generateKeyPair

Generate a new P256 key pair for use with Base Account

Defined in the Base Account SDK

Generates a new P256 key pair for use with Base Account. This is essential for advanced integrations and Sub Account management.

Parameters

This function takes no parameters.

Returns

result · P256KeyPair

A P256 key pair object containing the public and private keys.

Show P256KeyPair properties

publicKey · string

The public key for the generated pair in hexadecimal format.

privateKey · string

The private key for the generated pair. Handle with extreme care.

Basic Usage

import { generateKeyPair } from '@base-org/account';

const keyPair = await generateKeyPair();
console.log('Public key:', keyPair.publicKey);

Success Response

{
  publicKey: "0x04a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
  privateKey: "0x1a2b3c4d5e6f7a..."
}

Error Handling

Code	Message	Description
4100	Key generation not supported	Browser does not support cryptographic key generation
4200	Insufficient entropy	System lacks sufficient randomness for secure key generation
4300	Cryptographic system failure	Hardware or software cryptographic failure

Private Key Security

Never expose private keys in client-side code or transmit them over insecure channels. Store them securely using appropriate key management systems.

Integration with Sub Accounts

import { generateKeyPair, createBaseAccountSDK } from '@base-org/account';

async function createSubAccountWithNewKeys() {
  const sdk = createBaseAccountSDK({
    appName: 'My App',
    appLogoUrl: 'https://example.com/logo.png',
    appChainIds: [8453], // Base mainnet
  });

  // Generate new key pair for sub account
  const keyPair = await generateKeyPair();
  
  // Create sub account with the generated keys
  const subAccount = await sdk.subAccount.create({
    type: 'create',
    keys: [{
      type: 'webauthn-p256',
      publicKey: keyPair.publicKey,
    }],
  });
  
  return { subAccount, keyPair };
}

Error Handling

The generateKeyPair function can throw errors for:

• Cryptographic system failures
• Insufficient entropy
• Browser compatibility issues

Always wrap calls to generateKeyPair in a try-catch block:

try {
  const keyPair = await generateKeyPair();
  // Handle successful generation
} catch (error) {
  if (error.message.includes('not supported')) {
    console.error('Browser does not support key generation');
  } else {
    console.error('Key generation failed:', error);
  }
}

Security Considerations

Private Key Security

Never expose private keys in client-side code or transmit them over insecure channels. Store them securely using appropriate key management systems.

• Store private keys using secure storage mechanisms
• Never log private keys to console in production
• Consider using hardware security modules for production applications
• Implement proper key rotation policies