telegtrum_bot/README.md

Online Wallet Bot

A self-hosted Telegram bot for managing Bitcoin wallets using Electrum. Designed for watch-only (xpub) wallets with air-gapped signing support.

Features

• Per-user isolated wallets
• Watch-only wallet restore from xpub
• Balance display (Confirmed / Unconfirmed)
• Receive address generation
• Unsigned transaction (PSBT) creation with fee options
• Unit switching: BTC / mBTC / sats
• Persian (Farsi) and English language support
• Persistent bottom keyboard
• Optional Tor support (connect via .onion to a public server or your own node)

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Prerequisites

• A Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed
• A Telegram bot token (from @BotFather)
• Your Telegram user ID (from @userinfobot)

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Server Setup (Step by Step)

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://git.goyban.com/goyban/telegtrum_bot.git
cd telegtrum_bot

2. Create your .env file

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Fill in:

ELECTRUM_VERSION=4.7.2
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here

3. Add your Telegram user ID to the allowed users list

nano allowed_users.txt

Add a line in the format userid, Name:

123456789, Alice

You can find your user ID by messaging @userinfobot on Telegram.

4. Build and start the container

docker compose up -d --build

This will:

• Build the Docker image with Electrum installed
• Start the Electrum daemon
• Launch the Telegram bot

5. Check logs

docker compose logs -f

You should see Electrum daemon started. Launching bot... followed by the bot starting up.

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Tor Mode

Tor mode runs Electrum through the Tor network. It uses a separate Docker Compose file and Dockerfile so the standard setup is not affected.

Setup

cp .env.tor.example .env
nano .env

Fill in TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN and choose a connection mode:

Option A — your own Electrum server over Tor:

ELECTRUM_SERVER=yournode123.onion:50001:t

Option B — public .onion server (default, no extra config needed):

Leave ELECTRUM_SERVER unset. The bot will connect to electrums3lojbuj.onion:50001:t by default. Override with ELECTRUM_ONION_SERVER if needed.

Start

docker compose -f docker-compose.tor.yml up -d --build

Notes

• Tor runs inside the same container — no sidecar needed.
• The container waits for the Tor SOCKS proxy to be ready before starting Electrum.
• Wallet data is stored in a separate volume (electrum-tor-data) so it does not mix with the standard setup.
• t in the server string means TCP — encryption is handled by the Tor layer, not SSL.

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Updating the Bot

The bot.py file is mounted as a volume, so you can update it without rebuilding the image:

# Edit bot.py, then:
docker compose restart
# or for Tor mode:
docker compose -f docker-compose.tor.yml restart

To update Electrum itself or system packages:

docker compose up -d --build
# or for Tor mode:
docker compose -f docker-compose.tor.yml up -d --build

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Adding or Removing Allowed Users

Edit allowed_users.txt and restart:

nano allowed_users.txt
docker compose restart

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Data Persistence

Wallet data is stored in a named Docker volume at /root/.electrum inside the container. This persists across restarts and rebuilds.

Mode	Volume name
Standard	electrum-data
Tor	electrum-tor-data

To back up wallet data (standard mode):

docker run --rm -v electrum-data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup debian:bookworm-slim \
  tar czf /backup/electrum-backup.tar.gz -C /data .

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Bot Usage Guide

Starting the bot

Open the bot in Telegram and send any message. You'll see a persistent keyboard at the bottom with all available actions.

Add Wallet

Import a watch-only wallet from an xpub (extended public key):

1. Press Add Wallet
2. Enter a wallet name
3. Paste your xpub
4. Set a password (min 8 chars, must include upper, lower, and digit)

List

Shows all your wallets.

Load

Load a wallet to make it active:

1. Press Load
2. Select a wallet (auto-selects if you only have one)
3. Enter the wallet password

Balance

Shows the confirmed and unconfirmed balance of the loaded wallet.

Use the inline buttons below the balance to switch between BTC, mBTC, and sats.

Receive

Shows a fresh receiving address for the loaded wallet.

Send

Creates an unsigned transaction (PSBT) for air-gapped signing:

1. Press Send
2. Choose a fee source: Electrum (recommended) or mempool.space (live)
3. Enter fee rate in sat/vB
4. Enter the wallet password
5. Enter the recipient address
6. Enter the amount (in your selected unit)
7. Receive the unsigned TX as both a code block and a .txt file for offline signing
8. Sign it with your offline wallet, then use Broadcast

Close

Unloads the active wallet from the Electrum daemon.

Language

Press 🌐 Language to switch between English and Persian (Farsi).

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Troubleshooting

Bot not responding: Check logs with docker compose logs -f. Make sure your bot token is correct and the container is running.

"You are not authorized": Your Telegram user ID is not in allowed_users.txt. Add it and restart.

Wallet not loaded error: Use Load before checking balance, receiving, or sending.

Daemon not starting: The container removes the lockfile on startup automatically. If issues persist, try docker compose restart.

Tor mode — Electrum not connecting: Tor bootstrap can take up to ~30 seconds on first run. Check logs with docker compose -f docker-compose.tor.yml logs -f.