ETH staking - BYOK (Bring Your Own Keys)

## Overview

This chapter explains how to submit an Ethereum (ETH) staking order using a pre-generated validator key. Users who have already generated an Ethereum validator key and wish to use it for staking can follow this process to create a new staking order through the Northstake API.

## Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that you have:

- A pre-generated Ethereum validator key.
- The Northstake API client set up in your project.

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## Steps to Submit a Staking Order with a Validator Key

### 1\. Import the API Client

First, import the Northstake API client and configure it with your API and private keys:

```typescript
import { NorthstakeApi, Order } from '@northstake/northstakeapi';
const api = new NorthstakeApi('apiKey', 'privateKey');

2. Read the Validator Key

Read your pre-generated validator key from a JSON file:

const validatorKey = JSON.parse(readFileSync('path/to/validator/key.json', 'utf8'));

3. Create a Staking Order with the Validator Key

Construct the staking order using the validator key:

const stakingOrder: Order = {
  orderType: 'stake',
  asset: 'ETH',
  validatorKey: validatorKey,
};

4. Submit the Staking Order

Submit the staking order to the Northstake API:

const { body: result } = await api.orders.createNewOrder(stakingOrder);

👍

More users? No problems

Staking partners may of course also submit BYOK eth staking orders on behalf of their managed users.

📘

## Validator Key Structure

The structure of the validatorKey.json should match the standard Ethereum validator key format:

JSON

{
  "validatorKey": {
    "keystore": {
      "crypto": {
        "kdf": {
          "function": "string",
          "params": {
            "dklen": 0,
            "n": 0,
            "r": 0,
            "p": 0,
            "salt": "string"
          },
          "message": "string"
        },
        "checksum": {
          "function": "string",
          "params": {},
          "message": "string"
        },
        "cipher": {
          "function": "string",
          "params": {
            "iv": "string"
          },
          "message": "string"
        }
      },
      "description": "string",
      "pubkey": "string",
      "path": "string",
      "uuid": "string",
      "version": 0
    },
    "password": "string",
    "enable": true
  }
}

Additional Resources

• Ethereum Launchpad: Official resource for generating Ethereum validator keys and understanding the staking process.
• Ethereum Staking Guide: Comprehensive guide on how Ethereum staking works.
• Understanding Ethereum Validator Keys: Detailed information on the role and management of validator keys in Ethereum.
• This recipe show a step-by-step example of how to use the Northstake SDK to submit a BYOK eth staking order:

Conclusion

Using a pre-generated validator key allows users to directly stake ETH through the Northstake API. Ensure your validator key meets all required security and operational standards before submission.