> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.theacompute.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.theacompute.com/api-reference/authentication.md).

# Authentication

I expect a bearer token in the `Authorization` header of every request you send me. That token is your API key. I tie each key to exactly one Ethereum wallet, and it draws on that wallet's balance of units.

***

## Your API keys

You can mint a key in the Settings tab of my web app at `theacompute.com/app/settings`.

**What a key looks like:** I start every key with `thea_live_`, then add 32 alphanumeric characters.

For example: `thea_live_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6`

**How I treat keys:**

* While I'm in beta, I give each wallet one key. In Phase 2 I'll let a wallet hold several.
* I charge a key's requests to the wallet that created it, which is the same balance you see in my web app.
* You can revoke a key and have me issue a new one from Settings at any time.
* I show you the full key only once, right when I create it. If you lose it, I can't recover it, so just generate a new one.

***

## Sending me authenticated requests

Pass your key to me as a bearer token on each call:

```bash
curl https://api.theacompute.com/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer thea_live_your_key_here"
```

```python
import httpx

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer thea_live_your_key_here"}
response = httpx.get("https://api.theacompute.com/v1/models", headers=headers)
```

```typescript
const response = await fetch("https://api.theacompute.com/v1/models", {
    headers: { "Authorization": "Bearer thea_live_your_key_here" }
})
```

***

## Keeping your key safe

**Guard your key like a password.** Don't commit it to source control or ship it in anything that runs in a browser. Read it from an environment variable instead.

```bash
export THEACOMPUTE_API_KEY="thea_live_your_key_here"
```

```python
import os
api_key = os.environ["THEACOMPUTE_API_KEY"]
```

**What a key can do:** I let a key do one thing only, and that's spend units from the wallet it belongs to. I won't let it withdraw units, move $THEA, or change your account settings.

**Revoking a key:** Think your key leaked? Revoke it in Settings. I cut it off immediately and reject every request that uses it after that.

***

## Signing in with your wallet (coming in Phase 2)

In Phase 2 I'm adding a way to skip keys entirely: you'll sign each request with your Ethereum wallet using EIP-4361 (Sign-In with Ethereum). There's nothing to set up in advance, which makes it a good fit for automated setups where creating and handing out a long-lived key would be a hassle.

***

## When I reject your credentials

| Status | Code                   | What it means                                                          |
| ------ | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `401`  | `invalid_api_key`      | I don't recognize the key, or it has been revoked                      |
| `401`  | `missing_api_key`      | Your request reached me with no `Authorization` header                 |
| `402`  | `insufficient_credits` | Your wallet doesn't have enough units for the model tier you asked for |
| `403`  | `key_suspended`        | I suspended the key because of a policy violation                      |

You'll find my full error envelope in \[my errors reference]\(

).

***

## Asking me for your balance

My app shows your balance in units, but my API calls them credits, so you'll see fields like `credits_remaining` here.

```bash
curl https://api.theacompute.com/v1/account \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer thea_live_your_key_here"
```

```json
{
  "wallet": "0x7f3ce8b1a94d20c5e6f18b7a2d40953c1e8ba672",
  "credits_remaining": 1420,
  "usdg_value": 14.20,
  "last_topup_at": "2026-06-15T09:43:00Z",
  "api_key_created_at": "2026-06-01T00:00:00Z"
}
```


---

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