> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cheqd.io/product/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cheqd.io/product/studio/dids/create-identity-keys.md).

# Create Identity Keys

In decentralized identity systems, all actors—whether Issuers, Holders, or Verifiers—require cryptographic keys to prove control over a **Decentralized Identifier (DID)** and to sign or verify interactions (e.g. credential issuance or presentation).

This tutorial guides you through generating a **key pair** that can be used to:

* ✅ Create a new DID (e.g. `did:cheqd` or `did:key`)
* ✅ Import into **cheqd Studio** for identity operations
* ✅ Use directly in SDKs or agent frameworks that support key-based identity

***

## Why Identity Keys Matter

DIDs are built on public-private key cryptography. The **public key** is embedded in or referenced by the DID Document, while the **private key** remains securely held by the actor controlling the identity.

Without keys, you can’t:

* Create a DID
* Authenticate or prove control of an identity
* Sign or verify credentials and presentations
* Rotate or deactivate identifiers

***

## Step 1: Choose Your Key Type

cheqd Studio supports two cryptographic key types for identity operations:

| Key Type    | Use Case / Notes                                                                                                                                                        |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Ed25519`   | The default and recommended key type for most DID and Verifiable Credential operations. Fast, secure, and widely supported across agent frameworks.                     |
| `secp256k1` | A widely adopted elliptic curve used in blockchain ecosystems (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum). Useful for cross-chain identity interoperability or aligning with Web3 wallets. |

> ✅ Choose `Ed25519` for identity-specific use cases. Use `secp256k1` if you need compatibility with blockchain-based tooling, wallets, or ecosystems that already rely on this curve.

## Step 2: Hit the API below

Use the API below to create and generate your new identity key pair of either type `Ed25519` or `secp256k1.`

## Create an identity key pair.

> This endpoint creates an identity key pair associated with the user's account for custodian-mode clients.

```json
{"openapi":"3.0.0","info":{"title":"cheqd Studio API for cheqd network","version":"2.0.0"},"tags":[{"name":"Keys"}],"servers":[{"url":"https://studio-api.cheqd.net","description":"Main (production) server"},{"url":"https://studio-api-staging.cheqd.net","description":"Staging server for testing"},{"url":"http://localhost:3000","description":"Local server for testing"}],"security":[{"ApiKeyAuth":[]}],"components":{"securitySchemes":{"ApiKeyAuth":{"type":"apiKey","name":"x-api-key","in":"header"}},"schemas":{"KeyResult":{"type":"object","properties":{"kid":{"type":"string"},"type":{"type":"string","enum":["Ed25519","Secp256k1"]},"publicKeyHex":{"type":"string"}}},"InvalidRequest":{"description":"A problem with the input fields has occurred. Additional state information plus metadata may be available in the response body.","type":"object","properties":{"error":{"type":"string"}}},"UnauthorizedError":{"description":"Access token is missing or invalid","type":"object","properties":{"error":{"type":"string"}}}}},"paths":{"/key/create":{"post":{"tags":["Keys"],"summary":"Create an identity key pair.","description":"This endpoint creates an identity key pair associated with the user's account for custodian-mode clients.","parameters":[{"name":"type","description":"Key type of the identity key pair to create.","in":"query","schema":{"type":"string","enum":["Ed25519"]}}],"responses":{"200":{"description":"The request was successful.","content":{"application/json":{"schema":{"$ref":"#/components/schemas/KeyResult"}}}},"400":{"description":"A problem with the input fields has occurred. Additional state information plus metadata may be available in the response body.","content":{"application/json":{"schema":{"$ref":"#/components/schemas/InvalidRequest"}}}},"401":{"$ref":"#/components/schemas/UnauthorizedError"},"500":{"description":"An internal error has occurred. Additional state information plus metadata may be available in the response body.","content":{"application/json":{"schema":{"$ref":"#/components/schemas/InvalidRequest"}}}}}}}}}
```

## Step 3 (Alternative): Fetch Identity Key Details

If you've already generated a key pair using cheqd Studio and want to **retrieve, reference or use it later**, you can do so by referencing its **Key ID (`kid`)**. This is useful for:

* Recovering key material generated earlier (e.g., to construct a DID or sign a credential)
* Working with shared or externally provisioned keys
* Avoiding duplicate key creation when managing identities programmatically

{% openapi src="<https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cheqd/credential-service/main/src/static/swagger-api.json>" path="/key/read/{kid}" method="get" expanded="true" %}
<https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cheqd/credential-service/main/src/static/swagger-api.json>
{% endopenapi %}


---

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