<p>An encrypted wallet may be cracked if its password is weak with enough budget and computing power, while a watch-only wallet doesn't give any information other than the address and what can be derived from the address.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-22T15:57:11.907Z
2021-01-22T15:57:11.907Z
MCCCS
<p>I have encrypted my wallet.dat outside of this computer. Now I store my wallet.dat on this computer.</p>
<p>If I open it in Bitcoin Core, I can view the balance but not spend it (without entering the decryption passphrase).</p>
<p>Doesn't this make an encrypted wallet.dat a &quot;watch-only&quot; wallet? Can't I simply safely keep this on my PC and use the RPC API to check on the balance to make sure that it still contains my coins?</p>
<p>Basically: What is the difference between an encrypted wallet and a &quot;watch-only&quot; wallet? Why would I make a &quot;watch-only&quot; wallet when the encrypted wallet apparently has the same functionality, and is as secure?</p>

<bitcoin-core><wallet.dat><encryption><watch-only>
Isn't an encrypted wallet.dat automatically a "watch-only" wallet?
Dahani M
# Isn't an encrypted wallet.dat automatically a "watch-only" wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-22)

I have encrypted my wallet.dat outside of this computer. Now I store my wallet.dat on this computer.

If I open it in Bitcoin Core, I can view the balance but not spend it (without entering the decryption passphrase).

Doesn't this make an encrypted wallet.dat a "watch-only" wallet? Can't I simply safely keep this on my PC and use the RPC API to check on the balance to make sure that it still contains my coins?

Basically: What is the difference between an encrypted wallet and a "watch-only" wallet? Why would I make a "watch-only" wallet when the encrypted wallet apparently has the same functionality, and is as secure?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, wallet.dat, encryption, watch-only


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-22. Score: 1

An encrypted wallet may be cracked if its password is weak with enough budget and computing power, while a watch-only wallet doesn't give any information other than the address and what can be derived from the address.


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