In short. An xpub is a «view-only window». It shows which addresses belong to your wallet and what arrives at them. Spending money with it is impossible.
What an xpub is
When you create a wallet, it gets one secret foundation: a seed phrase. From it the wallet can derive as many addresses as it needs. An xpub (extended public key) is a part derived from that seed, and it is enough to compute addresses and see incoming payments, but not enough to sign transfers.
That is why a service like ours can issue you a fresh address for every donation and notice that money arrived, yet cannot touch it. The funds go straight into your wallet.
What an xpub is NOT
- It is not a seed phrase. A seed is 12 or 24 words separated by spaces. Never show it to anyone.
- It is not a private key. Private keys start with
xprv,yprv,zprv(for Litecoin -Ltpv,Mtpv). If you see one of those, it is a key to the money, not to the view.
A valid xpub is one long string without spaces starting with xpub, ypub
or zpub (for Litecoin - Ltub or Mtub).
Nobody should ever ask you for a seed phrase or a private key. Not us, not your wallet's support, not an «administrator» in your direct messages. Any such request is an attempt to rob you. Our form does not accept a private key or a seed: it recognises them and refuses.
What is worth knowing about privacy
Whoever holds your xpub can see the history of payments into that wallet. The money is safe, the picture of your income is not. If that matters to you, set up a separate wallet for donations and give us its xpub. That is normal practice.
Electrum
- Open your wallet.
- Menu Wallet → Information.
- Copy the string under the heading Master Public Key.
Trezor Suite
- Pick the account you need in the list on the left.
- Go to the Details tab in the middle.
- Press Show public key - the key appears as text and as a QR code.
Trezor will ask you to compare the characters on the device screen itself. Do it, exactly as you would when sending a transfer. This protects you from substitution on an infected computer.
Ledger Live
- Open the account you need.
- Press the wrench icon (Edit account).
- Expand the Advanced section and copy the key.
On a phone: account → the gear icon in the top right corner → Advanced logs.
I use an exchange or a Telegram wallet
Binance, Bybit, OKX, Coinbase and the built-in Telegram wallet do not give out an xpub, and that is not a whim on their part. There the wallet belongs to the platform, not to you: all you have is a deposit address.
To accept donations you need your own wallet, one you control:
- Electrum - free, runs on your computer, takes five minutes to set up.
- Trezor or Ledger - a physical device, more secure, costs money. Worth it if you expect large sums.
How to check that everything is connected correctly
After you add the key we will show you the first address. Find that same address in your own wallet and make sure it matches character for character, then press «Verify». That proves the wallet really is yours.
Before your first stream, send yourself a small donation through your own link. That way you check the whole path at once: payment, confirmation and the alert in OBS.