Term

Watch-Only Wallet

A wallet that can view balances and transactions but cannot spend funds because it lacks private keys.

Type:

wallet

security

definition

A watch-only wallet imports public information (addresses, xpubs, or view keys) to monitor balances and activity. It cannot sign transactions because it does not hold the corresponding private keys.

Example 1.1

"They track their cold storage using a watch-only wallet on their phone, keeping the spend keys offline on a hardware wallet."

Related Terms

Wallet

→

A tool that stores private keys and allows users to interact with blockchain networks.

security

basics

View Key

→

A key that lets someone view your transactions or balances without spending authority.

privacy

wallet

Self-Custody

→

Controlling your own private keys rather than relying on a third party.

wallet

security

All terms and definitions may update as the Cryptionary improves.