<p>It is the BIP32 <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki#extended-keys" rel="nofollow noreferrer">extended private key</a> which all wallet keys are indirectly derived from. Anyone with access to it can compute all the wallet's private keys.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T23:07:10.307Z
"_Anyone with access to it_" (plus a private key, for hardened derivation, right?) "_can compute all the wallet's private keys._"
Geremia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T23:11:00.267Z
Extended private keys let you compute all private keys; there is no other information needed. The extended private key is literally where the keys come from.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T23:20:03.233Z
What is hardened vs. non-hardened derivation?
Geremia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T23:23:54.757Z
With normal (non-hardened) derivation you can get the public keys from the extended public key, as well as the corresponding private keys from the corresponding extended private key. With hardened derivation, there is no usable extended public key, and one needed the extended private key to derive both private and public keys. Hardened is more secure in certain scenarios, but is not as feature-rich.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-18T22:32:14.467Z
2024-05-18T22:32:14.467Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>What is the &quot;extended private masterkey&quot; in a <a href="https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/27.0.0/rpc/wallet/dumpwallet/" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>dumpwallet</code></a> file? It begins with <code>xprv</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-22T07:01:53.687Z
I found this helpful: https://learnmeabitcoin.com/technical/keys/hd-wallets/extended-keys/
Lee
<bitcoin-core><wallet><bip32-hd-wallets><xpub>
What is the "extended private masterkey" line of a dumpwallet file?
Geremia
# What is the "extended private masterkey" line of a dumpwallet file?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-18)

What is the "extended private masterkey" in a [`dumpwallet`](https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/27.0.0/rpc/wallet/dumpwallet/) file? It begins with `xprv`.

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, wallet, bip32-hd-wallets, xpub

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I found this helpful: https://learnmeabitcoin.com/technical/keys/hd-wallets/extended-keys/  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-05-18. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

It is the BIP32 [extended private key](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki#extended-keys) which all wallet keys are indirectly derived from. Anyone with access to it can compute all the wallet's private keys.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: "_Anyone with access to it_" (plus a private key, for hardened derivation, right?) "_can compute all the wallet's private keys._"  
> **username_2**: Extended private keys let you compute all private keys; there is no other information needed. The extended private key is literally where the keys come from.  
> **username_0**: What is hardened vs. non-hardened derivation?  
> **username_2**: With normal (non-hardened) derivation you can get the public keys from the extended public key, as well as the corresponding private keys from the corresponding extended private key. With hardened derivation, there is no usable extended public key, and one needed the extended private key to derive both private and public keys. Hardened is more secure in certain scenarios, but is not as feature-rich.  

---

