# Register

The first time you use the API you need to register as a new user. You only need to do this once.

Registration in Ripple Custody is a two-step process:

1. Creation of a key pair: This step is performed by you and consists of key generation and communication of the public key portion to your user administrator. For more information, see [Generate a key pair and share the public key](#generate-a-key-pair-and-share-the-public-key).
2. Creation of a user account: This step is performed by your user administrator using the public key generated in step 1. For more information, see [Create a user](/products/custody/v1.34/api/environment/user/create#create-a-user).


## Generate a key pair and share the public key

To generate keys for user registration:

1. Generate a key pair using a key generation tool. The key pair must be:
  - A secp256r1, secp256k1, or Ed25519 key pair.
  - In DER format with Base64 encoding.
2. Store the private key securely.
3. Communicate the public key to your user administrator.


Once your user administrator has finalized your registration, the next step is to obtain a token. For more information, see [Authenticate API requests](/products/custody/v1.34/concepts/authenticate-api-requests).

## Check your user information

To check which domains you are registered in and user ID in each domain, run the [Get current user](/products/custody/v1.34/api/environment/user/view#get-current-user) operation.