# Keyring The keyring holds the private/public key pairs used to interact with the node. For instance, a validator key needs to be set up before running the node, so that blocks can be correctly signed. The private key can be stored in different locations, called "backends", such as a file or the operating system's own key storage. {% hint style="info" %} You can run the command below when you have a running blockxd node to be able to create a key. Feel free to change the \ to whatever name you want and make sure to save the mnemonic that will be shown.\ blockxd keys add \ --keyring-backend file --algo eth\_secp256k1 {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.blockxnet.com/introduction/keys/keyring.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.