--- title: Create an Account description: Step-by-step guide to creating Polkadot accounts using different programming languages and libraries, including JavaScript, Python, and Rust examples. categories: - Basics - Chain Interactions url: https://docs.polkadot.com/chain-interactions/accounts/create-account/ word_count: 869 token_estimate: 1594 version_hash: sha256:442302c01bd6fa04b49eef8bce3451f8086d7b445ed6aabbd3d6ddcb464da9f8 last_updated: '2026-06-04T16:08:37+00:00' --- # Create an Account ## Introduction Creating accounts is a fundamental operation when building applications on Polkadot and its parachains. Accounts serve as the basis for identity, asset ownership, and transaction signing. Understanding how to generate and manage accounts programmatically enables you to build wallets, automate operations, and create seamless user experiences. Polkadot accounts are based on the SR25519 signature scheme by default, though ED25519 and ECDSA are also supported. Each account consists of a public key (address) and a private key (seed/mnemonic). **Keep your private keys secure and never share them**. This tutorial will guide you through creating accounts using different programming languages and libraries. ## Prerequisites Before starting, make sure you have: - Basic understanding of public-key cryptography concepts - Development environment set up for your chosen language - Familiarity with the programming language you'll be using ## Use JavaScript/TypeScript JavaScript/TypeScript developers can use the Polkadot.js API to create and manage Polkadot accounts. 1. Create a new project directory and initialize it: ```bash mkdir account-creator cd account-creator npm init -y && npm pkg set type=module ``` 2. Install the required packages: ```bash npm install @polkadot/util-crypto @polkadot/keyring npm install --save-dev typescript tsx ``` 3. Create a file named `create-account.ts` and add the following code to it: ```typescript title="create-account.ts" import { cryptoWaitReady, mnemonicGenerate } from '@polkadot/util-crypto'; import { Keyring } from '@polkadot/keyring'; async function main()); const pair = keyring.addFromMnemonic(mnemonic); console.log(`Address: ${pair.address}`); console.log(`Mnemonic: ${mnemonic}`); } main().catch(console.error); ``` Key aspects of the code: - **Mnemonic generation**: Uses `mnemonicGenerate()` to create a 12-word BIP39 mnemonic phrase for human-readable key backup. - **Keyring**: The `Keyring` class manages accounts with a specified signature scheme and address format. - **SS58 format**: Setting `ss58Format: 0` configures addresses for the Polkadot relay chain. 4. Execute the script using `tsx`: ```bash npx tsx create-account.ts ``` You should see output similar to:
npx tsx create-account.ts Address: 15oF4uVJwmo4TdGW7VfQxNLavjCXviqxT9S1MgbjMNHr6Sp5 Mnemonic: cushion dog echo people vendor curve truck begin latin romance rebuild ...
## Python Python developers can use the `substrate-interface` library to create and manage Polkadot accounts. 1. Create a new project directory and set up a virtual environment: ```bash mkdir account-creator-python cd account-creator-python python3 -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate ``` 2. Install the required package: ```bash pip install substrate-interface ``` 3. Create a file named `create_account.py`: ```python title="create_account.py" from substrateinterface import Keypair mnemonic = Keypair.generate_mnemonic() keypair = Keypair.create_from_mnemonic(mnemonic) print(f"Address: {keypair.ss58_address}") print(f"Mnemonic: {mnemonic}") ``` Key aspects of the code: - **Mnemonic generation**: The `generate_mnemonic()` function creates a BIP39-compatible phrase. - **Keypair creation**: `Keypair.create_from_mnemonic()` derives keys from the mnemonic. 4. Execute the script: ```bash python create_account.py ``` You should see output similar to:
python create_account.py Address: 15oF4uVJwmo4TdGW7VfQxNLavjCXviqxT9S1MgbjMNHr6Sp5 Mnemonic: cushion dog echo people vendor curve truck begin latin romance rebuild ...
## Rust Rust provides low-level access to Substrate primitives for account creation through the `sp-core` and `sp-keyring` crates. 1. Create a new Rust project: ```bash cargo new account-creator-rust cd account-creator-rust ``` 2. Add dependencies to your `Cargo.toml`: ```toml title="Cargo.toml" [package] name = "account-creator-rust" version = "0.1.0" edition = "2021" [dependencies] sp-core = "28.0" sp-runtime = "31.0" ``` 3. Create your account generation code in `src/main.rs`: ```rust title="src/main.rs" use sp_core::{crypto::Ss58Codec, Pair}; fn main()", address); println!("Mnemonic: {}", phrase); } ``` Key aspects of the code: - **Keypair generation**: [`sr25519::Pair::generate_with_phrase()`](https://docs.rs/sp-core/latest/sp_core/crypto/trait.Pair.html#method.generate_with_phrase) creates a new key pair with mnemonic. - **Public key extraction**: The [`public()`](https://docs.rs/sp-core/latest/sp_core/crypto/trait.Pair.html#tymethod.public) method retrieves the public key from the pair. - **SS58 encoding**: Uses Polkadot's address format for the human-readable address. 4. Build and run the project: ```bash cargo run ``` You should see output similar to:
cargo run Address: 15oF4uVJwmo4TdGW7VfQxNLavjCXviqxT9S1MgbjMNHr6Sp5 Mnemonic: cushion dog echo people vendor curve truck begin latin romance rebuild ...
## Where to Go Next
- Guide __Send Transactions with SDKs__ --- Learn how to send signed transactions using your newly created accounts with Polkadot-API and Polkadot.js API libraries. [:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](/chain-interactions/send-transactions/with-sdks/) - Guide __Calculate Transaction Fees__ --- Learn how to estimate transaction fees before sending transactions from your accounts. [:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](/chain-interactions/send-transactions/calculate-transaction-fees/) - Guide __Query Chain Data__ --- Explore different methods for querying blockchain data, including account balances and other chain state. [:octicons-arrow-right-24: Get Started](/chain-interactions/query-data/query-sdks/)