View Key

A view key lets you read encrypted records belonging to an account without being able to spend them. It sits in the middle of the Aleo key hierarchy:

Private Key → Compute Key → View Key → Address

Sharing a view key with an auditor, regulator, or monitoring service grants them read-only access to your transaction history and record balances. They can see what you own but cannot move it.

For agents building wallet or compliance tooling, the view key is the right level of access for read operations. Never expose the private key for read-only workflows.