Traditionally, managing tokens across multiple chains often involves users creating multiple wallets and managing corresponding sets of private keys and mnemonic phrases. This process is cumbersome and error-prone.
imToken simplifies this process by adopting hierarchical deterministic wallet technology. Users need to save only one set of mnemonic phrases to easily manage tokens across multiple chains and add multiple accounts within the same public chain.
Hierarchical deterministic wallets are based on two protocols: BIP-32 and BIP-44.
BIP-32 defines the standard for hierarchical deterministic wallets, where accounts of different levels are derived through "paths" (e.g., m/*).
BIP44 establishes a universal standard for paths. Wallets following this standard can generate the same addresses using the same set of mnemonic phrases according to the standard path format:
m / purpose' / coin_type' / account' / change / address_index
- m: Indicates the account derived from the master private key.
- purpose: imToken adheres to the BIP-44 standard with a fixed value of 44.
- coin_type: Represents the token type (e.g., 0 for BTC, 60 for ETH).
- account: Represents the account type, starting from 0.
- change: 0 for external addresses, 1 for internal addresses.
- address_index: Represents the address index.
For example, the Ethereum account path m/44'/60'/0'/0/0, indicates derivation from the master private key, following the BIP44 standard, and representing the first external address in the ETH account.
The derivation path defines the structure and logic of hierarchical deterministic wallets. Through this path, users can generate multiple accounts under multiple public chains using the same set of mnemonic phrases. This simplifies wallet backup, improves account management efficiency, and enhances privacy protection.
How to Add a Derived Account in imToken?
In imToken, adding multiple accounts of the same network under the same wallet essentially means adding derived accounts under the mnemonic phrase of that wallet.
For example, if you already have an Ethereum account, you can go to the Add account page and tap the “+” under the Ethereum network icon to add another Ethereum account as prompted. Once added, the account will become a derived account under the current wallet.
If you want to view or manually select more derived addresses, tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of the corresponding network icon to enter Advanced mode, then add accounts based on address derivation. imToken supports two methods: Default and Customize.
1. Default
After entering Advanced mode, imToken will automatically display multiple addresses under the default derivation path based on the mnemonic phrase of the current wallet.
On the Default page, you can select the addresses you want to add, then tap Confirm to add the corresponding derived accounts to your wallet.
Default derived addresses are usually generated in ascending order by address index. For example, ETH addresses correspond to:
m/44'/60'/0'/0/0
m/44'/60'/0'/0/1
m/44'/60'/0'/0/2
...
2. Customize
You can also tap Customize to set the account’s derivation path. imToken offers two customization methods: Ledger and BIP44.
If you choose Ledger, imToken will derive the account according to the Ledger standard. If you choose BIP44, you can enter the last three parameters of the derivation path to generate an account with a custom path.
Note: When selecting the BIP44 custom method, please make sure to properly back up the custom account derivation path. If you delete the wallet and restore it later, you will need to enter the same derivation path to recover the account correctly.
FAQ
Q. How can I recover a derived account after removing it?
Removing a derived account does not affect the on-chain tokens, nor does it change the mnemonic phrase or derivation path.
You can enter Advanced mode again, find the corresponding address under Default or Customize, select it, and tap Confirm to add the derived account back to your wallet.
If you have restored your wallet with the mnemonic phrase on a new device, you can also enter Advanced mode and manually add the derived accounts under the same mnemonic phrase in the same way.
Note: If the account was added using a custom BIP44 derivation path, make sure you have backed up the corresponding derivation path. imToken does not record users’ custom path information. If the custom path is lost, it cannot be recovered.
💡 imToken does not currently support Advanced mode for the BTC network. If you need help, please contact us through Support & Feedback in the app.