WIF and BIP38 Key Signing
SeedSigner can sign with raw single private keys in addition to BIP-39/BIP32 seeds. Two key formats are supported:
- WIF — a plain Wallet Import Format private key (e.g. from an Electrum address import, or an unsealed Satodime Bitcoin slot).
- BIP38 — a passphrase-encrypted WIF key.
Both features are disabled by default because a raw key has no BIP32 tree behind it, so the usual “which seed signs this?” safety checks do not apply. Enable them only if you need them:
- Settings → Advanced → WIF keys
- Settings → Advanced → BIP38 keys
How it works
A WIF/BIP38 key signs as a raw key, not as a seed. When you scan a PSBT, SeedSigner matches the raw key against the input itself (the same test embit’s signer uses) rather than against BIP32 fingerprints. This is what allows a watch-only wallet’s PSBT — which contains no derivation data — to be signed by a single key.
Signing with a WIF key
- Enable WIF keys.
- Provide the key by scanning a WIF QR code, or by loading an unsealed Satodime slot (Satodime → slot → Load Key to SeedSigner).
- Scan the PSBT from a wallet that watches that key’s address.
- Review and sign.
Signing with a BIP38 key
- Enable BIP38 keys.
- Scan the encrypted BIP38 key QR.
- Enter the decryption passphrase when prompted.
- Scan the PSBT and sign.
The passphrase is held in memory only for the operation and is not written to the card or MicroSD.
Security notes
- A raw key is a single point of failure and offers no seed-level recovery. Treat the WIF/BIP38 source as you would the private key itself.
- Prefer enabling these settings only for the session in which you need them, then turn them back off.
- The Satodime workflow that produces a WIF requires unsealing a slot, which is one-way. See Satodime.