PolkaGate is a Polkadot wallet developed and maintained by PolkaGate Foundation. It is an open-source browser extension available for Mozilla Firefox and Chromium-based browsers, funded by the Kusama Treasury. PolkaGate is compatible with many DApps and tools in the ecosystem.


In this article, we'll show how to derive a Polkadot account in PolkaGate. A derived account is created with the same mnemonic phrase as its "parent," but has a unique derivation path.


ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW

If you have any questions about PolkaGate, or run into any issues and require further assistance, feel free to ask our AI chatbot or contact us.

Alternatively, you can contact the PolkaGate team directly and receive specialised assistance from the team that developed the wallet. You can contact PolkaGate support on Element or at [email protected].

How to derive a new account from an existing account in PolkaGate


‼️ IMPORTANT

PolkaGate is a non-custodial wallet, which means that only you have access to your accounts. For this reason it is imperative that you keep your mnemonic phrase and backup file with a password safe. Without either of these, it is impossible to restore your account if you ever lose access to it.

For derived accounts, you also need to know the exact derivation path. Any changes in the derivation path will produce a new account instead of restoring the original one.


1. Click on the extension icon next to your URL bar. If you've set a login password, you'll need to enter it and unlock the wallet first:



2. Click on the menu button in the top right corner of the extension. Click "New account," and then choose "Derive from accounts":



3. Choose the parent account from the dropdown menu and enter its account password.


‼️ IMPORTANT

Only accounts created or restored in PolkaGate can be used to derive an account in the extension. You cannot use watch-only, Ledger, or QR signer accounts for this.


4. Click on the lock icon next to the derivation path to edit it:



⛔ READ THIS FIRST! 

When restoring a derived account, you need to have both the mnemonic phrase and the derivation path exactly as they were originally. Any changes in the derivation path will result in a different account being generated.


3. Enter your derivation path. Make sure to remember it or write it down.


4. Click "Next." Give your derived account a name (it is only used locally for your convenience) and set a good password for it:



5. Click "Create" to add the account, and that's it!


You will see your derived account appear in your list of accounts in PolkaGate. A small label will indicate its parent account and derivation path (here, it's //example):