<p>Blockchain.info is implementing bip32 and bip39, to understand how they're work you should read more about them.</p>

<p><a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki</a>
<a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki</a></p>

<p><strong>Simple Explanation:</strong> </p>

<p>When you create a wallet they create a mnemonic phrase (Bip39) and then they create your bitcoin seed using that mnemonic phrase.</p>

<p>that seed has a <code>private key (xprv,zprv)</code> and <code>public key (xpub,zpub)</code> for each derivation path, changing the path giving you more keys that belong to the same mnemonic phrase.</p>

<p>for example "MainAccount" in here has the following path:</p>

<pre><code>m/44'/0'/0'/
</code></pre>

<p>When you create another "account" in your blockchain.info wallet they increase the last <code>0</code> to get new keys for the same mnemonic phrase.</p>

<p>Now we can derive addresses using <code>public key (xpub,zpub)</code> or <code>private key (xprv,zprv)</code>.</p>

<p><strong>which receiving addresses belong to MainAccount?</strong></p>

<p>Every address has been derived from your "MainAccount" keys is belongs to that account.</p>

<p><strong>total balance of MainAccount (in this case 0.7btc)?</strong></p>

<p>They check each address balance belongs to MainAccount to get total balance.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-06T08:50:40.813Z
Thank you Adam for your explanation! So it seems (if I understand it correctly), that if someone knows e.g. second receiving address, he is able to find out total balance on MainAccount and possibly he is able to get even first and third receiving address?
peter
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-06T14:43:32.777Z
almost there, if someone knows your master/child public key, he is able to find out total balance of your main account.
Tailer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-06T14:54:30.107Z
sorry for stupid question - Can be this master/child public key derived from e.g. second receiving address (or any receiving address)? I mean if somebody knows just my e.g. second receiving address and third address, if he is able to find out total balance on account? or just the balance on receiving second and third address?
peter
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-06T15:03:19.867Z
No! it's not possible
Tailer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-05T11:17:43.433Z
2018-05-05T21:58:24.150Z
2018-05-05T21:58:24.150Z
Tailer
<p>I don't understand receiving address usage at <a href="https://blockchain.info/api/api_receive" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://blockchain.info/api/api_receive</a>
As I understand it it should work like this:</p>

<pre><code>MainAccount
|--generatedReceivingAddress1 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.1btc)
|--generatedReceivingAddress2 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.2btc)
|--generatedReceivingAddress3 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.4btc)
</code></pre>

<p>Is in bitcoin ledger ability to find out:</p>

<ul>
<li>which receiving addresses belong to MainAccount?</li>
<li>total balance of MainAccount (in this case 0.7btc)?</li>
</ul>

<p>Many thanks</p>

<transactions><bitcoin-core><blockchain.info>
find out total balance on MainAccount
peter
# find out total balance on MainAccount

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-05)

I don't understand receiving address usage at <https://blockchain.info/api/api_receive>
As I understand it it should work like this:

```
MainAccount
|--generatedReceivingAddress1 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.1btc)
|--generatedReceivingAddress2 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.2btc)
|--generatedReceivingAddress3 (then someone send btc and it will obtain e.g. 0.4btc)

```

Is in bitcoin ledger ability to find out:

* which receiving addresses belong to MainAccount?
* total balance of MainAccount (in this case 0.7btc)?

Many thanks

**Tags:** transactions, bitcoin-core, blockchain.info


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-05. Score: 1

Blockchain.info is implementing bip32 and bip39, to understand how they're work you should read more about them.

<https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0032.mediawiki>
<https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki>

**Simple Explanation:**

When you create a wallet they create a mnemonic phrase (Bip39) and then they create your bitcoin seed using that mnemonic phrase.

that seed has a `private key (xprv,zprv)` and `public key (xpub,zpub)` for each derivation path, changing the path giving you more keys that belong to the same mnemonic phrase.

for example "MainAccount" in here has the following path:

```
m/44'/0'/0'/

```

When you create another "account" in your blockchain.info wallet they increase the last `0` to get new keys for the same mnemonic phrase.

Now we can derive addresses using `public key (xpub,zpub)` or `private key (xprv,zprv)`.

**which receiving addresses belong to MainAccount?**

Every address has been derived from your "MainAccount" keys is belongs to that account.

**total balance of MainAccount (in this case 0.7btc)?**

They check each address balance belongs to MainAccount to get total balance.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you Adam for your explanation! So it seems (if I understand it correctly), that if someone knows e.g. second receiving address, he is able to find out total balance on MainAccount and possibly he is able to get even first and third receiving address?  
> **username_1**: almost there, if someone knows your master/child public key, he is able to find out total balance of your main account.  
> **username_0**: sorry for stupid question - Can be this master/child public key derived from e.g. second receiving address (or any receiving address)? I mean if somebody knows just my e.g. second receiving address and third address, if he is able to find out total balance on account? or just the balance on receiving second and third address?  
> **username_1**: No! it's not possible  

---

