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Split Keys

You can split validator keys in two ways:

Keep keys safe
  • Do all key operations offline.
  • Process only keystores that share the same password in one batch.
  • Store original keystores in cold storage after the split.

Split Keys with the CLI​

Prepare the input folder​

  1. Download the SSV-Keys CLI binary for your OS.
  2. Put all validator keystore files you want to process into one input folder, for example ./keystores.
  3. Make sure every keystore in that batch uses the same password.

Generate the command in the Web App​

  1. Open the SSV Web App.
  2. Connect your wallet and go to My Account → Validators → Add Cluster.
  3. Select Generate new key shares.
  4. Choose your four operators.
  5. Select Offline → CLI.
  6. Copy the generated SSV-Keys CLI command.

Run the command offline​

  1. Start a tmux or screen session, so a terminal disconnect does not interrupt the run.
  2. Paste the command.
  3. Provide the requested values:
    1. Input folder: the folder that contains your keystores, for example ./keystores
    2. Password: the shared password for that batch of keystores
    3. Output folder: the folder where the generated key shares should be written, for example ./shares
Note

The tool validates the keystores before it writes output, so it may appear idle for a while. For about 1,000 validators, expect roughly 20-40 minutes on a modern server. Wait for the Key distribution successful! message.

Review the output​

After a successful run, you will have:

  • an input folder such as keystores/ that still contains your original keystores
  • an output folder such as shares/
  • one generated keyshares-...json file in the output folder for that batch
.
├── keystores/
│   ├── keystore-m_12381_3600_...
│   └── keystore-m_12381_3600_...
└── shares/
    └── keyshares-YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS.json

Archive the original keystores in offline storage after the split.

Split Keys with the SSV-SDK (Alternative)​

If you prefer a programmatic flow, use the SSV-SDK Quickstart or the SSV-SDK Overview to generate key shares from keystores.

The same safety rules apply: keep key handling offline and use a clear password policy.

Next Steps​

After you generate the key shares, continue to Calculate Costs or go directly to Register Validators.