Why does a multisig wallet not have an xpub?
19 sats \ 3 comments \ @byzantine 30 Nov 2022 bitcoin
A single signature hierarchical deterministic wallet has an xpub that allows for viewing of all public addresses derived from the seed but this isn't the case for a multisig. For example a 2 of 3 multisig has 3 individual public keys but no master xpub.
Why is there also not a corresponding xpub that is created from all 3 keys? And since there isn't an xpub from the 3 keys how are future addresses predictably knowable?
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @NothingNewUnderTheSun 30 Nov 2022
it’s best to think of multisig as a script. the address looks the same as a regular p2pkh especially if it’s segwit but actually that’s a hash of a script which requires the public keys and a quorum of signatures to satisfy the spending condition. So there is no actual multisig public/private key pairs generated and no xpub.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @00 30 Nov 2022
There is. If you are using electrum, create a new multisig wallet and just import the three zpubs or xpubs and you can view the master public key of your multi-sig wallet
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @2big2fail 30 Nov 2022
i am not expert here but i believe a multisig wallet isn't really a single collection of addresses derived from randomness but rather addresses with a spend script stipulation that must be satisfied. in that way it is a address created by the software with stipulations for the other keys to participate in signing.
an xpub is an extended public key tied to a private key. there is no private key for a multisig but rather many keys therefore there is not one unifying xpub
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