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Topic
Board Beginners & Help
Re: beginners. Understanding bitcoin private key
by
hoody26
on 08/01/2021, 08:39:59 UTC
Yes, I do see the balance.
I emailed the key to myself, so technically, its very risky I'm guessing, since i just added the key to mycelium, and just like that, i got a balance.
I eventually found what looked like a "key" which I had emailed to myself - a string of numbers and letters. I didnt write anything else, just this string of numbers and letters.

I have mycoleum with  "Bitcoin HD" account. I decided to enter this string of numbers and letters. I can't remember exactly how i did this to be honest, i think it was trying to import this key.
Before concluding that you have the balance, click the "SEND" button in Mycelium's 'Balance' tab while the "SA Account" in 'Accounts' tab is selected.

Because you can create a watch-only SA account if you've pasted a bitcoin address instead of the private key (and it'll not be labeled as watch-only).
And since private keys and bitcoin addresses both consist of "numbers & letters", the one in the email could also be an address.

To clear the doubt, try to click "send", if it continues instead of a long watch-only note, then it's spendable.

Oh no!! You are right, it is a watch-only account!
Well I'm stuffed then. it says i need to import the corresponding private key. I don't have it.
Ah well, easy come, easy go.

Damn, this bitcoin stuff is incredibly complicated.

Not the news I was hoping for, but thank you anyway.