Accounts & Identities
SkateHive is built on one idea: the way you sign up shouldn't limit what you can do. However you join, you can post, vote and comment right away — and connect more identities over time.
🚪 Four ways in — all equal
You can join SkateHive through any of these, and each gets full functionality:
| Entry point | You sign in with |
|---|---|
| A magic link — no password. | |
| EVM wallet | MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc. |
| Farcaster | Sign in with Farcaster. |
| Hive Keychain | Direct Hive blockchain login (Keychain, HiveAuth, PeakVault). |
No matter which you pick, you get a SkateHive profile and can post, vote and comment immediately.
🪶 Lite vs Full accounts
The only difference is where your posts live on-chain:
- Lite account — you haven't linked a Hive key yet (e.g. email / wallet / Farcaster-only). Your posts and votes are broadcast for you through a shared SkateHive account, but the app shows your name, avatar and profile everywhere. You don't see any of the blockchain plumbing.
- Full account — you have your own Hive key (via Keychain or a stored posting key). Posts go on-chain under your own Hive username with full ownership.
You never get stuck as "lite" — you can upgrade any time, and lite accounts keep working forever.
⬆️ Upgrade paths (Lite → Full)
- Get sponsored — any established skater can sponsor you a real Hive account. Your posting key is created and stored securely, and you start posting under your own name. See Account Sponsorship.
- Link an existing Hive account — already have Hive from elsewhere? Link it with a Keychain signature and post directly.
- Store your posting key — have a Hive account and want convenience? Save your posting key so you can log in with email/wallet and post without a Keychain popup every time.
🔗 Connect more identities
One SkateHive account can hold all your identities — Hive, EVM wallet(s) and Farcaster — so you log in with any of them and keep the same profile.
Manage this in Settings → App Account:
- Link an EVM wallet, Farcaster, or Hive account to your profile.
- Merge two accounts if you accidentally created separate ones (e.g. signed up with email months ago, then with a wallet today) — everything is combined.
- Manage your stored posting key, newsletter, and Bitcoin address here too.
Linking a Hive identity is what unlocks posting under your own username. EVM and Farcaster links add wallet and social features on top.
🤝 Merging accounts
If you try to link an identity that's already attached to another SkateHive account, we'll offer to merge them. Merging preserves everything — all your linked identities, profile data and history are combined into one account. Nothing is lost.