Create BAP Identity

Create new BAP (Bitcoin Attestation Protocol) identities using the bap CLI.

When to Use

• Create a new Bitcoin identity for signing attestations
• Generate Type42 identity (recommended, modern format)
• Generate Legacy identity (compatibility with older systems)
• Create master identity that can derive member identities
• Establish on-chain reputation and identity

BAP Identity Types

Type42 (Recommended):

• Modern format using BIP32 derivation
• More secure and flexible
• Can derive multiple member identities
• Full BIP39 mnemonic support

Legacy:

• Original BAP format
• Compatibility with older systems
• Simpler structure

Usage

Run the create script:

# Create Type42 identity (recommended)
bun run /path/to/skills/create-bap-identity/scripts/create.ts "Alice Smith" type42

# Create Legacy identity
bun run /path/to/skills/create-bap-identity/scripts/create.ts "Bob Jones" legacy

# Specify custom output file
bun run /path/to/skills/create-bap-identity/scripts/create.ts "Carol" type42 my-identity.bep

Flow's BSV Convention

This skill follows Flow's BSV backup convention:

Storage Location: /.flow/.bsv/backups/

• Identity backups saved as <name>-identity.bep
• Encrypted with FLOW_BACKUP_PASSPHRASE
• Registered in /.flow/.bsv/config.json

Registry: Updates config.json with:

{
  "identityBackup": "alice-smith-identity.bep",
  "backups": {
    "alice-smith-identity.bep": {
      "created": "2025-12-26T...",
      "type": "BapMasterBackup",
      "identityType": "type42",
      "name": "Alice Smith"
    }
  }
}

Requirements

• FLOW_BACKUP_PASSPHRASE environment variable must be set
• bap CLI installed globally:

  git clone https://github.com/b-open-io/bap-cli.git
  cd bap-cli && bun install && bun run build && bun link
  

CLI Reference

The bap CLI new command creates identities:

bap new --type type42 --password <pass> --name "Name" --output identity.bep
bap new --type legacy --password <pass> --name "Name" --output identity.bep

What Gets Created

The .bep backup contains:

• Root key (encrypted)
• BIP39 mnemonic (Type42 only)
• Identity name and metadata
• Signing keys for attestations
• Derivation path info (Type42)

Next Steps

After creating an identity:

1. Use manage-bap-backup skill to list members
2. Use manage-bap-backup skill to export member identities
3. Use identity for signing attestations
4. Publish identity to blockchain for on-chain reputation