Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Welcome to the FAQs page for Signchain! Below are answers to common questions to help you get started, troubleshoot issues, and understand our services better. If you don’t see your question here, feel free to contact support.
General
1. What is Signchain?
Signchain provides secure transaction signing, wallet management, and private key handling for decentralized applications. It allows you to keep full control over sensitive data within your infrastructure.
2. Who can use Signchain?
Signchain is suitable for developers, enterprises, and blockchain enthusiasts who want to securely manage and sign blockchain transactions.
3. How do I get started with Signchain?
Visit the Getting Started Guide to set up your account, explore our APIs, and begin using Signchain’s services.
4. Do I need blockchain experience to use Signchain?
Familiarity with blockchain concepts and tools like Metamask, Ethereum, and Solidity is beneficial but not required.
Integrations
5. When will Google Sheets and other integrations be ready?
We are actively working on integrations, including Google Sheets. They will be ready very soon. Sign up to our mailing list for updates on upcoming launches.
6. Can I connect Signchain to third-party apps?
Yes! Signchain’s API and client libraries allow integration with various applications and services, including Google Sheets and Wallet Connect.
Security
7. How does Signchain secure my private keys?
All private keys are encrypted and managed within your self-hosted vault or our secure infrastructure. The keys never leave your environment, providing maximum security.
8. Does Signchain support multi-signature (multisig) wallets?
Support for multisig wallets is planned and is on our development roadmap. In the meantime, you can use the Ownable contract from OpenZeppelin as a recommended approach to control access over key operations like signer rotation. Setting the owner of your contract to a multisig wallet effectively prevents single-user access to the signer rotation, providing an additional security layer and preventing unauthorized changes to the signer address that could result in fraudulent transactions.
For maximum security, wallet details from our Signchain Hosted Vault are never disclosed to your team. In a self-hosted Signchain Vault setup, your managed keys are encrypted and are only accessible through decryption with your Signchain Vault Keys, ensuring that even within your infrastructure, private keys remain protected.
Subscribe to our updates to receive news on multisig and other feature releases as they become available.
9. How does Signchain handle authentication?
Signchain uses API Key and vault-specific authentication to secure each request. For more, check out the Authentication Guide.
10. Can Signchain staff access my private keys?
No, Signchain staff cannot access your private keys. Whether you use our Hosted Vault or opt for a Self-hosted Vault, the system is designed to ensure that your private keys remain inaccessible to us.
If you use our Signchain Hosted Vault, Signchain assumes the responsibility of safeguarding your keys. Our infrastructure and security protocols are set up to protect private keys without exposing them to our team. We do not provide plaintext access to keys, and all handling is managed in a strictly controlled environment.
For the Signchain Self-hosted Vault, your private keys remain fully within your infrastructure, further isolating them from Signchain. Private key data is stored securely on your servers, encrypted with data encryption keys (DEKs) that require both Signchain and your team as custodians to decrypt. This two-custodian system ensures that both parties must be involved to access the DEK, which in turn decrypts your private key data—making it highly secure and resilient against unauthorized access.
Additionally, for maximum security in a self-hosted setup, use the VAULT_AUTH_SECRET_KEY. This key establishes a secure link between your backend API and the self-hosted vault. Only your backend and vault know this secret key, which generates the X-Vault-Auth-Signature header. This signature prevents Signchain from making unauthorized sign requests, as we cannot produce or replay these secure requests. Each request includes a nonce and expiration, ensuring they cannot be reused.
Wallet Management
11. How do I create a new wallet in Signchain?
To create a wallet, use the Create Wallet endpoint or navigate to the Wallet Management section of the dashboard.
12. Can I update wallet information like the name?
Yes, use the Update Wallet endpoint to modify wallet details.
13. What happens if my wallet expires?
Expired wallets have their private keys deleted after 30 days. You can restore an expired wallet before deletion by using the Unexpire Wallet option.
Billing and Subscription
14. How do I upgrade my subscription plan?
Navigate to the Billing & Credits section of your dashboard to view and change your subscription plan.
15. Can I purchase extra credits if I run out?
Yes, you can purchase additional credits directly from the Billing section of the dashboard.
16. What happens if I downgrade my plan?
If you downgrade to a lower plan or the Free plan, you may lose access to certain features or have a lower credit limit.
17. Can I cancel my subscription?
To cancel, simply select the Free plan from the Billing section. This will end your current paid subscription.
Technical
18. Can I use Signchain’s API in my backend application?
Yes, Signchain’s client libraries are designed for server-side applications to keep API keys secure. Do not expose keys in front-end applications.
19. How do I sign a transaction with Signchain?
Refer to the Transaction Signing Guide to learn how to securely sign transactions.
20. Does Signchain support smart contract interactions?
Yes, with the @grexie/signchain-contracts Solidity package, you can interact with smart contracts using Signchain’s secure vault.
21. Are there rate limits on the API?
Yes, we implement rate limits based on the subscription plan. Contact support if you have specific requirements.
22. How do I reset my API Key?
Go to the API Keys section in the dashboard to reset or regenerate your API Key.
Support and Troubleshooting
23. How can I contact Signchain support?
Email us at [email protected] for any technical, billing, or general inquiries.
24. What should I do if I encounter an API error?
Check our Known Issues and API Status pages. You can also use our API Test Routes on the API Reference page to diagnose issues.
25. Does Signchain offer a sandbox environment?
Yes, developers can use the Free plan as a sandbox to test the platform. For advanced features, consider one of our paid plans.
26. What is the response time for support?
We strive to respond to all queries within 1–2 business days.
For more detailed explanations, refer to our Developer Guides and API Reference documentation.