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ScryaHelp Centre

Verifying with Sparrow

Sparrow is a desktop Bitcoin wallet that works with software keys and hardware wallets. You copy Scrya’s message into Sparrow, sign it and paste the signature back. Signing doesn’t send anything or cost a fee.

What you can verify with Sparrow

Bitcoin (BTC) on the Bitcoin network, from a single-signature wallet. Sparrow can’t sign messages from multisig wallets.

Before you start

  • Find your address. Select Addresses in the left sidebar. Your receive addresses are listed under Receive. The Receive tab gives you a new address, which won’t hold funds yet.
  • Pick the address that holds your funds. Use a receive address, not a change address. Scrya reads the balance of the one address you enter. If your balance is spread across several addresses, use Add address to verify more than one.

Sign with Sparrow

  1. Copy the message. On your request, click Start Verification, choose Private wallet, then Sparrow. Enter your Bitcoin address and click Copy next to the message. Don’t retype it, because one changed character makes the signature invalid.
  2. Open the Addresses tab. Open your wallet in Sparrow, select Addresses in the left sidebar and find the address you’re verifying in the Receive list.
  3. Right-click → Sign/Verify Message. The signing window opens with the address filled in. Tools → Sign/Verify Message works too, but then you need to paste the address yourself.
  4. Paste the message and sign. Paste the message into the Message box. Leave Format on Standard (Electrum), which is Sparrow’s default. Click Sign. Enter your wallet password if asked. With a hardware wallet, confirm the signature on the device.
  5. Copy the signature back. The Signature box fills with a Base64 string. Right-click inside it and choose Copy, or select all and copy. Paste it into Scrya’s Signature field unchanged, then click Submit for Verification.

Tip: you can click Verify before you copy. Sparrow should report the signature is valid.

Troubleshooting

  • The signature is rejected after you changed Format. Scrya can’t check BIP322 (Simple) signatures. Switch back to Standard (Electrum). BIP137 (Trezor) also works.
  • Sign is greyed out. Message signing needs a single-signature wallet with access to its keys: a software wallet, or a connected hardware wallet. Multisig and watch-only wallets can’t sign.
  • Your address starts with bc1p (Taproot). Scrya can’t verify Taproot addresses by signing. Use an address starting 1, 3 or bc1q.
  • The signature is rejected. Check you copied the whole signature and didn’t change the message.
  • The message expired. Messages last 15 minutes. Click Back, choose Sparrow again and re-enter your address.

Signing with a Ledger, Trezor or Blockstream Jade through Sparrow? Follow the same steps and approve on your device when Sparrow asks.