<p>If your wallet has a Bitcoin Cash version of it (e.g. Bitcoin ABC for Bitcoin Core, Electron Cash for Electrum), then you can install that version in a second location and have it use a different data directory (the data for wallets is stored separately from the install location). Then just copy your wallet file into the second data directory and use the Bitcoin Cash version of your wallet as you normally would use your wallet. Since Bitcoin Cash has implemented two way replay protection, there isn't anything special that you need to do in order to properly create transactions for either chain.</p>

<p>If you do not have a wallet that has a Bitcoin Cash counterpart, you can export your private key(s) and import it into a Bitcoin Cash wallet. After the fork, you should first send your Bitcoin to another address that you control. Then you can export your private keys (excluding the private key for the address you just sent Bitcoin to) and import then into a Bitcoin Cash wallet. From there you can send your Bitcoin Cash coins to an address in the Bitcoin Cash wallet and spend normally.</p>

<p>NOTICE: Make sure to always backup your wallet.dat. I've heard of horror stories about people downloading bitcoinabc client and it overwrites their current bitcoin files. It's best to use a extra computer to download bitcoinabc and then use email or a USB to transfer wallet.dat to it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T21:10:35.630Z
Are there any light desktop wallets to support B. Cache yet? Without that, it's all kinda' just theory.
Sz.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T23:34:20.137Z
I did exactly this, but in my BCH wallet I see the same transaction I did in my BTC wallet, thus 0 balance.
siamii
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-02T00:49:48.067Z
@Sz Electron Cash (a fork of Electrum) is a lightweight wallet that supports Bitcoin Cash.
Ava Chow
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-02T00:49:51.410Z
@siamii, what wallet software did you use? Was your transaction confirmed before or after block 478559?
Ava Chow
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-03T19:31:29.077Z
Andy, thanks. Caveat emptor, though, some [early problems have already been reported](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2059091.0) (as kinda' expected in such cases).
Sz.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-04T08:24:28.740Z
@AndrewChow It's after block 478616. Electron cash.
siamii
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-06T05:20:11.830Z
@siamii Your Electron Cash wallet is not using a Bitcoin Cash Electrum server, it is instead seeing a normal Electrum server for Bitcoin. This means that you will only see your Bitcoin, but cannot spend any of it with Electron Cash. You should set your Electron Cash wallet to be using a Bitcoin Cash server.
Ava Chow
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-10T22:14:55.363Z
Hi, could you please advice here too https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57899/get-bch-from-blockchain-info-after-fork? Thanks
Gabe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-25T01:12:50.090Z
This answer should note the possibility of your BCH client misbehaving and sending both your BTC and BCH to someone else as soon as it has your keys.  Most recommendations I've seen include steps to prevent at least the theft of the BTC.
ShadSterling
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T05:26:34.723Z
2017-08-03T06:27:29.977Z
2017-08-03T06:27:29.977Z
Ava Chow
<p>Since you hold the private key of your wallet, you just need to import it to a <code>BCC</code> wallet after the fork and you will get access to your bitcoin cash,</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>After 12:20 UTC (or maybe you need to wait for 1 BCC block?), send all of your BTC to a totally new wallet and wait until this gets 30 confirmations. Just creating new addresses is not sufficient: you must create a totally new wallet file with a different mnemonic, etc. BCC has some replay protection (note: contrary to what they say, it is not complete replay protection, unless they changed it since I last heard), so this should typically not be replayed. Just in case it is replayed, the destination wallet should also be under your complete control.</li>
  <li>Import your old private keys into a BCC wallet on a separate computer, or upload them to a BCC exchange/bank. Never use that wallet file again.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-01T23:32:23.763Z
I've sent my BTC to a new address, then imported the private key to BCH wallet from my previous BTC address. In the BCH wallet, I see the same transaction done, and thus there 0 BCH balance. How do I get my BCH in this case?
siamii
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-02T11:15:10.343Z
@siamii: you did this too early, before the split! You should do the same again, send it to into a new wallet and watch your second wallet in your BCH Wallet
rubo77
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-04T08:24:50.523Z
@rubo77 it was after the split
siamii
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-10T22:15:05.140Z
Hi, could you please advice here too https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57899/get-bch-from-blockchain-info-after-fork? Thanks
Gabe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-15T10:39:35.297Z
Why do you need to create a whole new wallet?
Tom Seddon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-31T05:24:55.127Z
2017-08-03T03:55:18.270Z
2017-08-03T03:55:18.270Z
Sufiyan Ghori
<p>You can transfer/sweep your Bitcoin Cash to a offline wallet like e.g. Coinomi using your private key and identify the addresses which hold the funds.</p>

<p>The process is explained at <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57422/how-to-sweep-private-extended-key-from-mycellium-into-coinomi-for-bitcoin-cash-c/">How to sweep private extended key from mycellium into coinomi for bitcoin cash coins?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-13T08:33:24.817Z
2017-08-13T08:33:24.817Z
KOld
<p>I have a few Bitcoins in a local wallet and I own my private key. </p>

<p>I know that on 1st August 2017, Bitcoin is splitting into BTC and BCC.</p>

<p>How do I get Bitcoin Cash without transferring my Bitcoins to a 3rd party exchange?</p>

<bitcoin-cash>
I have Bitcoins in a local wallet, how do I get my Bitcoin Cash without using an exchange?
ogthy4
# I have Bitcoins in a local wallet, how do I get my Bitcoin Cash without using an exchange?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-31)

I have a few Bitcoins in a local wallet and I own my private key.

I know that on 1st August 2017, Bitcoin is splitting into BTC and BCC.

How do I get Bitcoin Cash without transferring my Bitcoins to a 3rd party exchange?

**Tags:** bitcoin-cash


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-31. Score: 14

If your wallet has a Bitcoin Cash version of it (e.g. Bitcoin ABC for Bitcoin Core, Electron Cash for Electrum), then you can install that version in a second location and have it use a different data directory (the data for wallets is stored separately from the install location). Then just copy your wallet file into the second data directory and use the Bitcoin Cash version of your wallet as you normally would use your wallet. Since Bitcoin Cash has implemented two way replay protection, there isn't anything special that you need to do in order to properly create transactions for either chain.

If you do not have a wallet that has a Bitcoin Cash counterpart, you can export your private key(s) and import it into a Bitcoin Cash wallet. After the fork, you should first send your Bitcoin to another address that you control. Then you can export your private keys (excluding the private key for the address you just sent Bitcoin to) and import then into a Bitcoin Cash wallet. From there you can send your Bitcoin Cash coins to an address in the Bitcoin Cash wallet and spend normally.

NOTICE: Make sure to always backup your wallet.dat. I've heard of horror stories about people downloading bitcoinabc client and it overwrites their current bitcoin files. It's best to use a extra computer to download bitcoinabc and then use email or a USB to transfer wallet.dat to it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Are there any light desktop wallets to support B. Cache yet? Without that, it's all kinda' just theory.  
> **username_3**: I did exactly this, but in my BCH wallet I see the same transaction I did in my BTC wallet, thus 0 balance.  
> **username_1**: @Sz Electron Cash (a fork of Electrum) is a lightweight wallet that supports Bitcoin Cash.  
> **username_1**: @username_3, what wallet software did you use? Was your transaction confirmed before or after block 478559?  
> **username_2**: Andy, thanks. Caveat emptor, though, some [early problems have already been reported](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2059091.0) (as kinda' expected in such cases).  
> **username_3**: @AndrewChow It's after block 478616. Electron cash.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 Your Electron Cash wallet is not using a Bitcoin Cash Electrum server, it is instead seeing a normal Electrum server for Bitcoin. This means that you will only see your Bitcoin, but cannot spend any of it with Electron Cash. You should set your Electron Cash wallet to be using a Bitcoin Cash server.  
> **username_4**: Hi, could you please advice here too https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57899/get-bch-from-blockchain-info-after-fork? Thanks  
> **username_5**: This answer should note the possibility of your BCH client misbehaving and sending both your BTC and BCH to someone else as soon as it has your keys.  Most recommendations I've seen include steps to prevent at least the theft of the BTC.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-07-31. Score: 3

Since you hold the private key of your wallet, you just need to import it to a `BCC` wallet after the fork and you will get access to your bitcoin cash,

> 1. After 12:20 UTC (or maybe you need to wait for 1 BCC block?), send all of your BTC to a totally new wallet and wait until this gets 30 confirmations. Just creating new addresses is not sufficient: you must create a totally new wallet file with a different mnemonic, etc. BCC has some replay protection (note: contrary to what they say, it is not complete replay protection, unless they changed it since I last heard), so this should typically not be replayed. Just in case it is replayed, the destination wallet should also be under your complete control.
> 2. Import your old private keys into a BCC wallet on a separate computer, or upload them to a BCC exchange/bank. Never use that wallet file again.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I've sent my BTC to a new address, then imported the private key to BCH wallet from my previous BTC address. In the BCH wallet, I see the same transaction done, and thus there 0 BCH balance. How do I get my BCH in this case?  
> **username_7**: @username_3: you did this too early, before the split! You should do the same again, send it to into a new wallet and watch your second wallet in your BCH Wallet  
> **username_3**: @username_7 it was after the split  
> **username_4**: Hi, could you please advice here too https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57899/get-bch-from-blockchain-info-after-fork? Thanks  
> **username_8**: Why do you need to create a whole new wallet?  

---

### Answer by username_9 on 2017-08-13. Score: 0

You can transfer/sweep your Bitcoin Cash to a offline wallet like e.g. Coinomi using your private key and identify the addresses which hold the funds.

The process is explained at [How to sweep private extended key from mycellium into coinomi for bitcoin cash coins?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/57422/how-to-sweep-private-extended-key-from-mycellium-into-coinomi-for-bitcoin-cash-c/)


---

