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# Authentication and accounts

Web2 accounts are represented by principals. Registration combines an email/password account with a separately generated Ed25519 identity key.

## Lifecycle

1. Register an email and password.
2. Verify the emailed one-time code.
3. Register the Ed25519 public key by proving access to the account and signer.
4. Create a managed session.
5. Renew or replace sessions as required.
6. Use recovery and deletion operations according to product policy.

## Session design

A managed session creates an ephemeral secp256k1 key and authenticates it using the user's Ed25519 identity. Blackbox calls are then signed through the session adapter. Managed sessions can renew when supported by the configured client.

## Production checklist

* Normalize email addresses consistently.
* Rate-limit registration, verification, login, and recovery UI.
* Never log passwords, OTPs, private keys, or session signing material.
* Encrypt identity-key backups or use platform secure storage.
* Define how a user recovers access if the Ed25519 key is lost.
* Revoke active sessions during password or account-security events.
* Make account deletion consequences explicit before confirmation.

Authentication proves control of an account. It does not replace authorization checks on each secret.


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