<p>-tip <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5478171.msg63355373#msg63355373" rel="nofollow noreferrer">nc50lc on BitcoinTalk</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Electrum's lightning wallet requires a master private key where the private keys to be used in your lightning transactions' HTLC (<em>Hashed Timelock Contract</em>).</p>
<p>It can't rely on imported keys since it'll eventually run out of available unused keys after few transactions and reusing those isn't an option because it's unsafe to reuse used keys in old HTLC.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T18:29:51.850Z
2023-12-20T18:29:51.850Z
Geremia
<p>Why can't I import a Bitcoin Core private key into an Electrum wallet that supports Lightning?</p>
<p>Running <code>importprivkey</code> in the Electrum console, I get:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Error: This type of wallet cannot import private keys. Try to create a new wallet with that key.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When I create a new Electrum wallet with the private keys, why is Lightning disabled for that wallet?</p>

<bitcoin-core><lightning-network><electrum>
Why can't I import a Bitcoin Core private key into an Electrum wallet that supports Lightning?
Geremia
# Why can't I import a Bitcoin Core private key into an Electrum wallet that supports Lightning?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-09)

Why can't I import a Bitcoin Core private key into an Electrum wallet that supports Lightning?

Running `importprivkey` in the Electrum console, I get:

> Error: This type of wallet cannot import private keys. Try to create a new wallet with that key.

When I create a new Electrum wallet with the private keys, why is Lightning disabled for that wallet?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, lightning-network, electrum


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2023-12-20. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

-tip [nc50lc on BitcoinTalk](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5478171.msg63355373#msg63355373):

> Electrum's lightning wallet requires a master private key where the private keys to be used in your lightning transactions' HTLC (*Hashed Timelock Contract*).
>
> It can't rely on imported keys since it'll eventually run out of available unused keys after few transactions and reusing those isn't an option because it's unsafe to reuse used keys in old HTLC.


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