Image Source: https://wallet.hive.blog/@yournamehere/permissions
Rentmoney routinely uses and advises others to use Hive Keychain to keep their Hive Blockchain keys safe. Rentmoney has routinely posted links to the Hive Keychains homepage. Rentmoney routinely has posted links that lead to the multiple download options for browsers that support Hive Keychain. Browsers such as Firefox and Chrome. However, today it hit me. Rentmoney never once created a post going over how to sign up to the app. I never once created a tutorial on how to safely insert your keys into the Hive Keychain app itself. If I did create one, its lost to the echoes of time and even lost to memory because I can't ever recall doing so. It's now time to correct that small blunder of mine. First lets go over KEYS and their importance. The Hive Blockchain has multiple KEYS (PASSWORDS) that can be used for different actions. Why multiple KEYS you ask? Security reasons, for example if your posting key gets compromised your tokens would still remain safe because your posting key does not have the permission to complete monetary actions. Below we will go over each key, permissions of each and give the wallet definition of each.
Posting Key
This key should be used for social networking actions, like posting, commenting and voting. This key has a limited set of permissions and it is not able to be used for monetary actions. So you can't lose money if someone else gets access to this key. Use this key to log in to other Hive-powered social networks like Hive.blog, Busy and Esteem. Store this key safely.
Active Key
This key has additional permissions for more sensitive monetary-related actions, like transferring and exchanging tokens. When performing a wallet related action, you may be prompted to authenticate with your Active key. You should only enter your Active Key into apps which you trust because anyone with access to this key can take your tokens. Do yourself a favor and store this key safely to avoid losing tokens in the future.
Memo Key
The Memo key because it is a bit of an outlier. The only thing the Memo Key can do is encrypt and decrypt private messages that are sent through the blockchain. While this could one day be a powerful feature, today it is not commonly used. If you have received a private message that you would like to decrypt, as always you should use the key with the minimum necessary authorities, which in this case would be the Memo Key.
Owner Key
The owner key is required to change the other keys. This key has additional permissions to recover your account or change your other keys. It's the most important key and should be securely stored offline.
Keys & Permissions
Any password or key is more likely to get compromised the more it is used. That's why Hive uses a hierarchical key system to keep you safe. You are issued with four keys which have different permissions. For example, the Posting Key (which is intended to be used frequently) has a limited set of permissions for social actions that require less security. You'll need to be more careful with your Active Key since it has permissions to perform wallet related actions. Please take note of your Hive Keys listed below. Ideally, use a Password Manager (like 1Password or LastPass) or store an offline copy safely (on a piece of paper or on a file on a USB drive).
Now that we went over the importance of Keys and what each one does let me introduce you to Hive Keychain. The app that will keep your Keys Safe.
Hive Keychain: @rentmoney's Log In App Of Choice
Regardless of the Hive Blockchain action you are participating in the secure log in app for the Hive Blockchain known as Keychain is something every HIVE Blockchain user should have. The app makes HIVE account switching a breeze and keeps our Hive Blockchain keys safe regardless of site/ app/ game we interact with. Listed below are links to download the Hive-Keychain app.
- Hive KeyChain Official Webpage
- KeyChain For FireFox Browser
- KeyChain For Chrome Browser
- Key Chain For Brave Browser
Secure. Simple. Powerful: Hive Keychain. Available on iOS, Android, Chromium and Firefox
Official Hive Keychain Wepage: https://hive-keychain.com/
Image Source: https://hive-keychain.com/
Hive Keychain founder and witness: @stoodkev
With that introduction out of the way lets go over how to get started with Hive Keychain. After visiting one of the links above and downloading. The Hive Keychain add-on will appear in the top corner of your browser screen (Click It). You will need to choose a password next. The password will be your KeyChain password not your Hive Profile/ Hive Wallet Password. Do not input any of your KEYS in the initial password section of Hive Keychain. This is a one time process. The password you choose will allow you to log in to Hive Keychain with future uses. Once that step is completed next you will need to import your keys. You will see two options (1) Use Keys/PWD (2) Import Keys. In this post we will be going over the (1) option. Next you will need to enter your username and KEY. I recommend using your posting key in this step. Click Enter/Save and presto you can now use the app known as Hive Keychain. You can import your other keys (MEMO, ECT.) by going to the Manage Accounts section of the app. You can add more than one Hive account to your Hive Keychain profile. There is an option within the app that allows you to switch between your accounts with one easy click. That's it, its that easy to keep your keys safe. Now when you log in to any of the apps here on the Hive Blockchain you can rest assure that your keys are safe because of the fact you are not using your keys directly to log in. You are using Hive Keychain to log in and Hive Keychain is keeping your keys safe with each and every action you take on the Hive Blockchain.
Apps on the Hive Blockchain that utilize Hive Keychain
- Splinterlands
- Arcade Colony
- Genesis League Sports
- Holozing
- TribalDex (Hive-Engine)
- Peakd
- Inleo
- Hive.Blog
- Ecency
- And much more
Notes:
All key and permissions definitions has been taken from the Hive Blockchain wallet section which has been sourced at the very start of this post. The last two screenshots in this post are property of Hive Keychain and also been sourced. Thanks for taking the time to read. If you have any questions feel free to ask them below in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them. That's it for now. We hope to see you at our next post. Want more reading material? Sure you do :) Visit one of our most recent post titled Arcade Colony Markets On TribalDex.
Image Source: https://hive-keychain.com/
@rentmoney when I opened hive blockchain account using ecency,when the keys are been generated,there was one called the MASTER KEY but I hardly use it.Even in other frontends like peakd,hive.io,and the rest,the only request for either posting key or active key.my question is,is the MASTER KEY not important?
It is the most important.
Owner Key/ Master Key can recover your account. It can be used to change the other keys. It's best to use the posting key when doing social actions like posting and commenting. Use the Master Key/ Owner Key sparingly. Store it offline somewhere just in-case you need to recover your account/ update your other keys.
Thank you @rentmoney I feel good hearing from you and learning a lot.
You're welcome.
Its always great hearing that our content is helping others.
Good luck on your Hive journey.
This post has been shared on Reddit by @rentmoney through the HivePosh initiative.
Thank you very much for the information, it's very helpful. When I use the keychain, I use the delegation password that's been set in the keychain. However, for posting and the Ministry of Agriculture, I use the password ky. To send tokens to Binance, I only use the master key. Is what I'm doing correct? Please explain.
You're welcome.
Here is a screenshot that explains what key is for what.
I agree that the Owner Key is the most important key that should be stored in a secured place
Absolutely!
It is absolutely true that in the digital world, the first thing we have to do is keep all our passwords safe. If anyone finds out about them, it will cause us a lot of harm.
Agreed, which is why I use Hive Keychain.
This is a great explanation on how to operate and setup the Hive Keychain keys
Thanks!
It clearly explains how to set up the Hive Keychain and manage the keys safely. I like how it breaks everything down step by step , makes it easy even for beginners to follow.
I am using LastPass and I strongly recommend it
Good post and good advice
👍