nostr_tools.generate_keypair

nostr_tools.generate_keypair()

Generate a new cryptographically secure private/public key pair for Nostr.

This function creates a new secp256k1 key pair using cryptographically secure random number generation. The keys are suitable for use with the Nostr protocol and can be used to create and sign events.

Returns:

Tuple of (private_key_hex, public_key_hex).

• private_key_hex: 64-character lowercase hexadecimal string

• public_key_hex: 64-character lowercase hexadecimal string (x-only pubkey)

Both keys are suitable for Nostr protocol use.

Return type:

tuple[str, str]

Examples

Generate new identity:

>>> private_key, public_key = generate_keypair()
>>> len(private_key), len(public_key)
(64, 64)

Create and sign an event:

>>> priv, pub = generate_keypair()
>>> event_dict = generate_event(
...     priv, pub,
...     kind=1,
...     tags=[],
...     content="Hello from my new identity!"
... )
>>> event = Event.from_dict(event_dict)

Convert to bech32 format:

>>> priv, pub = generate_keypair()
>>> nsec = to_bech32('nsec', priv)
>>> npub = to_bech32('npub', pub)
>>> print(f"Public key (npub): {npub}")
>>> print(f"Private key (nsec): {nsec}")

Validate generated keypair:

>>> priv, pub = generate_keypair()
>>> assert validate_keypair(priv, pub)  # Always True for fresh keys

Store securely:

>>> priv, pub = generate_keypair()
>>> # IMPORTANT: Store private key securely!
>>> # Never share or expose private_key
>>> save_to_secure_storage(priv)
>>> # Public key can be shared freely
>>> publish_public_key(pub)