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In Electrum, there is no "New Address" button to be found. I tried under the tab Addresses, but nothing there. If I go to Console and try create(), then it returns:

Traceback (most recent call last): NameError: name 'create' is not defined

(despite create being listed under help)

If I click new under Receive then it says No more addresses in your wallet. At this point I'm not sure what else I can try...

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2 Answers 2

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With Electrum 2.x, a wallet can contain either keys you've imported from elsewhere, or keys which are generated (deterministically) by Electrum. You cannot store both types of keys in a single Electrum 2.x wallet.

Since your wallet is of the former type, Electrum will refuse to generate any new keys for your wallet. I suspect the reason for this is to make it as clear as possible what you need to back up: with your type of wallet, you are responsible for backing up all of your individual keys. With a deterministic wallet, you need only write down and store your one recovery seed.

You have two options:

  1. Create a new wallet (File -> New/Restore), choosing a new "Standard wallet" when prompted. Be sure to write down your recovery seed and keep it in a safe location!
  2. Create additional keys via some other means, and import them into Electrum (Wallet -> Private keys -> Import), and handle your own backups.

I'd choose option 1 if I were you....

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    Thanks. But wow that is user-unfriendly! I am definitely okay with having to back up my wallet and do not want an additional recovery seed. But I am now stuck generating keys through outside means. Any recommended approaches for this?
    – user
    Commented Jun 4, 2015 at 5:49
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    @user It is perhaps user-unfriendly, but the Electrum dev has to weigh this carefully. Which is worse, 10 people annoyed by what they consider to be a user-unfriendly interface, or 1 person who misunderstands what backing up the seed actually backs up, and ends up losing funds? It's a tough call....
    – Christopher Gurnee
    Commented Jun 4, 2015 at 8:57
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    @user In terms of other options, Electrum has for many years been designed to be primarily a deterministic wallet. If you don't want determinism, I'd suggest a loose-keys wallet such as Bitcoin Core or MultiBit (classic). Most of the wallets on the bitcoin.org choose-your-wallet page which have "control over your money" and have "weak privacy" are loose-keys wallets (except Bitcoin Core which is loose-keys despite being "improved privacy").
    – Christopher Gurnee
    Commented Jun 4, 2015 at 9:06
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    Thanks.I do understand it is a tough balance to strike, but it would be really great for users like me if the option is somehow available, even though you'd have to tick "I UNDERSTAND THIS IS DANGEROUS BUT PLEASE LET ME DO IT". After all, the functionality is present in Electrum so it would be nice if it were available to all users. In any way I'll look for other wallets. I've tried Multibit but it didn't run properly on my machine. The blockchain downloading/verifying necessary for Bitcoin Core is too much as well, but perhaps Copay solves my issues. Will check out the different alternatives.
    – user
    Commented Jun 5, 2015 at 9:43
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For one new wallet type in electrum console:

wallet.create_new_address(False)

For 100 new wallets type in electrum-console:

for i in range(0, 100): print wallet.create_new_address(False)

or just (effect after restart application):

wallet.storage.put('gap_limit',100)
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