[Tutorial]How to monitor multiple addresses without Insert seed and key

[blue Snow]

[That is called watch only wallet on Electrum]

I observed here, and see a lot of beginners still don't know how to monitor their multiple Bitcoin addresses without inserting their mnemonic seed and private key on their wallet.

all this time, if the beginner wants to see if the address received his bitcoin, they will open the wallet with the seed or private key inserted wallet which I think is indirectly dangerous if the beginner doesn't really understand the virus, malware, and any kind of spyware on his PC.

I know it's really safe if want to access the wallet directly with a key on clean PC, but I think no harm in avoiding it, right?

So, in this case, you already installed the Electrum wallet on your PC and opened it.
In section create a new wallet, select Import Bitcoin Address and Private key, and just import as much as you want, but if you want to import multiple address, you can use the methods below:



the address below is just an example I take on Random Explorer, so don't focus on the balance



The picture above is still on sync progress, so the balance has not yet appeared completely

*just simple like that. if you want to monitor it on Android, the way is almost the same as the step above.

[1714586198]

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[1714586198]

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[1714586198]

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[hosseinimr93]

I want to add that if you have a HD wallet, you don't have to enter your addresses one by one when creating the watch-only wallet. Instead, you can import your master public key.

To see your master public key, click on "Wallet" at top of the window and select "Information".
To import your master public key, select "Standard wallet" and then "Use a master key" when creating a new wallet.

[Charles-Tim]

People are using HD wallets now, it would have been better if it is used for the explanation with the use of master public key, but also including the use of addresses import.

There are three other wallets that I know that are supporting watch-only. They are Sparrow, Bluewallet and Sentinel by Samourai wallet. On mobile, Bluewallet or Sentinel can also be used.

[ImThour]

If I am not wrong, you can also keep a track of these wallets without installing any software and also without worrying about any OS using Blockchain Explorers.
I see it's a watch-only as you have not provided the key, so that's what you could do on https://www.blockchain.com/explorer or any other Blockchain Explorer without worrying about anything.
Works well on Android and iOS too.

[satscraper]

~

Looks like proposed method would threaten the privacy of those who check their addresses if Electrum is connected to a public server. Would you recommend using ElectrumX or a similar personal server to ensure the preservation of privacy.

P.S. I use Sparrow connected to my bitcoin node thus  my addresses&balances  can be viewed  at any time.

[Husires]

adding master public key will give you a trusted way to generate a new address without need to include your wallet seed,
It is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to create more addresses without risking losing money.
I did not know that you can add different addresses and monitor them. Is it possible to add an address to a wallet that I do not own, meaning adding any address that I would like to monitor and the wallet will show me the total balance?

[Charles-Tim]

If I am not wrong, you can also keep a track of these wallets without installing any software and also without worrying about any OS using Blockchain Explorers.

Yes, you can. But having a watch-only wallet have more features than using it for tracking, and it is better.

I did not know that you can add different addresses and monitor them. Is it possible to add an address to a wallet that I do not own, meaning adding any address that I would like to monitor and the wallet will show me the total balance?

Yes, you can add any address. But I did not know any reason of adding an address that is not yours.

[Zaguru12]

If I am not wrong, you can also keep a track of these wallets without installing any software and also without worrying about any OS using Blockchain Explorers.
I see it's a watch-only as you have not provided the key, so that's what you could do on https://www.blockchain.com/explorer or any other Blockchain Explorer without worrying about anything.
Works well on Android and iOS too.

Yes you can actually check address balance with a blockchain explorers but using a watch wallet only wallet on wallets like electrum gives you the opportunity to connect to public server that you trust rather than just random server connected to by different explorer which might hinder your privacy compare to the watch only wallet.

Also watch only wallet can also be created by importing private key and master public key too and not just the addresses. For someone using an airgapped device for wallet storage or rather an offline wallet like hardware wallet, the watch only wallet is better as it can still help you to create transactions and also broadcast them after been signed by the keys on the offline wallet.

I did not know that you can add different addresses and monitor them. Is it possible to add an address to a wallet that I do not own, meaning adding any address that I would like to monitor and the wallet will show me the total balance?

Yes, you can add any address. But I did not know any reason of adding an address that is not yours.

Probably to monitor external addresses that isn’t his but he wants to keep tab on them to see their transactions history

[Husires]

Yes, you can add any address. But I did not know any reason of adding an address that is not yours.

I thought it was just an option to list the MPK and not any address. Thus, I would not need to copy and track only the Bitcoin addresses that I do not have the keys to, such as the binance address, where I can send and add the address in a new label and verify that it has arrived and then open my account instead of opening the account and searching in blockchain Explorers.
It's an alternative to crypto balance tracking especially for someone who doesn't invest in altcoins

[OcTradism]

I did not know that you can add different addresses and monitor them. Is it possible to add an address to a wallet that I do not own, meaning adding any address that I would like to monitor and the wallet will show me the total balance?

You can add any Bitcoin public address to a Watch-only wallet file and open it anytime, with Internet connection to see balance in that or those addresses.

It can be your address or addresses of other people.

Creating a watch only wallet in Electrum. You have two ways to do this as follows, more details are in the guide from Bitcoinelectrum.com.
With Master Public Key for Deterministic Watch-only wallet.
With Public address for Non-Deterministic Watch-only wallet.

[bitmover]

[That is called watch only wallet on Electrum]

I observed here, and see a lot of beginners still don't know how to monitor their multiple Bitcoin addresses without inserting their mnemonic seed and private key on their wallet.

all this time, if the beginner wants to see if the address received his bitcoin, they will open the wallet with the seed or private key inserted wallet which I think is indirectly dangerous if the beginner doesn't really understand the virus, malware, and any kind of spyware on his PC.

I have created an online tool that doees exactly that, and it saves your past searches in your browser, locally

Take a look

https://bitcoindata.science/bitcoin-balance-check.html

Data comes from mempool.space

[hosseinimr93]

Is it possible to add an address to a wallet that I do not own, meaning adding any address that I would like to monitor and the wallet will show me the total balance?

As already said by others, you can do so.
Take note that when you import an address to create a watch-only wallet, electrum can't know whether that's your own address or not at all.

Also watch only wallet can also be created by importing private key and master public key too and not just the addresses.

Your wallet wouldn't be watch-only wallet if you import a private key.
For creating a watch-only wallet, you should import an address (or list of addresses) or a master public key.

[vv181]

Besides as a piece of information, this tutorial is a good thing to expose beginners to such features. Thus it may also indirectly prevent the potential of watch-only wallet scams.

Many scammers, as I am aware, exploit the misunderstanding of beginners to deceive that they own some wallet for whatever reason, whether they bought the wallet or some type of another scam scheme. In fact, what they importing is a watch-only wallet, not a real one where they actually can spend it. Well, regardless of any reason they encounter such scams, this information might help those who don't have basic cryptocurrency knowledge.

[EL MOHA]

Besides as a piece of information, this tutorial is a good thing to expose beginners to such features. Thus it may also indirectly prevent the potential of watch-only wallet scams.

Seriously This a good guide not only for newbies to track their addresses without having to import their private keys or seed phrases and also not to use block explorer to track incoming transactions.

As you said it will also enlighten newbies on how to what looks like to prevent scams, I have witness where scammers mostly social media will promise to sell a wallet to a newbie and they provide them with just addresses to import and when the newbie does that and see balance of huge amounts they promise to give them password to unlock the wallet if they pay for it. Gullible newbies easily fall prey to this because they are not aware what a watch only wallet is.

[blue Snow]

I want to add that if you have a HD wallet, you don't have to enter your addresses one by one when creating the watch-only wallet. Instead, you can import your master public key.

the sample above if the user using a different seed and key on each address, but thanks for the suggestion.

If I am not wrong, you can also keep a track of these wallets without installing any software and also without worrying about any OS using Blockchain Explorers.

Oh yes, I just told it also. Explorer is good, but when you are bored, you can use my method above.

I have created an online tool that doees exactly that, and it saves your past searches in your browser, locally

Take a look

https://bitcoindata.science/bitcoin-balance-check.html

Data comes from mempool.space

Your tool is faster than I used electrum which need sync the data

As you said it will also enlighten newbies on how to what looks like to prevent scams, I have witness where scammers mostly social media will promise to sell a wallet to a newbie and they provide them with just addresses to import and when the newbie does that and see balance of huge amounts they promise to give them password to unlock the wallet if they pay for it. Gullible newbies easily fall prey to this because they are not aware what a watch only wallet is.

because many beginners out there think that bitcoin is the same as a bank account, so if you know the balance, you have a key.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

because many beginners out there think that bitcoin is the same as a bank account, so if you know the balance, you have a key.

Those greed people can be scammed by offers with wallets that have big balance in BTC.

They will spend money to buy those wallets but maybe it is only Watch-only wallet that is useless and can not be used to move any of big BTC in balance as shown by scammer in good offers.

Stop buying Fake Bitcoin wallets
Don't buy "wallet.dat" files with lost passwords. EXCHANGE THEM!

[ImThour]

If I am not wrong, you can also keep a track of these wallets without installing any software and also without worrying about any OS using Blockchain Explorers.

Yes, you can. But having a watch-only wallet have more features than using it for tracking, and it is better.

Do you mind sharing those more features? Like I don't understand what is not possible with a Blockchain explorer like the one I mentioned.
However, the main purpose to watch the address balance can be done both the ways, i mentioned a method which is much more efficient.
No software installation, just a website. You can also write a script that can fetch balance from the website for multiple address and show as one.

[hosseinimr93]

Do you mind sharing those more features? Like I don't understand what is not possible with a Blockchain explorer like the one I mentioned.

You can use your watch-only wallet for creating an unsigned transaction. That's required when you have a cold storage and you want to sign your transaction on an offline device.
You can use your watch-only wallet for generating new addresses from your master public key.
You can use your watch-only wallet for seeing the total balance and transaction history of multiple addresses.

[SFR10]

all this time, if the beginner wants to see if the address received his bitcoin, they will open the wallet with the seed or private key inserted wallet which I think is indirectly dangerous if the beginner doesn't really understand the virus, malware, and any kind of spyware on his PC.

In addition to this great tutorial, "Blockonomics" has a tool that notifies you about sent/received transactions through email ^{[I do know such methods might not be everyone's cup of tea, but just wanted to mention this feature also exists]}.

[blue Snow]

In addition to this great tutorial, "Blockonomics" has a tool that notifies you about sent/received transactions through email ^{[I do know such methods might not be everyone's cup of tea, but just wanted to mention this feature also exists]}.

Thank you for the advice, I just registered to know how it works, It seems a bit slower than watch-only wallet, and Explorer when the transaction comes.
when it is confirmed, blockonomics didn't show my balance on the dashboard (still 0) even has 1 confirmed on Explorer.
But, so far so good, I received a notification on email when btc was received after a few minutes.