[Bug]: Can't import wallet file / Electrum and Sparrow

[Nisaba]

What is your BTCPay version?

BTCPay 1.13.1

How did you deploy BTCPay Server?

Docker

What happened?

I Get this error when I try to import wallet file generated by Electrum or Sparrow :
"Import failed, make sure you import a compatible wallet format"

How did you encounter this bug?

Select wallet file (generated by Electrum or Sparrow) then click on Continue

Relevant log output

No response

What browser do you use?

No response

Additional information

No response

Are you sure this is a bug report?

• I confirm this is a bug report

[nostitos]

Not sure if it'd make a difference but did you follow the export instruction or just used a wallet file?

BTW last I tested that, it would only import the XPUB from the wallet, read only.

[Nisaba]

Yes of course, I followed the export instructions

[ndeet]

Hey @Nisaba tried to reproduce but it works as expected for me. Did you ensure you exported as electrum compatible json format? Is it a multisig or singlesig? Maybe you can send a test-wallet export?

[Nisaba]

The files are not JSON, but encoded files.
So the issue could come from password encryption ?
So maybe a little touch-up on the instructions... Because we could assume that the mention on encrypted protection relates to the backup (which is what I thought) and not initially on the wallet itself. Since wallets are in fact almost always password protected...

[ndeet]

We have the instructions right on the import wallet page, it says you need to go to
File -> Export wallet.. -> Electrum: Export file

It would also work with an additional passphrase afaik. An encrypted wallet backup is something else and would be used to create a hot wallet, the above mentioned import only adds a watch-only wallet. If you want to have a hot wallet you can only do that by entering the seed words.

Can you point out the docs where this is unclear so we can fix it?

[Nisaba]

Since the backups generated by Electrum and Sparrow are not json but encoded files, so the issue comes from the password of the wallet.
Just saying that for Electrum, the sentence "(not encrypted with password)" could be understand that the encryption is related to the backup, not the wallet.
And this is not mentioned with Sparrow, whereas the situation is same.

It would also work with an additional passphrase afaik. An encrypted wallet backup is something else and would be used to create a hot wallet, the above mentioned import only adds a watch-only wallet. If you want to have a hot wallet you can only do that by entering the seed words.

-> Maybe this could be added to avoid misunderstanding...