GlossaryAdvanced
View Key
A separate cryptographic key that lets someone see a privacy-coin wallet's transaction history, without granting the ability to actually spend its funds.
A view key is a separate cryptographic key, distinct from a wallet's spend key, that lets whoever holds it see a privacy-coin wallet's transaction history and balance, without granting any ability to actually move or spend the wallet's funds.
This lets a privacy-coin holder selectively share transparency — with an auditor, an accountant, or a business partner, for example — without compromising the underlying security of their funds, a capability a fully transparent, pseudonymous blockchain doesn't structurally need, since anyone can already view its public transaction history.
Examples
- Sharing a view key with an accountant lets them verify a wallet's transaction history for tax purposes, without giving them any ability to move the underlying funds.
- A view key is structurally separate from a spend key, so sharing one carries none of the risk sharing a spend key or seed phrase would.