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Create Keypair

Learn how to create a new Solana keypair for wallet management and account operations.

Code Example

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Solana Cookbook - How to Create a Keypair
"""

from solders.keypair import Keypair

def main():
    # Generate a new keypair
    keypair = Keypair()

    print(f"address: {keypair.pubkey()}")
    print(f"secret: {keypair.secret()}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Explanation

This example demonstrates the simplest way to create a new Solana keypair:

  1. Import Keypair: Import the Keypair class from the solders library
  2. Generate Keypair: Call Keypair() to create a new random keypair
  3. Access Public Key: Use keypair.pubkey() to get the public address
  4. Access Secret Key: Use keypair.secret() to get the private key bytes

Key Concepts

  • Keypair: A public-private key pair used for Solana account operations
  • Public Key: The account address that can be safely shared
  • Private Key: The secret key that must be kept secure and never shared
  • Cryptographic Security: Uses Ed25519 elliptic curve cryptography
  • Random Generation: Each keypair is cryptographically randomly generated

Usage

To run this example:

  1. Install required dependencies: 

    pip install solders

  2. Run the script: 

    python create_keypair.py

The output will show: - address: The public key (account address) - secret: The private key as bytes (keep this secure!)

Security Considerations

  • Never share your private key: Anyone with the private key has full control of the account
  • Store securely: Save private keys in encrypted storage or hardware wallets
  • Backup safely: Create secure backups of your keypairs
  • Generate offline: For maximum security, generate keypairs on offline systems

Use Cases

  • New Wallet Creation: Generate fresh wallets for users
  • Testing: Create temporary keypairs for development and testing
  • Account Management: Generate keypairs for different purposes (trading, staking, etc.)
  • Multi-signature Setup: Create multiple keypairs for multi-sig wallets

Note: This example generates a completely random keypair. For production use, ensure you have proper backup and recovery mechanisms in place.