What is a Watch-only Wallet?
What is a Watch-only Wallet?
A watch-only wallet allows users to view the balance and transaction history of a blockchain address without having access to its private key. It cannot be used for on-chain operations such as transfers or authorizations. Watch-only wallets are widely used in asset monitoring, risk management, and cold wallet integration scenarios.
Use Cases of Watch-only Wallets
- Track Public Addresses
Want to keep an eye on a public wallet (e.g., project treasury, whale account, or institutional wallet)? Simply add it as a watch-only wallet to monitor its on-chain activity in real time.
- Cold Wallet Companion
For cold wallets (wallets stored offline), adding the address as a watch-only wallet allows you to check balances and incoming transactions on your mobile device without exposing private keys—ensuring both security and convenience.
Key Benefits
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
View balances and transaction history | Check all records without needing private keys |
No private key risk, high security | Keys stay offline and protected |
Custom wallet names supported | Easily rename wallets in Mixin Messenger |
Easy to use, supports multiple chains | Add addresses from major supported networks |
Important Notes
- You don’t need to import a private key or mnemonic to add a watch-only wallet—just the address.
- Adding a watch-only wallet does not compromise the original wallet’s security or privacy.
- Mixin Messenger currently supports EVM chains and Solana for watch-only wallets.
Security Tips
⚠️ Beware of watch-only wallet scams: Scammers may send addresses with visible balances and trick users into “unlocking” the wallet or paying fake fees. This is a common scam targeting watch-only addresses.- You can never unlock a watch-only wallet by receiving funds.
- Never trust anyone claiming to unlock balances.
- Never share your private key or mnemonic phrase.
- Always verify unfamiliar addresses using a trusted block explorer.
FAQs
- Can I import multiple addresses at once?
Currently, Mixin only supports adding addresses one by one. Bulk import options may be added in the future.
- What if I own the address and want to send funds?
Watch-only wallets are read-only. If you have the mnemonic or private key for the address, use the “How to Add a Regular Wallet?” feature to import the full wallet.
⚠️ You must delete the watch-only version first before importing it as a regular wallet!Related Articles
Updated on: 29/08/2025