What Is the Role of a Private View Key in a Stealth Address System?

The private view key is a cryptographic key that allows the recipient to scan the blockchain and identify which of the unique, one-time stealth addresses belong to them. It is essential for discovering incoming funds.

Crucially, the private view key can only view incoming transactions; it cannot spend the funds. Spending requires the separate private spend key, which maintains security even if the view key is compromised.