Getting insufficient funds when trying to send from a watch only wallet on blockchain.info android app

1

i currently have stored some btc on a paper wallet and have it as watch only on my blockchain.info account. now when i tried to send it out from the paper wallet, i'm getting an insufficient funds error. anyone know what this could be caused by?

also since i have it as a paper wallet and i can see the funds are still there via the blockchain. how can i import it into something else more secure?

Patoshi パトシ

Posted 2013-12-16T16:57:46.237

Reputation: 8 911

Answers

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Obviously you can't spend funds from an account you added as watch only. You'll need to import the private key into the tool of your choice. Note that as soon as you do that, it ceases to be a paper wallet. So you should only do that when you're ready to spend/destroy the paper wallet.

David Schwartz

Posted 2013-12-16T16:57:46.237

Reputation: 46 931

so your saying a paper wallet should only be used once by spending the entire amount into another address?Patoshi パトシ 2013-12-30T04:26:41.727

Not necessarily -- more that once you use it, it's not really a paper wallet anymore.David Schwartz 2013-12-30T05:43:47.163

so what is your definition of a paper wallet? my understanding of a paper wallet is that its just a public and private key printed out where you can send btc to, but in order to use the coins, you have to enter/scan in the private key. am i missing something else to it?Patoshi パトシ 2013-12-30T20:29:17.567

1Your definition of a paper wallet works. However, there is an additional security aspect to it, namely that a paper wallet is initially secure from computer-based theft. It's this aspect of a (securely offline) paper wallet that is lost once you enter, and especially use, the private key elsewhere. And since this security aspect is the prime advantage of having a paper wallet, it does seem fair to call it "not really a paper wallet anymore," as David put it.pyramids 2014-01-04T19:56:23.263

The android app does have the functionality to import a private key for a watch only address this is exactly what you need to use.Mark S. 2014-02-28T05:02:40.117