<p>You would have to transfer any funds from the 2-of-3 multisig address to the 2-of-4 multisig address on the blockchain. But yes you could do this. I don't know why you would do this! Assuming the 2-of-3 can be spent using 2 of the 3 private keys (A, B and C) the 2-of-4 can also be spent using 2 of the 3 private keys because you threw away the fourth. Maybe to obfuscate the fact you are using a 2-of-3 on the blockchain? The potential benefits of doing this are minimal if not zero.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T11:43:08.903Z
One possible reason would be if you had securely created, stored and backed up your existing seeds for a wallet containing bitcoin from a KYC exchange, but wanted to start accumulating non-KYC bitcoin in a new wallet while avoiding having to manage new seeds..
evo_race
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T11:50:12.267Z
@evo_race: Ah ok, fair enough. Yeah it would be a different address but function exactly the same. If you spent from both addresses you would leak the fact that they were both using the same public keys. I don't know if a KYC exchange would notice. But while you haven't spent from the 2-of-4 address the public keys wouldn't be visible on the blockchain.
Michael Folkson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T11:53:56.117Z
Thanks - I didn't appreciate that the wallets could be linked on the blockchain through their public keys.
evo_race
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T12:00:06.333Z
Addresses can be linked once you've spent from them. Kinda fits into the address reuse thing. It isn't clear it is a multisig, it is a 2-of-4 multisig or what pubkeys it is using until you spend from that address when all of that is revealed.
Michael Folkson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T12:05:44.187Z
Taproot and things like MuSig2, FROST improves on this.
Michael Folkson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-11T11:22:02.900Z
2022-12-11T11:27:17.437Z
2022-12-11T11:27:17.437Z
Michael Folkson
<p>If I were to create a 2-of-4 multi-sig wallet using the 3 seed phrases of an existing 2-of-3 wallet, plus a new seed phrase that I instantly destroy, would I then effectively have a new completely independent 2-of-3 (technically 2-of-4) multi-sig wallet that uses the same seed phrases as the existing wallet?</p>

<multi-signature><privacy><seed>
Can I create an entirely new m-of-n multi-sig wallet with the same seed phrases as an existing one by increasing n and discarding the new seed phrase?
evo_race
# Can I create an entirely new m-of-n multi-sig wallet with the same seed phrases as an existing one by increasing n and discarding the new seed phrase?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-12-11)

If I were to create a 2-of-4 multi-sig wallet using the 3 seed phrases of an existing 2-of-3 wallet, plus a new seed phrase that I instantly destroy, would I then effectively have a new completely independent 2-of-3 (technically 2-of-4) multi-sig wallet that uses the same seed phrases as the existing wallet?

**Tags:** multi-signature, privacy, seed


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-12-11. Score: 1

You would have to transfer any funds from the 2-of-3 multisig address to the 2-of-4 multisig address on the blockchain. But yes you could do this. I don't know why you would do this! Assuming the 2-of-3 can be spent using 2 of the 3 private keys (A, B and C) the 2-of-4 can also be spent using 2 of the 3 private keys because you threw away the fourth. Maybe to obfuscate the fact you are using a 2-of-3 on the blockchain? The potential benefits of doing this are minimal if not zero.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: One possible reason would be if you had securely created, stored and backed up your existing seeds for a wallet containing bitcoin from a KYC exchange, but wanted to start accumulating non-KYC bitcoin in a new wallet while avoiding having to manage new seeds..  
> **username_1**: @username_0: Ah ok, fair enough. Yeah it would be a different address but function exactly the same. If you spent from both addresses you would leak the fact that they were both using the same public keys. I don't know if a KYC exchange would notice. But while you haven't spent from the 2-of-4 address the public keys wouldn't be visible on the blockchain.  
> **username_0**: Thanks - I didn't appreciate that the wallets could be linked on the blockchain through their public keys.  
> **username_1**: Addresses can be linked once you've spent from them. Kinda fits into the address reuse thing. It isn't clear it is a multisig, it is a 2-of-4 multisig or what pubkeys it is using until you spend from that address when all of that is revealed.  
> **username_1**: Taproot and things like MuSig2, FROST improves on this.  

---

