out how you can spend your coins.

Its not an Electrum generated address.

So where was it generated?

Well that was the reason I made other wallets to see where I might have erred. I may have done that on another laptop, I`ve been running 2 lately with wallet issues. I had another separate issue with a Treasure Chest full node wallet.

From memory because I don`t want to set up another one, there was like 4 options. And I just forget now if that was a good thing or bad thing but I did try another direction which of course put me no closer to my coins. It was just an eye opener.

Wallet is downloaded from the official Electrum site. They really stress that all over the net.

I`m using a Electrum watch only wallet apparently but it is at my bc address if that makes a difference. Its not an Electrum generated address. I was only using Electrum as a medium to transact. If that makes sense ?

As said above, you may be able to spend your funds in that case. Do you mind telling us which service did you use to generate and that address? and do you still have access to it?

I have it bookmarked on my Bitcoin Address Look Up Report site @ bitcoinwhoswho dot com. Now here is something puzzling my btc address has 2 numbers at the start of it, before a slew of upper and lower case letters and a few numbers jumbled (34 characters). I thought a btc address needed to start with bc1 ?


Current Balance  0.00727113   =  $367.21
Total Received  0.00727113   =  $367.21
# Transactions  2
# Output Transactions  0
First Transaction  26 Jul 21
Last Transaction  1 Nov 21
Last Known Input  None
Last Known Output  None
Repeated Inputs From

(50 most recent transactions)
None
Repeated Outputs To

(50 most recent transactions)
None



Whenever I contact/email support at Bitcoin Who's Who - Bitcoin Address Lookup and tell them I have coins stuck at where they say they are, they never get back to me. (crickets)
 I believe my bitcoin wallet was made to the best of my ability from a reputable link on the net and I went through many checks and balances to make sure everything looked legit before depositing coins there.

But of course ignorance is no excuse for failure.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[nc50lc]

-snip-
 I believe my bitcoin wallet was made to the best of my ability from a reputable link on the net and I went through many checks and balances to make sure everything looked legit before depositing coins there.

The wallet is indeed legit,
But you missed the fact that a 'watching only' wallet is "watching only", means that you'll never be able to spend the funds you've sent to it.

You've been asked where did the address(es) you've used to create the watch-only wallet came from, but you seem be dodging the question.
Unfortunately, that's the only vital information to be able to tell if you have a chance to spent those funds.

FYI, Bitcoin has no central authority that you can contact to intermediate with the funds.

[wheelsonic]

-snip-
 I believe my bitcoin wallet was made to the best of my ability from a reputable link on the net and I went through many checks and balances to make sure everything looked legit before depositing coins there.

The wallet is indeed legit,
But you missed the fact that a 'watching only' wallet is "watching only", means that you'll never be able to spend the funds you've sent to it.

You've been asked where did the address(es) you've used to create the watch-only wallet came from, but you seem be dodging the question.
Unfortunately, that's the only vital information to be able to tell if you have a chance to spent those funds.

FYI, Bitcoin has no central authority that you can contact to intermediate with the funds.

Its not an Electrum bc address its starts with two numbers, before a slew of upper and lower case letters and a few numbers jumbled (34 characters). But I thought a btc address needed to start with bc1 ?

Here let me give you a fake address just so you can see what I mean by a address made through a bitcoin link which said I could make a btc wallet.

FAKE but similar in characters >>>> 28STVpynWXrgjboumdTBKdk7s9XBmg5jHc

I could give you my real address but I believe that is kept secret by the owner.

[nc50lc]

Its not an Electrum bc address its starts with two numbers, before a slew of upper and lower case letters and a few numbers jumbled (34 characters). But I thought a btc address needed to start with bc1 ?
-snip-

That's called a bech32 Bitcoin address, aka "Native SegWit Address".
Aside from that, there are other Bitcoin address format, namely: legacy [P2PKH]: starts with "1" | and various scripts (can be Nested SegWit, MultiSig, etc.) [P2SH]: Starts with "3".

We do not need the actual address (for your privacy) and definitely not its private key, the info we need is the type of wallet/tool where it came from.

Here's the thing, the only way to spend it is to create another Electrum wallet using the menu:
"File->New/Restore", type a new wallet name, next; select "Import bitcoin addresses or private keys", then paste the address' 'private key' if you have it.
Finish the rest of the steps.

Private key starts with '5', 'K' or "L', without it, you wont be able to spend the coins from your watching-only wallet.
If you've used a tool to create the address, it should come with a private key.
If it came from a non-custodial wallet/service, there should be an option to export its private key, or spend it using that wallet instead.

[wheelsonic]

-snip-
 I believe my bitcoin wallet was made to the best of my ability from a reputable link on the net and I went through many checks and balances to make sure everything looked legit before depositing coins there.

The wallet is indeed legit,
But you missed the fact that a 'watching only' wallet is "watching only", means that you'll never be able to spend the funds you've sent to it.

You've been asked where did the address(es) you've used to create the watch-only wallet came from, but you seem be dodging the question.
Unfortunately, that's the only vital information to be able to tell if you have a chance to spent those funds.

FYI, Bitcoin has no central authority that you can contact to intermediate with the funds.

Ok so somehow I missed an earlier post of yours and yes my bitcoin address starts with a "3" . So with that I looked through my files and I found my Bitcoin key that starts with an "L" (51 characters ?)and I have a private key also that which starts with a "U" (103 characters?) I`m going to work on recovering my coins . Thank you .