<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> I recalled that <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3aDDH1_9guulMJ%3ahttps://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Sweepprivkey_proposal&amp;hl=en&amp;strip=1" rel="nofollow">Wiki: Sweepprivkey proposal</a>, is actually exactly what you are asking for, <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=45523.0" rel="nofollow">bitcointalk.org: Proposed RPC command: sweepprivkey</a>. The latest news about the <a href="https://github.com/jarpiain/bitcoin/commit/25eefa6dc4390f87e83cc4f326267c29ec38ce68" rel="nofollow">work in progress</a> from jarpiain, dated October 15.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This is functional in the sense that I tested it succesfully on the
  real block chain. It's not yet robust enough for serious use. In
  particular, there are race conditions for accessing addrblock.dat.</p>
  
  <p>I'm going to implement some of the sweepprivkey options and copy the
  transaction fee logic from CWallet::CreateTransaction() this weekend
  (I think it's best to keep the fee setting in one place, the -paytxfee
  option).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>MtGox has the option to fund account with private key, and it understands several different formats, not only the standart one, e.g. it accepts mini format used by Casascius physical coins, <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=46908.0" rel="nofollow">MtGox adds redeemer for private keys including Casascius Physical Bitcoins</a></p>

<p>But if you want to send the transaction from your own computer then you need a software that would create a proper transaction using the public and private key, bitcoin or bitcoind can't do that without importing keys into wallet first, importing could be done with <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34028.0" rel="nofollow">Pywallet</a> or hopefully soon-to-be-official <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=8091.0" rel="nofollow">wallet export/import bitcoin patch</a>, but make sure to backup your wallet first.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-25T22:58:23.933Z
2011-10-27T02:59:52.050Z
2011-10-27T02:59:52.050Z
Serith
<p>You can create a new wallet that has just the one keypair you need, move the coins, and then restore your old wallet file.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-26T18:18:32.170Z
hm, your answer made me speculate that the purpose of this question is to move stolen coins without leaving too much footprint, but of course that's just speculation.
Serith
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-26T18:50:55.490Z
It could also be that someone wants to get rid of their old address that someone associated with their identity while keeping the coins in their new address.
ThePiachu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-26T13:16:52.487Z
2011-10-26T13:16:52.487Z
ThePiachu
<p>This API will push your transaction into the network if you have your $priv_key</p>

<p><a href="https://blockchain.info/merchant/" rel="nofollow">https://blockchain.info/merchant/</a>$priv_key/payment?to=$recipient_address&amp;amount=$amount_satoshi&amp;fee=50000</p>

<p>But in order to inject this transaction onto the network for you, they require a minimum fee of 50000 Satoshi (0.0005 BTC) whether you specify a fee or not. For more details, see:</p>

<p><a href="https://blockchain.info/api/api_send" rel="nofollow">https://blockchain.info/api/api_send</a></p>

<p>But that fee (about $0.30) might seem a little too generous. Does anyone know of a way to do this for a smaller fee?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T01:13:31.747Z
2014-02-20T01:13:31.747Z
rcx
<p>If I install the bitcoin command line client for linux, can I use just a public and private key to send coins from an address? I don't want to add it to my wallet file, I just want to move coins out of an address.</p>

<hr>

<p>Update: After reading some of the answers I realize that I should have been more clear about my purposes. This is for more of a computer controlled money system. I want to be able to create addresses, and move money between them, and be able to move money out of addresses to other public addresses. I wanted it to be super light weight and not have to download the whole block-chain to achieve anything, and I don't want it to use wallets because they don't conform very well to what I am doing. </p>

<p>I want to be able to be given a private key and public address of a source, and a public address of a destination, to be able to send coins from one to another, and do it by just sending a message to the network. I want to be able to do it with only 10-20 MB of storage, and be able to do it by only connecting to a few nodes. Confirmations &amp; balances will just be handled by hitting up some public resource like blockchain explorer.</p>

<p>Note: if it is not possible to do without the blockchain handy, then that can be accommodated for (though it throws in the need for a server for me rather than being purely client based.).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T01:33:25.703Z
If you can code in Java, you can do this with Bitcoinj. See this question: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7708/how-do-i-create-an-offline-transaction-in-java-to-broadcast-via-blockchain-info
Diego Basch
<transactions>
Send bitcoins using just a pub and private key
RobKohr
# Send bitcoins using just a pub and private key

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-25)

If I install the bitcoin command line client for linux, can I use just a public and private key to send coins from an address? I don't want to add it to my wallet file, I just want to move coins out of an address.

---

Update: After reading some of the answers I realize that I should have been more clear about my purposes. This is for more of a computer controlled money system. I want to be able to create addresses, and move money between them, and be able to move money out of addresses to other public addresses. I wanted it to be super light weight and not have to download the whole block-chain to achieve anything, and I don't want it to use wallets because they don't conform very well to what I am doing.

I want to be able to be given a private key and public address of a source, and a public address of a destination, to be able to send coins from one to another, and do it by just sending a message to the network. I want to be able to do it with only 10-20 MB of storage, and be able to do it by only connecting to a few nodes. Confirmations & balances will just be handled by hitting up some public resource like blockchain explorer.

Note: if it is not possible to do without the blockchain handy, then that can be accommodated for (though it throws in the need for a server for me rather than being purely client based.).

**Tags:** transactions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you can code in Java, you can do this with Bitcoinj. See this question: http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/7708/how-do-i-create-an-offline-transaction-in-java-to-broadcast-via-blockchain-info  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2011-10-25. Score: 5

**EDIT:** I recalled that [Wiki: Sweepprivkey proposal](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3aDDH1_9guulMJ%3ahttps://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Sweepprivkey_proposal&hl=en&strip=1), is actually exactly what you are asking for, [bitcointalk.org: Proposed RPC command: sweepprivkey](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=45523.0). The latest news about the [work in progress](https://github.com/jarpiain/bitcoin/commit/25eefa6dc4390f87e83cc4f326267c29ec38ce68) from jarpiain, dated October 15.

> This is functional in the sense that I tested it succesfully on the
> real block chain. It's not yet robust enough for serious use. In
> particular, there are race conditions for accessing addrblock.dat.
>
> I'm going to implement some of the sweepprivkey options and copy the
> transaction fee logic from CWallet::CreateTransaction() this weekend
> (I think it's best to keep the fee setting in one place, the -paytxfee
> option).

MtGox has the option to fund account with private key, and it understands several different formats, not only the standart one, e.g. it accepts mini format used by Casascius physical coins, [MtGox adds redeemer for private keys including Casascius Physical Bitcoins](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=46908.0)

But if you want to send the transaction from your own computer then you need a software that would create a proper transaction using the public and private key, bitcoin or bitcoind can't do that without importing keys into wallet first, importing could be done with [Pywallet](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34028.0) or hopefully soon-to-be-official [wallet export/import bitcoin patch](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=8091.0), but make sure to backup your wallet first.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2011-10-26. Score: 2

You can create a new wallet that has just the one keypair you need, move the coins, and then restore your old wallet file.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: hm, your answer made me speculate that the purpose of this question is to move stolen coins without leaving too much footprint, but of course that's just speculation.  
> **username_3**: It could also be that someone wants to get rid of their old address that someone associated with their identity while keeping the coins in their new address.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-02-20. Score: 0

This API will push your transaction into the network if you have your $priv\_key

<https://blockchain.info/merchant/>$priv\_key/payment?to=$recipient\_address&amount=$amount\_satoshi&fee=50000

But in order to inject this transaction onto the network for you, they require a minimum fee of 50000 Satoshi (0.0005 BTC) whether you specify a fee or not. For more details, see:

<https://blockchain.info/api/api_send>

But that fee (about $0.30) might seem a little too generous. Does anyone know of a way to do this for a smaller fee?


---

