Today I want to explore with you on how to use an XRP tool set for offline transactions provided by Bithomp. For those of you that do not know, Bithomp.com is the goto Block Explorer currently used by the XRP Community. Bithomp has recently updated its' tool set and is now providing a way to manage an XRP address through a browser in 'Offline Mode' (online mode is available directly from their website here).

I strongly encourage you, that when managing your wallet, to be offline when using a tool like this. The main reason for this is that you will be using your Secret Keys to create the transaction. Ideally, you would use an airgapped computer or device that has never been online before when using these type of tools.

Currently with Bithomp Tools v.0.0.9 you can do the following:

  1. Use Online or Offline
  2. Send a Payment
  3. Create a Trustline
  4. Cancel or Execute Escrow
  5. Change Settings - Set Domain, Set Gravatar or Set Regular Key

The Setup:

  1. Computer (Online/Offline)- Prefferably airgapped
  2. Phone with Internet, Browser and QR Reader
  3. Your XRP 'Secret Key' or 'Mnemonic Key'

Procedures:

  1. Getting a local copy of Bithomp tools stored locally
  2. Using the Bithomp Tools to Create, Sign & Submit a Transaction

Objective:

Set or Modify Wallet Address 'Settings => Domain'.

1. Getting a local copy of Bithomp tools stored locally

There are 2 paths you can take to do this. You can visit Bithomp directly and then click through to the latest file at Github or you can just go straight to Github. I like to go to Bithomp first to make sure my navigation to sources are correctly done. I also use MetaCert which helps me verify the site and that I am where I should be (url typo, phishing site, etc).

Navigate to https://bithomp.com/ripple-tools/

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Click on the 'Ripple Tools' button. This will navigate to the next page which gives you a link to the Github repo.

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Click the 'Download' button on this page. It will take you to the Bithomp Github repository.

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In this respostiory, you will want to navigate to the index.html file and download to your local machine. Right Click on the Download button and choose 'Save link as...'

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I like to rename the file to the version I am downloading... here I am setting it to version 0.0.9. You can then move this file, if needed, to your airgapped device via removeable storage.

2. Using the Bithomp Tools to Create a Transaction

Once you are sure that you are offline and on a trusted computer/device you can proceed.

Locate the file you just downloaded. In your favorite browser, open a new window in incognito mode. Then drag the Bithomp file from your file manager into the browser window. It should open. You could right click on the file and choose open, but that would not give you incognito mode.

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From here you will first want to choose the 'Offline' button. Once you do this you will be presented a text box to enter your XRP secret. You can use either a Paper Wallet or a Hard Wallet mnemonic key. Remember to be smart and safe with your private keys. Once you complete entering your key, it will automatically be hidden and you should then see your XRP wallet address below. Look over your address to verify. Scroll down the page a little for the next options.

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Here you are given the Bithomp Tools' options. For today's tutorial, I will be setting the 'domain' for this wallet. Click on Settings.

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You have three choices with settings. We are working with 'Domain', but you can set a 'Gravatar' or set a 'Regular Key' also. I strongly suggest you stay away from the 'Regular Key' unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Once you have entered your domain name, you can proceed. This is where we will need a phone to help create the signed transaction. You can either type the URL provided into a browser on your phone, or you can scan the QR code with a reader from your phone and it should take you to the page. On my iPhone I use QR Reader by Tap-Media.

Now this is where it is going to get tricky in steps, so I am just going to be as clear I can.

The first time we scan the QR code in the image above, it is going to take us to the Bithomp website on our phone and provide us with the 'Next sequence' number of our XRP wallet. We need to put that number in the field provided on our local machine. You can see this in the image below. Once you do this, go ahead and reset the QR scanner on your phone, as we will be scanning the signed transaction from the phone.

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Once you have cleared the scan from the phone, and have entered your 'Next Sequence' number, you need to the press the 'Set' button. You will be presented with a QR blob code of the signed transaction. Go back to your phone and the QR app. Scan the signed transaction QR code and the app should display the text of the transaction blob on your phone. 'Select ALL' on your phone and copy the text of the signed transaction to your phones clipboard.

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Now, on your phone visit with your browser https://bithomp.com/submit/.

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Paste the transaction blob from your phone we copied earlier into the text box. You are ready to submit your transaction. Click on the 'Submit' button when you are sure and ready. That's it! Bithomp's website on our phone will submit the transaction to the network. We now just need wait for it to cross the ledger, which we all know does not take long!

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You can now navigate to Bithomp's Block Explorer and check the status of your transaction. You can see here where we set the domain for this XRP wallet in the image above. Also, a benefit to setting your domain, you can then Google "bithomp yourdomain.com" to access once indedex.

That's it! At first it may seem a bit intimidating, but once you have everything setup, it's quite simple.

Be sure to close all browser windows used and secure/store your secret key properly!

Cheers!