A command-line tool for Ethereum validator staking operations with secure key management that generates keystores and deposit.json files for validator provisioning. Stake Knife is specifically designed for post-Pectra validators (32-2048 ETH) with 0x02 execution withdrawal credentials.

✅ Implemented:

• Generate 24-word BIP-39 mnemonic phrases
• Multiple output formats (plain text, JSON)
• Future-proof subcommand architecture
• Validator wallet creation (BLS key generation)
• Keystore file generation (EIP-2335)
• Batch keystore generation (--validator-count)
• Specific starting index (--validator-index)
• EIP-2334 compliant key derivation
  • Keystore recovery from mnemonic
  • Selectable withdrawal credential type (--bls-mode 01/02)
    • 01: Pre-Pectra BLS withdrawal credentials (exactly 32 ETH per validator)
    • 02: Post-Pectra execution withdrawal credentials (32-2048 ETH per validator, default)
  • Conditional amount validation based on credential type
  • Per-validator ETH amounts via --eth-amounts flag
  • Optional structured JSON output including private keys (--format json)
  • Parameter validation (password length, ETH amount, address format)

Not Yet Implemented:

• allow json output to secure file with encryption

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dbkbali/stake-knife.git
cd stake-knife

# Build and install
cargo install --path .

Download the latest binary for your platform from the releases page.

curl -LO https://github.com/dbkbali/stake-knife/releases/download/v[VERSION]/stake-knife-[VERSION]-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf stake-knife-[VERSION]-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
chmod +x stake-knife-[VERSION]-linux-x86_64
./stake-knife-[VERSION]-linux-x86_64 --help

curl -LO https://github.com/dbkbali/stake-knife/releases/download/v[VERSION]/stake-knife-[VERSION]-macos-arm64.tar.gz
tar -xzf stake-knife-[VERSION]-macos-arm64.tar.gz
chmod +x stake-knife-[VERSION]-macos-arm64
./stake-knife-[VERSION]-macos-arm64 --help

# Generate mnemonic (default plain text)
stake-knife mnemonic

# Generate mnemonic in JSON format
stake-knife mnemonic --format json

# Basic wallet generation with new mnemonic (32 ETH)
# Uses default --bls-mode 02 (post-Pectra/execution withdrawal credentials)
stake-knife wallet generate \
  --withdrawal-address 0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F \
  --password yourpassword \
  --eth-amounts 32

# Generate multiple validators (96 ETH = 3 validators)
stake-knife wallet generate \
  --withdrawal-address 0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F \
  --password yourpassword \
  --eth-amounts 96 \
  --validator-count 3 \
  --bls-mode 02  # Explicitly setting post-Pectra mode (default)

# Using an existing mnemonic with BLS mode 01 (pre-Pectra/BLS withdrawal credentials)
stake-knife wallet generate \
  --mnemonic "your 24 word mnemonic phrase here" \
  --withdrawal-address 0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F \
  --password yourpassword \
  --eth-amounts 32,32,32 \
  --validator-count 3 \
  --bls-mode 01  # Pre-Pectra mode (BLS withdrawal credentials)

# Generate JSON output to stdout (includes private keys and mnemonic)
stake-knife wallet generate \
  --withdrawal-address 0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F \
  --password yourpassword \
  --eth-amounts 32 \
  --format json

# Generate JSON output to a secure file (0600 permissions)
stake-knife wallet generate \
  --withdrawal-address 0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F \
  --password yourpassword \
  --eth-amounts 32 \
  --format json \
  --json-output-file /secure/path/validator-keys.json

For more examples, see Wallet Generation Examples

• Uses EIP-2334 standard derivation path: m/12381/3600/i/0/0 where i is validator index
• Same mnemonic + index always produces identical keys
• Compatible with eth-deposit-cli key derivation

To regenerate lost keystores, use the original command that was utilized to generate the keystores with the same parameters:

stake-knife wallet generate \
  --mnemonic "your original 24 word mnemonic" \
  --eth-amounts 32,32,32 \  # Must match original amounts
  --withdrawal-address 0x... \  # Must match original
  --password yourpassword \  # Must match original
  --validator-count 3 \  # Must match original count
  --validator-index 0 \  # Must match original starting index
  --output-dir ./recovered_keys

This will regenerate your keystore files and the deposit data files in the specified output directory.

⚠️ Important Notes:

1. When generating new mnemonics, they are displayed with an IMPORTANT warning - store this securely!
2. For recovery, you must use the exact same parameters as original generation.
3. When using --format json, the output includes the mnemonic, keystores, deposit data, and private keys to stdout, unless --json-output-file is specified.
4. When using --json-output-file, sensitive data is written to a file with secure permissions (0600) instead of stdout.
5. When using --format files, files are written to the output directory and a summary is printed to stdout.
6. If --eth-amounts contains a single value and --validator-count > 1, the total ETH will be distributed evenly.
7. If --validator-count > 1, then --eth-amounts must be provided with either a single value or exactly that many values.
8. The default --bls-mode is 02 (post-Pectra with execution withdrawal credentials).
9. For --bls-mode 01 (pre-Pectra), ETH amounts must be exactly 32 ETH per validator.
10. For --bls-mode 02 (post-Pectra), ETH amounts can range from 32 to 2048 ETH per validator.

Check the releases page for the latest version and release notes.

# Run all tests
cargo test

# Run integration tests
cargo test -- --ignored

# Test specific component
cargo test test_mnemonic_generation

• Included in tests/test_compatibility.rs is a reference test that compares output with the official ethereum staking deposit cli tool.
• This tool was used to generate the reference keystores and deposit data files in the test/reference_data directory using the following parameters:

# Command used with ethereum staking deposit cli tool
./deposit new-mnemonic \
  --mnemonic="abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon art" \
  --execution_address="0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F" \
  --num_validators=3 \
  --validator_start_index=5

# Password used: "testpassword123"

src/
├── main.rs       # CLI interface and command routing
├── mnemonic.rs   # BIP-39 mnemonic implementation
├── wallet.rs     # Validator wallet functionality
├── keygen.rs     # EIP-2334 Key derivation
├── keystore.rs   # EIP-2335 keystore creation
├── deposit.rs    # Deposit data generation (post-Pectra)
├── utils.rs      # Utility functions

Stake Knife follows these Ethereum standards:

• BIP-39 for mnemonic generation
• EIP-2333 for key derivation
• EIP-2334 for path derivation
• EIP-2335 for keystore format
• Consensus Layer deposit contract specifications

Pull requests welcome! Please:

1. Open an issue first to discuss changes
2. Follow existing code style
3. Include tests for new features

MIT