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# Accounts

This document describes the in-built accounts system of Ethermint. {synopsis}

## Pre-requisite Readings

- [Cosmos SDK Accounts](https://docs.cosmos.network/master/basics/accounts.html) {prereq}
- [Ethereum Accounts](https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/#ethereum-accounts) {prereq}

## Ethermint Accounts

Ethermint defines its own custom `Account` type that uses Ethereum's ECDSA secp256k1 curve for keys. This
satisfies the [EIP84](https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/issues/84) for full [BIP44](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0044.mediawiki) paths.
The root HD path for Ethermint-based accounts is `m/44'/60'/0'/0`.

+++ https://github.com/ChainSafe/ethermint/blob/v0.1.0/types/account.go#L31-L36

## Addresses and Public Keys

There are 3 main types of `Addresses`/`PubKeys` available by default on Ethermint:

- Addresses and Keys for **accounts**, which identify users (e.g. the sender of a `message`). They are derived using the **`eth_secp256k1`** curve.
- Addresses and Keys for **validator operators**, which identify the operators of validators. They are derived using the **`eth_secp256k1`** curve.
- Addresses and Keys for **consensus nodes**, which identify the validator nodes participating in consensus. They are derived using the **`ed25519`** curve.

|                    | Address bech32 Prefix | Pubkey bech32 Prefix | Curve           | Address byte length | Pubkey byte length |
|--------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|-----------------|---------------------|--------------------|
| Accounts           | `eth`                 | `ethpub`             | `eth_secp256k1` | `20`                | `33` (compressed)  |
| Validator Operator | `ethvaloper`          | `ethvaloperpub`      | `eth_secp256k1` | `20`                | `33` (compressed)  |
| Consensus Nodes    | `ethvalcons`          | `ethvalconspub`      | `ed25519`       | `20`                | `32`               |

## Address formats for clients

`EthAccount`s have can be represented in both [Bech32](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bech32) and hex format for Ethereum's Web3 tooling compatibility.

The Bech32 format is the default format for Cosmos-SDK queries and transactions through CLI and REST
clients. The hex format on the other hand, is the Ethereum `common.Address` representation of a
Cosmos `sdk.AccAddress`.

- Address (Bech32): `eth1crwhac03z2pcgu88jfnqnwu66xlthlz2rhljah`
- Address (Hex): `0xc0dd7ee1f112838470e7926609bb9ad1bebbfc4a`
- Compressed Public Key (Bech32): `ethpub1pfqnmk6pqnwwuw0h9hj58t2hyzwvqc3truhhp5tl5hfucezcfy2rs8470nkyzju2vmk645fzmw2wveaqcqek767kwa0es9rmxe9nmmjq84cpny3fvj6tpg`

## Next {hide}

Learn about Ethermint [transactions](./transactions.md) {hide}