Private Key Access

Overview

The Node.js SDK provides direct access to user private keys, enabling integration with any blockchain network. This is a key feature that makes the SDK suitable for backend and programmatic use cases. Note that if the private key export is disabled in the dashboard, the methods will throw an error.

Security Notice

Private keys provide full control over user assets. Handle them securely:

• Never log private keys
• Store them encrypted if persistence is needed
• Use secure memory handling
• Implement proper access controls

Available Methods

The provider offers different methods to access private keys depending on your blockchain needs:

Method	Description	Use Case
eth_private_key	Ethereum-formatted private key	EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, BSC, etc.)
solanaPrivateKey	Solana private key	Solana blockchain
private_key	Raw private key	Any blockchain

EVM Chains (Ethereum, Polygon, BSC, etc.)

Get Ethereum Private Key

const privateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'eth_private_key' })
console.log('Private Key:', privateKey) // 0x1234567890abcdef...

Use with Ethers.js

const { ethers } = require('ethers')

// Get private key
const privateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'eth_private_key' })

// Create wallet instance
const wallet = new ethers.Wallet(privateKey)

// Connect to a provider
const rpcProvider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider('https://rpc.ankr.com/eth')
const connectedWallet = wallet.connect(rpcProvider)

// Get address
const address = await connectedWallet.getAddress()
console.log('Wallet Address:', address)

// Sign a transaction
const tx = {
  to: '0x742d35Cc6635C0532925a3b8138341B0F7E8a4e8',
  value: ethers.utils.parseEther('0.1'),
}

const signedTx = await connectedWallet.signTransaction(tx)
const receipt = await connectedWallet.sendTransaction(tx)

Use with Viem

const { createWalletClient, createPublicClient, http } = require('viem')
const { privateKeyToAccount } = require('viem/accounts')
const { mainnet } = require('viem/chains')

// Get private key
const privateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'eth_private_key' })

// Create account from private key
const account = privateKeyToAccount(privateKey)

// Create wallet client
const walletClient = createWalletClient({
  account,
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http('https://rpc.ankr.com/eth'),
})

// Create public client for reading
const publicClient = createPublicClient({
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http('https://rpc.ankr.com/eth'),
})

// Send transaction
const hash = await walletClient.sendTransaction({
  to: '0x742d35Cc6635C0532925a3b8138341B0F7E8a4e8',
  value: parseEther('0.1'),
})

Solana Integration

Get Solana Private Key

const solanaPrivateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'solanaPrivateKey' })
console.log('Solana Private Key:', solanaPrivateKey) // Base58 encoded

Use with Solana Web3.js

const {
  Connection,
  Keypair,
  PublicKey,
  Transaction,
  SystemProgram,
  LAMPORTS_PER_SOL,
} = require('@solana/web3.js')
const bs58 = require('bs58')

// Get private key
const solanaPrivateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'solanaPrivateKey' })

// Create keypair from private key
const secretKey = bs58.decode(solanaPrivateKey)
const keypair = Keypair.fromSecretKey(secretKey)

// Connect to Solana
const connection = new Connection('https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com')

// Get balance
const balance = await connection.getBalance(keypair.publicKey)
console.log('Balance:', balance / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL, 'SOL')

// Send transaction
const transaction = new Transaction().add(
  SystemProgram.transfer({
    fromPubkey: keypair.publicKey,
    toPubkey: new PublicKey('11111111111111111111111111111112'),
    lamports: 0.1 * LAMPORTS_PER_SOL,
  })
)

const signature = await connection.sendTransaction(transaction, [keypair])

Other Blockchains

Get Raw Private Key

const rawPrivateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'private_key' })
console.log('Raw Private Key:', rawPrivateKey) // Hex string

Example: Bitcoin Integration

const bitcoin = require('bitcoinjs-lib')

// Get raw private key
const rawPrivateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'private_key' })

// Create Bitcoin keypair
const keyPair = bitcoin.ECPair.fromPrivateKey(Buffer.from(rawPrivateKey.slice(2), 'hex'))

// Get Bitcoin address
const { address } = bitcoin.payments.p2pkh({ pubkey: keyPair.publicKey })
console.log('Bitcoin Address:', address)

Disabling Private Key Export

Private key export can be disabled in the Web3Auth Dashboard:

1. Go to your project settings
2. Navigate to "Advanced Settings"
3. Toggle "Disable Private Key Export"
4. Save changes

When disabled, private key methods will throw an error:

try {
  const privateKey = await provider.request({ method: 'eth_private_key' })
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Private key export disabled:', error.message)
}