Clear DefinitionsView Key
1 min read
Pronunciation
[vyoo kee]
Analogy
Like giving an auditor a special key that opens safe-deposit boxes to inspect contents without allowing them to remove anything.
Definition
A cryptographic key used in privacy-preserving protocols to decrypt and view shielded transaction details such as amounts and participants without granting spending authority.
Key Points Intro
View keys enable selective disclosure of private on-chain data.
Key Points
Read-only: decrypts shielded memos, amounts, and addresses
Selective sharing: provide to auditors or wallet UIs
No spending: cannot authorize transfers
Privacy model: separates viewing from spending rights
Example
In Zcash Sapling, a wallet’s view key lets block explorers display shielded balances and transaction histories without exposing the private spend key.
Technical Deep Dive
Shielded notes are encrypted under dual-key scheme: spend key and view key. The view key derives the incoming viewing key (IVK) used to scan note ciphertexts in the Sapling note commitment tree, decrypt memo data, and reveal transaction context off-chain.
Security Warning
Leaking view keys exposes full transaction history to third parties; guard them as sensitively as private keys.
Caveat
Sharing view keys trades off privacy for transparency; choose recipients carefully.
View Key - Related Articles
No related articles for this term.