A couple of days ago, I set up a test paper wallet (using Fuzzy’s new lash up at wallet.peercointalk.org) and sent 0.2 PPC to it from my desktop client
0.21 PPC was successfully removed from my desktop client (0.2 PPC, plus the 0.01 fee)
The cryptocoinexplorer webpage has three addresses:
The first commencing PJYM, and showing 4.48 PPB - that is my desktop client, and the amount refers correctly to the sum I had before I sent the 0.21 payment
The third address, starting PJJN, is my paper wallet - it records the 0.2 PPC received
Now, my question: what is the address in the middle, starting PSd3? It shows the current balance of my desktop client, 4.27 PPC - that is correct - but what is this address?
You really should read uphow bitcoin (and all other cryptocurrencies) execute payments, especially how changes are given back to the wallet in a new address. Not doing so you run considerable risk of loosing coins, possiblly a lot of them. That is one of the ugliest implementation details of bitcoin design which will be hated by normal users, IMHO.
Sending PPC to a new address means splitting the PPC you received within one transaction into two fractions: You will send the amount you specified to the new address and at the same time get back the rest of your PPC as “change” on a completely new address.
Thanks for the explanation and link. For anyone interested, here is another explanation:
As I understand it, a client (“account”) manages - and masks - the various addresses created during transactions for the receiving of change - so that the user can continue to send payments from a single address conveniently
To recap: on 5 January, I put 4.48 PPC in my client to test it out. On 16 Jan, I sent 0.2 PPC to a paper wallet. This left my client with 4.27, and 0.21 was indicated as having been sent out. According to cryptocoinexplorer, 0.2 was received by the paper wallet. All good
Today, I decided to import my paper wallet private key into the client - this I did. I am not clear whether I returned the 0.2 to my client (I thought that would happen automatically) so I decided to repeat the process, and sent the paper wallet 1.15 PPC
But if that is so, my client balance ought to read 3.11 (the original 4.48 minus the following: 0.2, 1.15 and 0.02 fees)
Yet, my client balance is currently reading 4.46 PPC.
I have had a look at the transaction tab - it records three transactions: 4.48 received on 5 Jan (no dispute there), and two payments “to myself” on 16 Jan and 25 Jan - of 0.01 on each day
These two transactions of 0.01 are presumably fees, but why are the 0.2 + 1.15 transfers not showing on my client?
When you imported the paper wallet into your client, you let your client know that you took ownership of it in the block chain. So, if I’m following correctly, your balance is showing correct because your client understands it’s “overall” balance to be:
(Balance of your initial address, 4.48 + the balance of the paper wallet address, 1.17) - (the amount sent to the paper wallet, 1.17 - the 0.02 in fees for the two transactions) = 4.46 PPC
I’m still learning how this all works, but logically, that makes sense to me.