Hey there
I've got a Start9 full server set up with Electrum.
I’m using an offline laptop with Sparrow and another one online connected to the Start9 node. Plus, I have a Trezor Model T.
I used to mine back in 2011, so I have a legacy address that starts with a 3 (P2SH) according to BIP13/16. It's a single-key setup. I have the 64-character private key and/or WIF. I’ve never made a transaction, so I’m not sure about the UTXO.
Can anyone tell me which laptop I should use to create a PSBT and transfer everything to my hardware wallet? I get that the offline laptop is meant for signing.
If that WIF starts with "5", "K" or "L", then it's WIF.
If you mean it's just the 64characters, the private key is hexadecimal and needs to be encoded to WIF before it can be imported to your offline machine.
For the latter, one option is to download Bitaddress source code (GitHub Link) then transfer and extract that to your offline machine,
You can start its html file using any non-dated browser.
From there, you can go to "Wallet Details" tab where you can encode your private key to WIF. (finish the 'Generating Bitcoin Address' procedure first)
You may import both compressed and uncompressed WIF to your offline wallet.
BTW, last time I checked, Sparrow doesn't support single-key import so your next best option is Electrum since you're using an Electrum server.
For that, you can follow these instructions (with screenshots): /index.php?topic=5524213.msg64885706#msg64885706
Notes: use your WIF in place of the mentioned "mini-private key"
And in the online machine, you may create a dummy wallet to be able to set your server in the network settings (green/red circle icon) before you create the imported watch-only wallet. Or launch it with -1 -s <server:port> to immediately set your own server on start.
Yes, Sparrow supports only sweeping, whereas Electrum supports importing as well. Essentially, I 'd argue that sweeping is better for maintainability, as it allows you to upgrade your address type from legacy to bech32 easily and safely.
WIF keys do not contain 64 characters, they are between 51 or 52 Base58Check characters, I suppose you have a Hexadecimal PK, I leave a script to go from a hexadecimal PK to WIF.
Very simple and easy indeed, sweep doesn't have the option to type or paste the private key offline though.
For convenience and for small amount, sweep should be good enough.
But if safety is the concern, I'd still go for cold-storage import.
On a side note, it's concerning that OP mentioned a single-key P2SH in the OP which isn't usually used by wallets. (and he's not replying)
I only know one wallet that uses single-sig P2SH that's not SegWit: Armory can generate P2SH-P2PK addresses.
Anyways, he doesn't know the UTXO so I guess he's just guessing there.
I 've never actually tried it, because I was involved much later, when HD wallets were established as the go-to option.
Cold storage import is super simple. Just Electrum on an offline device and... done...
Hello! If I understood your problem correctly !
Create a wallet on the online laptop (Sparrow, connected to node) using your legacy address.
Discover UTXOs by importing the private key or address.
Create a PSBT that sweeps all funds to your hardware wallet.
Transfer the PSBT to the offline laptop.
Sign with the private key (on offline Sparrow).
Transfer back to the online laptop and broadcast via your node.
I hope the forum will help you.
Please expand this step.
This is important for him to know how to "sign in" with his private key in Sparrow.
This as well, you must be specific on the step that you're providing OP.
How exactly can he create a wallet using his legacy address.
about the priv key of 64 characters, I was wrong.
I used sha256 on my secret key thats 16 characters.
Did some more research the 16 characters starting with a 7 and the other 15 are capital ranging from A to Z, that I wrote down as SecretKey
and in Bitcoin 0.3.24 refers to SriptSig
That's compliant to, what seemed the most secure at the time, a java PRNG seed
When I used that "secretkey" base64 to hex it gave me a output of ECA then a few numbers CD and again a few numbers
Why I think/believe its P2SH, when that wasn't a thing in 2011
I imported the address I noted down in 2011 in bitcoin 0.29
Then I used getaddressinfo the scriptPubKey gave a914 the 40 characters that is 20 byte hash of script and ended with 87
"ScriptSig" isn't something that's only brought-up in that old version, it's in the older and the latest versions and it's not a secret key.
It's something that satisfies the condition(s) of a locking script, usually containing the signature specifically created for the particular transaction where it's included.
Anyways, since this isn't about restoring a private key, this isn't any different from your other topics then.
Since you're mistaken on the 64-character key you mentioned here, we can consider this thread [SOLVED] and just continue on your other thread where that "SecretKey" is first mentioned
There's no need for that, OP already replied (2 posts above yours) that it's not a private key but a SHA256 hash of his alleged "SecretKey".
And I've instructed him to just continue on his other thread since this thread's issue is essentially solved already with that information.
(I've asked a Mod to lock this topic since OP already created a topic regarding that elusive SecretKey: link)