Authentication

Authentication with Clearnode can be done in two ways: using your main wallet as a root signer for all requests, or delegating to session keys via a secure 3-step challenge-response protocol.

Overview

There are two authentication approaches:

Main Wallet (Root Signer): Sign every request with your main wallet. Simple but requires user interaction for each operation.
Session Keys (Delegated): Establish an authenticated session once, then use a session key for subsequent operations without repeatedly prompting the main wallet.

Main Wallet as Root Signer

You can skip the session key flow entirely and use your main wallet to sign all requests. This provides maximum security but requires wallet interaction for every operation. Simply sign each request with your main wallet's private key instead of creating a session key.

Why Session Keys?

Session keys provide flexible security management:

Granular Permissions: Specify which operations the session key can perform
Spending Allowances: Set maximum spending limits per asset
Time-Bounded: Automatic expiration reduces risk of key compromise
Application-Scoped: Different keys for different apps
User Experience: No repeated wallet prompts during active session

Flexible Security Management

Session keys give users a flexible way to manage security of their funds by providing specific permissions and allowances for specific apps, balancing convenience with security.

Choosing Your Approach

Aspect	Main Wallet (Root Signer)	Session Keys (Delegated)
Setup	None - use immediately	One-time 3-step flow
UX	Wallet prompt for every operation	Sign once, use for duration
Security	Maximum - full control always	Balanced - limited by allowances
Use Case	Single operations, high-value transactions	Interactive apps, frequent operations
Revocation	Not needed	Can be revoked anytime
Best For	One-time actions, security-critical operations	Gaming, trading bots, dApps with frequent interactions

When to Use Each

Use Main Wallet: For single channel creation, large transfers, or when maximum security is required
Use Session Keys: For interactive applications, gaming, automated operations, or when user experience matters

Session Key Authentication Flow

The 3-step process ensures both security and usability:

Challenge-Response Pattern

This pattern ensures that:

User owns the main wallet (EIP-712 signature in Step 3)
Challenge is unique and cannot be replayed
No private keys are ever transmitted
Session key is authorized by the main wallet

Step 1: auth_request

Name

auth_request

Usage

Initiates authentication with Clearnode by registering a session key. The client sends authentication parameters to register a session key that can act on their behalf. The session key can have restricted permissions including spending limits (allowances), operation scope, and expiration time.

Important: auth_request is a public endpoint and does not require a signature. The client simply needs to prepare and send the authentication parameters.

When to Use

Optional: Use this when you want to delegate signing to a session key instead of using your main wallet for every request. This is the first step in establishing an authenticated session with Clearnode.

If you prefer to use your main wallet as a root signer for all operations, you can skip this entire authentication flow.

Prerequisites

User has a wallet with funds
Client can generate a keypair (e.g., secp256k1)
Client can prepare authentication parameters locally

Request

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Default	Example	Notes
`address`	string (wallet address)	Yes	User's main wallet address that owns the funds	-	`"0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb"`	-
`session_key`	string (wallet address)	Yes	Wallet address of the locally-generated session keypair	-	`"0x9876543210fedcba9876543210fedcba98765432"`	The private key never leaves the client
`application`	string	No	Application identifier for analytics and session management	`"clearnode"`	`"chess-game-app"`	Helps track which app is using which session
`allowances`	Array<Allowance>	No	Spending limits for this session key Structure (per allowance): • `asset` (string) - Asset identifier (e.g., "usdc", "eth") • `amount` (string) - Maximum amount this session can spend	Unrestricted if omitted/empty	`[{"asset": "usdc", "amount": "100.0"}]`	If empty/omitted, no spending cap is enforced
`scope`	string	No	Comma-separated list of permitted operations	All operations permitted	`"app.create,app.submit,transfer"`	Future feature, not fully enforced yet
`expires_at`	number	Yes	Unix timestamp (milliseconds) when the session key expires	—	`1762417328000`	Provide a 13-digit Unix ms timestamp; no server default is applied

Spending Allowances

If you omit allowances the session key is unrestricted. Specify explicit allowances to bound risk if a session key is compromised.

Allowances are validated against the broker’s supported assets. Unsupported symbols will cause authentication to fail.

Response

Parameter	Type	Description	Format	Example	Purpose
`challenge_message`	string	UUID that client must sign with session key to prove ownership	UUID v4	`"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"`	Proves client controls session key without exposing private key

Signature

Request does NOT require a signature as auth_request is a public endpoint.

Process:

Client prepares authentication parameters (address, session_key, application, allowances, expires_at)
Client stores these parameters locally for use in Step 3 (auth_verify)
Client sends request to Clearnode
Clearnode validates all parameters before generating a challenge

Parameter Storage

Keep the authentication parameters (especially address, session_key, application, allowances, scope, and expires_at) stored locally until Step 3, as you'll need them to create the EIP-712 signature.

Next Step

Upon receiving the challenge_message, client must prepare an EIP-712 signature (or reuse a previously issued jwt) and call auth_verify.

Error Cases

Error Codes

Currently, the protocol does not use standardized error codes. Errors are returned as descriptive messages.

Common error scenarios:

Error	Description	Recovery
Invalid address format	Main wallet address is malformed	Verify address format (0x + 40 hex chars)
Invalid session key format	Session key address is malformed	Verify session key format
Invalid parameters	One or more parameters are invalid or missing	Check all required parameters
Session key already registered	This session key is already in use	Generate a new session keypair

Step 2: auth_challenge

Name

auth_challenge

Usage

Server-generated response to auth_request containing a challenge that the client must sign to prove control of the session key. This implements a challenge-response authentication pattern to prevent replay attacks and verify the client controls the private key of the session key they registered.

When to Use

Automatically sent by Clearnode in response to valid auth_request. Client does not explicitly call this; it's part of the authentication flow.

Request

N/A (server-initiated response to auth_request)

Response

Parameter	Type	Description	Format	Purpose	Example	Generation	Lifetime
`challenge_message`	string	Randomly generated UUID that client must sign	UUID v4	Prevents replay attacks, proves session key ownership	`"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"`	Cryptographically secure random UUID	Single use, expires after 5 minutes if not verified

Signature

The challenge is returned as a normal RPC response (server signs the envelope like any other RPC response).

Next Step

Client signs the challenge with session key private key and calls auth_verify.

Challenge Uniqueness

Each challenge is unique and single-use. It expires after 5 minutes if not verified. This prevents replay attacks where an attacker might try to reuse a captured challenge signature.

Step 3: auth_verify

Name

auth_verify

Usage

Completes the authentication flow by submitting the signed challenge from auth_challenge. If the signature is valid and matches the registered session key, the authentication is complete and the session key can be used to sign subsequent requests. This proves the client controls the private key without ever transmitting it.

When to Use

Immediately after receiving auth_challenge response. This is the final step in authentication.

Prerequisites

Completed auth_request and received auth_challenge
Have the challenge_message
Have the session key private key (client-side only)

Request

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Example	Notes
`challenge`	string	Yes	The challenge_message received from auth_challenge	`"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"`	Must be the exact challenge from Step 2
`jwt`	string	No	Existing JWT for re-login without signature	`"eyJhbGciOi..."`	If provided, signature is not required

Response

Parameter	Type	Description	Example	Notes
`address`	string (wallet address)	Authenticated user's main wallet address	`"0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc9e7595f0bEb"`	Confirms which account is authenticated
`session_key`	string (wallet address)	Confirmed session key wallet address	`"0x9876543210fedcba9876543210fedcba98765432"`	The authorized session key
`jwt_token`	string	JWT token for authenticated API calls	`"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."`	Store securely; validity follows the provided `expires_at`
`success`	boolean	Authentication success indicator	`true`	Indicates if authentication completed successfully

Signature

If jwt is omitted, the request MUST include an EIP-712 signature signed by the main wallet (NOT the session key). If jwt is present, no signature is required.

EIP-712 Typed Data Structure:

{
  types: {
    EIP712Domain: [
      { name: "name", type: "string" }
    ],
    Policy: [
      { name: "challenge", type: "string" },
      { name: "scope", type: "string" },
      { name: "wallet", type: "address" },
      { name: "session_key", type: "address" },
      { name: "expires_at", type: "uint64" },
      { name: "allowances", type: "Allowance[]" }
    ],
    Allowance: [
      { name: "asset", type: "string" },
      { name: "amount", type: "string" }
    ]
  },
  primaryType: "Policy",
  domain: {
    name: <application_name>  // From auth_request
  },
  message: {
    challenge: <challenge_message>,  // From auth_challenge
    scope: <scope>,                  // From auth_request
    wallet: <address>,               // From auth_request
    session_key: <session_key>,      // From auth_request
    expires_at: <expires_at>,        // From auth_request (13-digit Unix ms)
    allowances: <allowances>         // From auth_request
  }
}

Signing Process:

Client creates EIP-712 typed data with challenge and all parameters from Step 1
User's wallet signs the typed data: signature = signTypedData(typedData, mainWalletPrivateKey)
Client sends request with EIP-712 signature in sig array

Critical Security Requirement

The auth_verify signature MUST be an EIP-712 signature signed by the main wallet, not the session key. This proves the main wallet owner authorizes the session key to act on their behalf. The signature binds the challenge to the session key authorization.

Next Step

Session is authenticated. All subsequent private method calls should be signed with the session key. You may also re-authenticate later by sending auth_verify with the previously issued jwt (no signature required).

Error Cases

Error Codes

Currently, the protocol does not use standardized error codes. Errors are returned as descriptive messages.

Common error scenarios:

Error	Description	Recovery
Invalid signature	EIP-712 signature doesn't match main wallet or is malformed	Verify main wallet private key used for signing, check EIP-712 structure
Challenge expired	Challenge older than 5 minutes	Restart auth flow from `auth_request`
Challenge already used	Challenge has been verified already	Generate new session or use existing if still valid
Invalid challenge	Challenge not found in pending auths	Ensure `auth_request` succeeded first
Challenge mismatch	Challenge doesn't match pending auth	Use exact challenge from `auth_challenge`

Complete Authentication Flow Example

Putting it all together:

Session Management

Session Lifecycle

Creation: After successful auth_verify
Active: Can perform operations until expiration or allowance exceeded
Expiration: Automatic after specified duration
Invalidation: When spending allowances exhausted
Revocation: User or the clearnode can revoke manually

Checking Session Status

Use get_session_keys to view active sessions and their remaining allowances. The response includes session details with current allowance usage and respects the expires_at provided during auth_request.

Session Expiration Handling

When a session expires according to the expires_at you provided, the clearnode will return an error response:

{
  "res": [
    <requestId>,
    "error",
    {
      "error": "session expired, please re-authenticate"
    },
    <timestamp>
  ],
  "sig": [<clearnode_signature>]
}

Error Format

The protocol does not use numeric error codes. Errors are returned as method "error" with a descriptive message in the params.

Recovery: Re-authenticate by running the 3-step flow again.

Spending Allowance Tracking

The clearnode tracks spending by monitoring all ledger debit operations:

Initial state:
  allowance = specified_limit
  used = 0
  remaining = specified_limit

After operations:
  allowance = specified_limit (unchanged)
  used = sum_of_all_debits
  remaining = allowance - used

When operation exceeds remaining (for assets with an allowance):
  Error: "Session key allowance exceeded: amount_required, remaining_available"

Allowance Enforcement

When a session key reaches its spending cap, all further operations are rejected. The user must create a new session with fresh allowances or use their main wallet directly.

Security Best Practices

For Users

Set Spending Limits: Always specify allowances when creating sessions
Short Expirations: Use shorter expiration times for sensitive operations
Application Scoping: Use different session keys for different applications
Monitor Usage: Regularly check session key spending via get_session_keys
Revoke When Done: Revoke sessions when application use is complete

For Developers

Secure Storage: Store session key private keys securely (encrypted storage, secure enclaves)
Never Transmit: Never send session key private keys over network
Handle Expiration: Implement automatic re-authentication on session expiry
Clear on Logout: Delete session keys when user logs out
Verify Signatures: Always verify the clearnode's signatures on responses

Next Steps

Now that you're authenticated, you can:

Create Channels - Open payment channels and deposit funds
Transfer Funds - Send instant off-chain payments
Manage App Sessions - Create multi-party application channels
Query Data - Check balances, transactions, and channel status

For protocol fundamentals, see:

Message Format - Understand request/response structure
Off-Chain RPC Overview - High-level protocol overview

Overview​

Why Session Keys?​

Choosing Your Approach​

Session Key Authentication Flow​

Step 1: auth_request​

Name​

Usage​

When to Use​

Prerequisites​

Request​

Response​

Signature​

Next Step​

Error Cases​

Step 2: auth_challenge​

Name​

Usage​

When to Use​

Request​

Response​

Signature​

Next Step​

Step 3: auth_verify​

Name​

Usage​

When to Use​

Prerequisites​

Request​

Response​

Signature​

Next Step​

Error Cases​

Complete Authentication Flow Example​

Session Management​

Session Lifecycle​

Checking Session Status​

Session Expiration Handling​

Spending Allowance Tracking​

Security Best Practices​

For Users​

For Developers​

Next Steps​

Overview

Why Session Keys?

Choosing Your Approach

Session Key Authentication Flow

Step 1: auth_request

Name

Usage

When to Use

Prerequisites

Request

Response

Signature

Next Step

Error Cases

Step 2: auth_challenge

Name

Usage

When to Use

Request

Response

Signature

Next Step

Step 3: auth_verify

Name

Usage

When to Use

Prerequisites

Request

Response

Signature

Next Step

Error Cases

Complete Authentication Flow Example

Session Management

Session Lifecycle

Checking Session Status

Session Expiration Handling

Spending Allowance Tracking

Security Best Practices

For Users

For Developers

Next Steps