<p>A Bitcoin transaction to an address has to be spent using the specific private key that corresponds to the public key whose hash is the address.  In this case, that's the child private key.</p>

<p>Of course, if you have the master private key, you can compute the child private key from it.  Your Bitcoin wallet client might even do that for you.  But at the last step, it's the child private key that is used.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-07T12:52:49.757Z
what about generating addresses from child public key not child private key? then I have no child private key
max
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-07T15:15:42.990Z
@max: I don't understand.  Your question was about spending balances.  You can't spend a balance without a private key.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-06T15:03:44.740Z
2016-12-06T15:03:44.740Z
Nate Eldredge
<p>We can spend balance of an address if we have private key. is it true for master private key too? I mean, we could spend spend balance using master private key? or we should use child private key?</p>

<private-key><bip32-hd-wallets>
spend balance using master key
max
# spend balance using master key

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-12-06)

We can spend balance of an address if we have private key. is it true for master private key too? I mean, we could spend spend balance using master private key? or we should use child private key?

**Tags:** private-key, bip32-hd-wallets


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-12-06. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

A Bitcoin transaction to an address has to be spent using the specific private key that corresponds to the public key whose hash is the address. In this case, that's the child private key.

Of course, if you have the master private key, you can compute the child private key from it. Your Bitcoin wallet client might even do that for you. But at the last step, it's the child private key that is used.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: what about generating addresses from child public key not child private key? then I have no child private key  
> **username_1**: @username_0: I don't understand.  Your question was about spending balances.  You can't spend a balance without a private key.  

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