diff --git a/side-node/src/bft_crdt_keys.rs b/side-node/src/bft_crdt_keys.rs
index 00ec03e..4057f0f 100644
--- a/side-node/src/bft_crdt_keys.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/bft_crdt_keys.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub(crate) fn write(key_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn load_from_file(side_dir: PathBuf) -> Ed25519KeyPair {
+pub(crate) fn load_from_file(side_dir: &PathBuf) -> Ed25519KeyPair {
     let key_path = crate::utils::side_paths(side_dir.clone()).0;
 
     let data = fs::read_to_string(key_path).expect("couldn't read bft-crdt key file");
diff --git a/side-node/src/bitcoin_keys.rs b/side-node/src/bitcoin_keys.rs
index f4e6bcb..e17bdf1 100644
--- a/side-node/src/bitcoin_keys.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/bitcoin_keys.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-use bitcoin::secp256k1::{rand, Keypair, Secp256k1};
+use bitcoin::secp256k1::{rand, Keypair, Secp256k1, SecretKey};
 use std::{
     fs::{self, File},
     io::Write,
     path::PathBuf,
+    str::FromStr,
 };
 
 pub(crate) fn write(key_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ pub(crate) fn write(key_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
 
     let pub_str = public_key.to_string();
     let priv_str = secret_key.display_secret().to_string();
+    println!("private key: {priv_str}");
     let out = format!("{pub_str}/{priv_str}");
     println!("out: {out}");
     file.write(out.as_bytes())?;
@@ -20,16 +22,15 @@ pub(crate) fn write(key_path: &PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn load_from_file(side_dir: PathBuf) -> bitcoin::secp256k1::Keypair {
-    let key_path = crate::utils::side_paths(side_dir.clone()).0;
+pub(crate) fn load_from_file(side_dir: &PathBuf) -> bitcoin::secp256k1::Keypair {
+    let bitcoin_key_path = crate::utils::side_paths(side_dir.clone()).1; // TODO: this tuple stinks
 
-    let data = fs::read_to_string(key_path).expect("couldn't read bitcoin key file");
-    println!("data: {:?}", data);
+    let data = fs::read_to_string(bitcoin_key_path).expect("couldn't read bitcoin key file");
+    println!("bitcoin keys: {:?}", data);
 
     let secret_key_data = data.split("/").collect::<Vec<&str>>()[1];
-
     let secp = Secp256k1::new();
-    let secret_key = bitcoin::secp256k1::SecretKey::from_slice(secret_key_data.as_bytes()).unwrap();
-
+    let secret_key =
+        SecretKey::from_str(secret_key_data).expect("couldn't load secret key from file");
     Keypair::from_secret_key(&secp, &secret_key)
 }
diff --git a/side-node/src/lib.rs b/side-node/src/lib.rs
index 60e4335..8944442 100644
--- a/side-node/src/lib.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/lib.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ pub async fn run() {
 async fn setup(name: &String) -> SideNode {
     // First, load up the keys and create a bft-crdt
     let side_dir = utils::home(name);
-    let bft_crdt_keys = bft_crdt_keys::load_from_file(side_dir);
+    let bft_crdt_keys = bft_crdt_keys::load_from_file(&side_dir);
+    let bitcoin_keys = bitcoin_keys::load_from_file(&side_dir);
     let crdt = BaseCrdt::<TransactionList>::new(&bft_crdt_keys);
 
     // Channels for internal communication, and a tokio task for stdin input
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ async fn setup(name: &String) -> SideNode {
     let node = SideNode::new(
         crdt,
         bft_crdt_keys,
+        bitcoin_keys,
         incoming_receiver,
         stdin_receiver,
         handle,
diff --git a/side-node/src/node.rs b/side-node/src/node.rs
index aa8a970..8d1aac6 100644
--- a/side-node/src/node.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/node.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use crate::{crdt::TransactionList, utils, websocket::WebSocketClient};
 pub struct SideNode {
     crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
     bft_crdt_keys: fastcrypto::ed25519::Ed25519KeyPair,
+    bitcoin_keys: bitcoin::secp256k1::Keypair,
     incoming_receiver: mpsc::Receiver<SignedOp>,
     stdin_receiver: std::sync::mpsc::Receiver<String>,
     handle: ezsockets::Client<WebSocketClient>,
@@ -15,14 +16,16 @@ pub struct SideNode {
 impl SideNode {
     pub fn new(
         crdt: BaseCrdt<TransactionList>,
-        keys: Ed25519KeyPair,
+        bft_crdt_keys: Ed25519KeyPair,
+        bitcoin_keys: bitcoin::secp256k1::Keypair,
         incoming_receiver: mpsc::Receiver<SignedOp>,
         stdin_receiver: std::sync::mpsc::Receiver<String>,
         handle: ezsockets::Client<WebSocketClient>,
     ) -> Self {
         let node = Self {
             crdt,
-            bft_crdt_keys: keys,
+            bft_crdt_keys,
+            bitcoin_keys,
             incoming_receiver,
             stdin_receiver,
             handle,
diff --git a/side-node/tests/side_node.rs b/side-node/tests/side_node.rs
index a4ad31f..be38a1b 100644
--- a/side-node/tests/side_node.rs
+++ b/side-node/tests/side_node.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ async fn test_distribute_via_websockets() {
 async fn setup(_: &str) -> SideNode {
     // First, load up the keys and create a bft-crdt
     let keys = make_keypair();
+    let bitcoin_keys = bitcoin::secp256k1::Keypair::new();
     let crdt = BaseCrdt::<TransactionList>::new(&keys);
 
     // Channels for internal communication, and a tokio task for stdin input