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Watch-Only Wallet

Watch-only is a term used to describe Bitcoin wallets that allow you to keep track of your bitcoin in cold storage while disabling the ability to spend funds.

Watch-only is a term used to describe Bitcoin wallets that allow you to keep track of your bitcoin in cold storage while disabling the ability to spend funds. This is because watch-only wallets do not store or use private keys, and are therefore unable to authorize any spends on behalf of the user. These wallets use only public keys, allowing them to show users their balances and receive bitcoin. A watch-only setup enables use-cases such as being able to monitor wallets while travelling, keeping watch over a friend, or family members’ funds, and is an optimal part of cold storage. Learn more about about securing your bitcoin in Cold Storage. Is this not the kind of wallet you are looking for? Take a look at our Choosing a Bitcoin Wallet guide to help you select one that suits you.

Related Terms
Public KeyPrivate KeyWalletCold StorageExtended Public Key (Xpub)Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT)

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