This specification details what a Status account address is and how account addresses are created and used.
## Background
The core concept of an account in Status is a set of cryptographic keypairs. Namely, the combination of the following:
1. a Waku chat identity keypair
1. a set of cryptocurrency wallet keypairs
The Status node verifies or derives everything else associated with the contact from the above items, including:
- Ethereum address (future verification, currently the same base keypair)
- identicon
- message signatures
## Initial Key Generation
### Public/Private Keypairs
- An ECDSA (secp256k1 curve) public/private keypair MUST be generated via a [BIP43](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0043.mediawiki) derived path from a [BIP39](https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039.mediawiki) mnemonic seed phrase.
- A user MAY register a public username on the Ethereum Name System (ENS). This username is a user-chosen subdomain of the `stateofus.eth` ENS registration that maps to their Waku identity key (`IK`).
### User Profile Picture
- An account MAY edit the `IK` generated identicon with a chosen picture. This picture will become part of the publicly broadcasted profile of the account.
- This specification inherits security considerations of [53/WAKU2-X3DH](../../waku/standards/application/53/x3dh) and [54/WAKU2-X3DH-SESSIONS](../../waku/standards/application/54/x3dh-sessions).