Step 5. Sign Raw Transaction

Explanation

You may have noticed that in the output of decodetransaction, the scriptSig field is empty:

...
 {
      "txid": "e787a27bda32c8b54ee501be46d2cfcd47c1566c8ef6ee339bdb7cd5c82b701c",
      "vout": 0,
      "scriptSig": {
        "asm": "",
        "hex": ""
      },
      "sequence": 4294967295
    }

This is because we have not signed the transaction yet to prove that we own the address from which the UTXO were sourced.

Command

In this section, we will usesignrawtransactionto sign the transaction.

Command Parameters:

signrawtransaction "hexstring" ( [{"txid":"id","vout":n,"scriptPubKey":"hex","redeemScript":"hex"},...] ["privatekey1",...] sighashtype )

Arguments:

1. "hexstring"     (string, required) The transaction hex string
2. "prevtxs"       (string, optional) An json array of previous dependent transaction outputs
     [               (json array of json objects, or 'null' if none provided)
       {
         "txid":"id",             (string, required) The transaction id
         "vout":n,                  (numeric, required) The output number
         "scriptPubKey": "hex",   (string, required) script key
         "redeemScript": "hex",   (string, required for P2SH or P2WSH) redeem script
         "amount": value            (numeric, required) The amount spent
       }
       ,...
    ]
3. "privkeys"     (string, optional) A json array of base58-encoded private keys for signing
    [                  (json array of strings, or 'null' if none provided)
      "privatekey"   (string) private key in base58-encoding
      ,...
    ]
4. "sighashtype"     (string, optional, default=ALL) The signature hash type. Must be one of
       "ALL"
       "NONE"
       "SINGLE"
       "ALL|ANYONECANPAY"
       "NONE|ANYONECANPAY"
       "SINGLE|ANYONECANPAY"

Build Out Command

Let’s build out the command. To help us better visualize it, I’ll gather the parameter values and build out the command in a separate text editor Visual Studio:

// SIGN RAW TRANSACTION
TRANSACTION HASH = Get from result of createrawtransaction command
TXID = Get from listunspent command
VOUT (optional) = Get from listunspent command
SCRIPT PUB KEY (optional) = Get from createrawtransaction command
PRIVATE KEY (optional) = Get from wallet

// Use the values you’ve collected above to fill in the signrawtransaction command
signrawtransaction 'TRANSACTION_HASH_HERE''[{"txid":"TXID_HERE","vout":VOUT_HERE,"scriptPubKey":"SCRIPT_PUB_KEY_HERE"}]''["PRIVATE_KEY"]'

Execute Command

Note:If your wallet is encrypted, you will be asked to unlock it before you can sign a transaction.

signrawtransaction 02000000011c702bc8d57cdb9b33eef68e6c56c147cdcfd246be01e54eb5c832da7ba287e70000000000ffffffff02c0c62d000000000017a914f20fe211102535e3c37bb0e659099387ddc035b58760e316000000000017a91454ad1e8953876c90d3fc15798c687835ab3d3aee8700000000

Result

{
"hex": "020000000001011c702bc8d57cdb9b33eef68e6c56c147cdcfd246be01e54eb5c832da7ba287e70000000017160014c794ee65db89222f408dfe1728d214f2496d7a72ffffffff02c0c62d000000000017a914f20fe211102535e3c37bb0e659099387ddc035b58730c11d000000000017a91454ad1e8953876c90d3fc15798c687835ab3d3aee8702483045022100dbf89096427b02c27a799a1d42fca9066bb1706d6874e7255a89084d7c39054c02203c792d0590e068d932966a3d5a84a099492d6975d8fe76b0ca191e20d2a76e800121039c508c50597896b7d67efadf03864d3cee14941253fea08a7abc596479036f8000000000",
  "complete": true
}

We can use decoderawtransaction again to view the changes after signing. Use the outputted hex encoded raw hash result from signrawtransaction. Notice that the scriptSig field is now filled out. It contains a digital signature that proves we own the wallet address and can spend the UTXO.

Execute Command

decoderawtransaction 020000000001011c702bc8d57cdb9b33eef68e6c56c147cdcfd246be01e54eb5c832da7ba287e70000000017160014c794ee65db89222f408dfe1728d214f2496d7a72ffffffff02c0c62d000000000017a914f20fe211102535e3c37bb0e659099387ddc035b58730c11d000000000017a91454ad1e8953876c90d3fc15798c687835ab3d3aee8702483045022100dbf89096427b02c27a799a1d42fca9066bb1706d6874e7255a89084d7c39054c02203c792d0590e068d932966a3d5a84a099492d6975d8fe76b0ca191e20d2a76e800121039c508c50597896b7d67efadf03864d3cee14941253fea08a7abc596479036f8000000000

Result

{
  "txid": "0b6672b1659752a92ae109b4abc936adf7e57a97637a6231d84691bca78466d4",
  "hash": "51f05787e966660c2ed9cda5ef9762d336e6d7ae6f169869ee01846117e555a7",
  "version": 2,
  "size": 248,
  "vsize": 166,
  "locktime": 0,
  "vin": [
    {
      "txid": "e787a27bda32c8b54ee501be46d2cfcd47c1566c8ef6ee339bdb7cd5c82b701c",
      "vout": 0,
      "scriptSig": {
        "asm": "0014c794ee65db89222f408dfe1728d214f2496d7a72",
        "hex": "160014c794ee65db89222f408dfe1728d214f2496d7a72"
      },
      "txinwitness": [
        "3045022100dbf89096427b02c27a799a1d42fca9066bb1706d6874e7255a89084d7c39054c02203c792d0590e068d932966a3d5a84a099492d6975d8fe76b0ca191e20d2a76e8001",
        "039c508c50597896b7d67efadf03864d3cee14941253fea08a7abc596479036f80"
      ],
      "sequence": 4294967295
    }
  ],
  "vout": [
    {
      "value": 0.03000000,
      "n": 0,
      "scriptPubKey": {
        "asm": "OP_HASH160 f20fe211102535e3c37bb0e659099387ddc035b5 OP_EQUAL",
        "hex": "a914f20fe211102535e3c37bb0e659099387ddc035b587",
        "reqSigs": 1,
        "type": "scripthash",
        "addresses": [
          "2NFK8YHKT6hPPTDKTPP3c5bx7oPGrYhzj2y"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "value": 0.01950000,
      "n": 1,
      "scriptPubKey": {
        "asm": "OP_HASH160 54ad1e8953876c90d3fc15798c687835ab3d3aee OP_EQUAL",
        "hex": "a91454ad1e8953876c90d3fc15798c687835ab3d3aee87",
        "reqSigs": 1,
        "type": "scripthash",
        "addresses": [
          "2Mzxx8wGAmQQyCCrb2vXP4yxaYY9s9nepfy"
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}