<p>The sign/verify message feature has nothing to do with the regular wallet functionality. Sending and receiving coins has nothing to with it.</p>

<p>It provides the ability to sign a message... anything you like, using one of your addresses, proving that you are the owner of the address. It can be used to prove you own some amount of bitcoins, without actually sending them for example.</p>

<p>It's not a feature regular users will frequently need.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-22T00:38:31.610Z
Then I might create a message in Bitcoin-Qt, sign it, and email it, say, to another person?
Strychnine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-22T09:33:50.453Z
Indeed, it just shows you the signature, which can send along with the message to someone. If they paste both the message and the signature into the Verify Signature form, it will tell them whether it's valid or not.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T19:51:36.230Z
I'd like a feature request (where do I do this Pieter), I'd like a user to click on a URL and bring up the QT client similar to `mailto://user@asdf.com`, but `signqt://asdfsafd@asdf.com?key=ALL|1addressHere` and sign a message for one or all of their keys
makerofthings7
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-13T08:52:05.900Z
See http://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T17:14:56.970Z
actually, it has a bit to do with it... the same public-key algorithm is used to sign transactions....
Erik Aronesty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T22:47:03.030Z
2013-04-21T22:47:03.030Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>When you send money, does Bitcoin-Qt automatically sign the transaction?</p>

<p>On the Receive Coins tab, why is there a Sign Message button? Which message am I signing? There is no Send Message button, either. When you click on Sign Message, there is also a Verify Message tab. What am I verifying? Shouldn't the system ensure that I'm receiving a properly signed coins bundle?</p>

<bitcoin-core><message-signing>
Bitcoin-Qt Signing
Strychnine
# Bitcoin-Qt Signing

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-04-21)

When you send money, does Bitcoin-Qt automatically sign the transaction?

On the Receive Coins tab, why is there a Sign Message button? Which message am I signing? There is no Send Message button, either. When you click on Sign Message, there is also a Verify Message tab. What am I verifying? Shouldn't the system ensure that I'm receiving a properly signed coins bundle?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, message-signing


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-04-21. Score: 2

The sign/verify message feature has nothing to do with the regular wallet functionality. Sending and receiving coins has nothing to with it.

It provides the ability to sign a message... anything you like, using one of your addresses, proving that you are the owner of the address. It can be used to prove you own some amount of bitcoins, without actually sending them for example.

It's not a feature regular users will frequently need.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Then I might create a message in Bitcoin-Qt, sign it, and email it, say, to another person?  
> **username_1**: Indeed, it just shows you the signature, which can send along with the message to someone. If they paste both the message and the signature into the Verify Signature form, it will tell them whether it's valid or not.  
> **username_2**: I'd like a feature request (where do I do this Pieter), I'd like a user to click on a URL and bring up the QT client similar to `mailto://user@asdf.com`, but `signqt://asdfsafd@asdf.com?key=ALL|1addressHere` and sign a message for one or all of their keys  
> **username_1**: See http://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues  
> **username_3**: actually, it has a bit to do with it... the same public-key algorithm is used to sign transactions....  

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