Addresses for Private Blockchain?

Question

It seems like a chicken and egg problem:

(Chicken): I want to start a private blockchain from the genesis block, including the chainspec file that has addresses in it.

(Egg): But don't I generate the addresses on the private blockchain, once the blockchain is fired up?

Specifically, I'm thinking about the chainspec for:

author (insert address here)

accounts (accounts pre-loaded with ether here)

Answer 1

Addresses exist simply as generated keypairs and are not tied to a particular blockchain, so you have a few options:

• Create them with an external tool and save them where the validator nodes expect to find them
• Create them on a different running blockchain and move them to where the validator nodes expect to find them
• Run nodes half-configured to use a private chain but without the validators set, create the accounts, then stop them, create the new genesis file, and start them again.

We can't give you specific instructions unless you tell us what software you're using, but as an example of the final option, see the Parity Proof of Authority setup docs.