FAQ

Frequently asked questions about BTC Mate

Short, factual answers. If something is missing, ask us directly.

What is BTC Mate?

BTC Mate is an iPhone app for tracking and analyzing public Bitcoin addresses. You enter a public Bitcoin address, and the app shows the balance, activity and estimated performance associated with it, based on publicly observable blockchain data and historical market prices. It also includes Bitcoin market information, blockchain insights, news and events.

Is BTC Mate a Bitcoin wallet?

No. BTC Mate is a tracking and analytics tool, not a wallet. It does not hold Bitcoin, does not manage keys and cannot send or receive funds. You keep using the wallet you already have; BTC Mate only reads public information about the addresses you choose to track.

Can BTC Mate access my Bitcoin?

No. A public Bitcoin address only allows viewing the blockchain activity associated with it. Moving Bitcoin requires the private key, which BTC Mate never asks for and never has. The app has no way to sign or initiate a transaction.

Does BTC Mate need my private key?

No. Public-address tracking only needs the public address. BTC Mate has no field for a private key and never requests one. As a general rule, never enter a private key into any app or website that only needs to display information.

Does BTC Mate need my seed phrase?

No. BTC Mate never asks for a seed phrase (recovery phrase). A seed phrase can regenerate every private key of a wallet and must stay offline and secret. Any app that asks for it in order to "track" your balance should be treated with extreme caution.

Can I track Bitcoin using only a public address?

Yes. Every Bitcoin transaction is recorded on a public blockchain, so anyone with a public address can see its balance and the transactions that involve it. BTC Mate uses exactly this public information to show balance, activity and estimated performance for the addresses you add.

Can I monitor a cold wallet with BTC Mate?

Yes. A cold wallet keeps the private keys offline, but its addresses are still public. Add the receiving address of your cold wallet to BTC Mate and you get a watch-only view of its balance and estimated performance while the keys never leave cold storage.

Can BTC Mate track a hardware wallet?

Yes, in the same way as any other Bitcoin address. Copy a receiving address from your hardware wallet and add it to BTC Mate. The device stays disconnected; the app only reads public blockchain data for that address.

Does BTC Mate work with Ledger?

You can track Bitcoin addresses that belong to a Ledger device by entering their public addresses. There is no direct integration or official partnership: BTC Mate does not connect to the device and does not use Ledger software. Ledger is a trademark of its owner.

Does BTC Mate work with Trezor?

You can track Bitcoin addresses that belong to a Trezor device by entering their public addresses. As with any hardware wallet, there is no device connection and no official partnership; BTC Mate simply reads public blockchain data for the address. Trezor is a trademark of its owner.

What is watch-only Bitcoin tracking?

Watch-only tracking means observing a Bitcoin address without being able to spend from it. It uses only the public address, never the private key. BTC Mate is a watch-only tool: everything it shows is derived from public blockchain data, and it cannot control the funds it displays. Read more about watch-only tracking.

Can BTC Mate send Bitcoin?

No. BTC Mate cannot send, receive or initiate Bitcoin transactions. It has no access to private keys and no transaction functionality of any kind.

Can BTC Mate buy or sell Bitcoin?

No. BTC Mate is not an exchange or a brokerage and does not offer trading, buying, selling or payments. It shows market information for reference only.

How is Bitcoin profit/loss calculated?

BTC Mate looks at the incoming transactions of an address on the blockchain and uses the historical Bitcoin price at the time of each transaction as the estimated acquisition price for those coins. From this it derives an estimated entry price and compares the estimated acquisition value with the current market value to show an estimated profit or loss. Full explanation of the method and its limits.

Is profit/loss exact or estimated?

Estimated. The blockchain records when Bitcoin arrived at an address, not what you paid for it in fiat or where you bought it. If you bought on an exchange and withdrew later, or received Bitcoin as a gift or payment, the on-chain timestamp differs from your real purchase. Treat the figures as an informed estimate, not as a tax record.

What information is publicly visible on the Bitcoin blockchain?

For any address: its current balance, every transaction that sent Bitcoin to or from it, the amounts, the timestamps and confirmations, and the other addresses involved in those transactions. Not visible: who owns the address, the private key, and the price anyone paid. What can and cannot be seen from a public address.

Can someone steal Bitcoin using only a public address?

No. A public address can receive Bitcoin and be looked up, but spending requires a signature from the corresponding private key. Sharing a public address does not give anyone control over the funds. It does reveal the balance and transaction history of that address, so it has privacy implications worth considering.

Why would I use BTC Mate instead of checking a block explorer?

A block explorer shows raw data for one address at a time: balance in BTC and a list of transactions. BTC Mate saves your addresses with labels, values them in your currency, adds historical performance charts, estimated entry price and profit/loss, and puts market data, network insights and news in the same app. It also includes its own block explorer for looking up blocks, transactions and addresses.

What is the difference between BTC Mate and a Bitcoin wallet?

A wallet holds private keys and lets you spend Bitcoin. BTC Mate holds no keys and cannot spend anything. It is a read-only companion for the wallet you already use, focused on tracking, analysis and information.

Is BTC Mate available for iPhone?

Yes. BTC Mate is available on the App Store for iPhone and requires iOS 26.2 or later. The App Store listing also shows compatibility with Mac (Apple silicon) and Apple Vision. There is currently no Android version.

Can I track several Bitcoin addresses at once?

Yes. You can add multiple public addresses, each with its own label; the app does not impose a fixed limit. BTC Mate shows them individually and combined. Since a wallet usually consists of several addresses, add each address that holds coins for a complete picture.

Where are my addresses stored?

The addresses and settings you enter are stored on your device. To display balances and prices, the app requests public blockchain data and market data from third-party providers; the public address you track is sent to the blockchain data provider for that purpose. Details are in the Privacy Policy.

What does BTC Mate cost?

BTC Mate is listed as free on the App Store. Check the App Store listing for the current price and any changes.

BTC Mate app icon

Track your Bitcoin address. Keep your keys.

BTC Mate is available for iPhone. Add a public Bitcoin address and see balance, activity and estimated performance in one place. No seed phrase, no private key, no custody.

Download on the App Store Free on the App Store · Requires iOS 26.2 or later