Introduction to UTXOs
UTXOs (Unspent Transaction Outputs) are the core building blocks of Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other UTXO-based blockchains. Each transaction consumes existing UTXOs as inputs and generates new UTXOs as outputs, which represent the wallet's spendable balance.
For example, if James receives 0.8 BTC from a friend, his wallet now holds a UTXO worth 0.8 BTC. When James sends 0.3 BTC to Clara and sets a miner fee of 0.01 BTC, the original 0.8 BTC UTXO is consumed. The transaction creates two new UTXOs: one for Clara (0.3 BTC) and one for James’s change (0.49 BTC).
Typically, change is sent to a newly generated change address derived from the wallet’s XPUB (Extended Public Key), rather than reusing the original address.
UTXOs in Utila
Utila provides comprehensive support for managing assets on UTXO-based chains, offering full visibility and operational control.
Wallet-level visibility
For wallets holding UTXO-based assets (e.g., BTC), Utila provides a Bitcoin Management section with key details:
Main Address – A consistent deposit address used throughout the wallet's lifecycle.
Wallet XPUB – The extended public key from which new addresses (e.g., change addresses) are derived.
Total Balance – The sum of all underlying UTXOs in the wallet.
UTXO Breakdown – A detailed list of each UTXO, including its associated address (often a change address).
UTXO Status – Each UTXO is labeled as Available, Locked, or Frozen.
Confirmations – Number of blocks confirming each UTXO.
Go to Wallets and select the relevant wallet to see it's details. Then click Bitcoin Management.
In the Bitcoin Management pop-up, open the UTXO Management tab.
Transaction-level visibility
Pre-transfer view
When initiating a transfer, you can view the specific UTXOs selected for the transaction in the amount summary section.
Post-transfer locking
Once a transfer is initiated, the relevant UTXOs are locked and cannot be reused until the transaction is confirmed or canceled. Select the transaction on the Transactions page.
System-wide indicators
When browsing wallet balances across the system, locked UTXO balances are clearly marked to ensure full transparency.
This screenshot shows the details on the Balances page.
This screenshot is from the Wallets page.
