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Import from private key

A private key is the fundamental credential for your wallet. It can be provided as either a Uint8Array or a string (in hex or WIF format). Like seeds or mnemonic phrases, your private key must be kept secure to protect your assets.

Keep your private key safe!

Anyone with access to your private key can fully control the wallet and all associated funds.

No derivation paths

Unlike wallets initialized from seeds or mnemonic phrases, private key wallets do not support derivation paths. Each private key directly corresponds to a single address, which means you cannot derive additional accounts or addresses from it.

Initialize from a valid private key​

Use a valid private key to create a wallet instance. Below are examples using hex, WIF, and a Uint8Array:

import { initializeWallet } from 'chaingate'

// Using a hex string
const wallet = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-from-dashboard',
  privateKey: 'abcdef1234567890...'
})

// Using a WIF (Wallet Import Format) string
const wifKeyWallet = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-from-dashboard',
  privateKey: 'L4mEiExaMplEPriv4Tek3y...'
})

// Or using a Uint8Array
const keyBytes = new Uint8Array([0xab, 0xcd, 0xef, ...])
const walletFromBytes = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-from-dashboard',
  privateKey: keyBytes
})

Accessing wallet​

Once initialized, you can use wallet methods as you normally would:

import { initializeWallet } from 'chaingate'

const wallet = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-from-dashboard',
  privateKey: 'abcdef1234567890...'
})

const bitcoin = wallet.currency('bitcoin')
console.log(await bitcoin.getAddress())

Check private key validity​

Before initializing your wallet, validate the private key using checkPrivateKey(). This helps ensure your key is formatted correctly and prevents errors during wallet creation:

import { initializeWallet } from 'chaingate'

const privateKey = 'abcdef1234567890...'

// Check if the private key is valid
const isValid = await initializeWallet.checkPrivateKey(privateKey)
if (!isValid) {
  throw new Error('Invalid private key')
}

// Proceed with initialization if valid
const wallet = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-from-dashboard',
  privateKey
})
note

checkPrivateKey() returns true only if the private key is in a valid Uint8Array, hex string, or WIF format.

Access the private key​

To retrieve the private key from an already initialized wallet, call wallet.getPrivateKey(). Use extreme caution when accessing private keys:

import { initializeWallet, castWallet } from 'chaingate'

const wallet = await initializeWallet.fromPrivateKey({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key',
  privateKey: 'abcdef1234567890...'
})

castWallet.requirePrivateKeyWallet() // Required if deserializing a wallet

const keyGetter = await wallet.getPrivateKey()
console.log(await keyGetter.getPrivateKey()) // Logs your sensitive private key
Warning

Do not store or log this private key unless you fully understand the security implications. If someone gains access to it, they control all associated funds.