diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f4f46bf..98d8bee 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1554,16 +1554,6 @@ version = "1.0.15"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "57c0d7b74b563b49d38dae00a0c37d4d6de9b432382b2892f0574ddcae73fd0a"
 
-[[package]]
-name = "pem"
-version = "3.0.4"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8e459365e590736a54c3fa561947c84837534b8e9af6fc5bf781307e82658fae"
-dependencies = [
- "base64 0.22.1",
- "serde",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "pem-rfc7468"
 version = "0.6.0"
@@ -2213,7 +2203,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bft-json-crdt",
  "clap",
  "dirs",
- "pem",
+ "fastcrypto",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_with 3.8.1",
diff --git a/side-node/Cargo.toml b/side-node/Cargo.toml
index afbec9a..7ec7a46 100644
--- a/side-node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/side-node/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ serde_with = "3.8.1"
 sha256 = "1.5.0"
 tokio = { version = "1.37.0", features = ["full"] }
 websockets = "0.3.0"
-pem = "3.0.4"
 toml = "0.8.14"
+fastcrypto = "0.1.8"
 
 [features]
 default = ["bft", "logging-list", "logging-json"]
diff --git a/side-node/src/cli/mod.rs b/side-node/src/cli/mod.rs
index 07f019e..cf50b6f 100644
--- a/side-node/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Args {
 #[derive(Subcommand)]
 pub(crate) enum Commands {
     /// runs the Side Node
-    Run {},
+    Run { name: String },
 
     /// initializes the Side Node with a new keypair
     Init { name: String },
diff --git a/side-node/src/init/keys.rs b/side-node/src/init/keys.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index e2a486c..0000000
--- a/side-node/src/init/keys.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-use std::{fs::File, io::Write, path::PathBuf};
-
-use bft_json_crdt::keypair::{make_keypair, KeyPair};
-use pem::Pem;
-
-/// Makes an Ed25519 keypair and returns the public and private keys as a PEM-encoded string.
-pub(crate) fn setup() -> String {
-    let keys = make_keypair();
-
-    let public_pem = Pem::new("PUBLIC", keys.public().to_string());
-    let private_pem = Pem::new("PRIVATE", keys.private().to_string());
-    pem::encode_many(&[public_pem, private_pem])
-}
-
-/// Writes a PEM-encoded string to a file at key_path.
-pub(crate) fn write(key_path: PathBuf, pem: String) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
-    let mut file = File::create(key_path)?;
-    file.write(pem.to_string().as_bytes())?;
-    Ok(())
-}
diff --git a/side-node/src/init/mod.rs b/side-node/src/init/mod.rs
index bbad650..06881ab 100644
--- a/side-node/src/init/mod.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/init/mod.rs
@@ -2,19 +2,16 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use config::SideNodeConfig;
 
-pub(crate) mod config;
-mod keys;
+use crate::{keys, utils};
 
-const KEY_FILE: &str = "keys.pem";
-const CONFIG_FILE: &str = "config.toml";
+pub(crate) mod config;
 
 pub(crate) fn init(home: PathBuf, config: SideNodeConfig) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     ensure_side_directory_exists(&home)?;
-    let (key_path, config_path) = side_paths(home.clone());
+    let (key_path, config_path) = utils::side_paths(home.clone());
 
     println!("Writing key to: {:?}", key_path);
-    let pem = keys::setup();
-    keys::write(key_path, pem)?;
+    keys::write(key_path)?;
 
     println!("Writing config to: {:?}", config_path);
     config::write(&config, &config_path).expect("unable to write config file");
@@ -28,21 +25,13 @@ fn ensure_side_directory_exists(side_dir: &PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error
     if side_dir.exists() {
         return Ok(());
     }
-    println!("Creating side config directory: {:?}", side_dir);
+    println!(
+        "Config directory doesn't exist, creating at: {:?}",
+        side_dir
+    );
     std::fs::create_dir_all(side_dir)
 }
 
-/// Returns the path to the key file for this host OS.
-fn side_paths(prefix: PathBuf) -> (PathBuf, PathBuf) {
-    let mut key_path = prefix.clone();
-    key_path.push(KEY_FILE);
-
-    let mut config_path = prefix.clone();
-    config_path.push(CONFIG_FILE);
-
-    (key_path, config_path)
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use std::{fs, path::Path};
@@ -74,7 +63,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut file_path = PathBuf::new();
         file_path.push("/tmp/side");
         let side_dir = file_path.clone();
-        file_path.push(KEY_FILE);
+        file_path.push(utils::KEY_FILE);
 
         let _ = init(side_dir.clone(), default_side_node_config());
         assert!(file_path.exists());
@@ -89,7 +78,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut file_path = PathBuf::new();
         file_path.push("/tmp/side");
         let side_dir = file_path.clone();
-        file_path.push(CONFIG_FILE);
+        file_path.push(utils::CONFIG_FILE);
 
         let _ = init(side_dir.clone(), default_side_node_config());
         assert!(file_path.exists());
diff --git a/side-node/src/keys.rs b/side-node/src/keys.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f0ef34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/side-node/src/keys.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+use std::{
+    fs::{self, File},
+    io::Write,
+    path::PathBuf,
+};
+
+use bft_json_crdt::keypair::{make_keypair, Ed25519KeyPair};
+use fastcrypto::traits::EncodeDecodeBase64;
+
+/// Writes a new Ed25519 keypair to the file at key_path.
+pub(crate) fn write(key_path: PathBuf) -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
+    let keys = make_keypair();
+
+    let mut file = File::create(key_path)?;
+    let out = keys.encode_base64();
+    file.write(out.as_bytes())?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+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 key file");
+    println!("data: {:?}", data);
+
+    Ed25519KeyPair::decode_base64(&data).expect("couldn't load keypair from file")
+}
diff --git a/side-node/src/list_transaction_crdt.rs b/side-node/src/list_transaction_crdt.rs
index 8186d8e..b98358b 100644
--- a/side-node/src/list_transaction_crdt.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/list_transaction_crdt.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
 use bft_crdt_derive::add_crdt_fields;
 
 use bft_json_crdt::{
@@ -10,6 +12,8 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 use websockets::WebSocket;
 
+use crate::keys;
+
 #[add_crdt_fields]
 #[derive(Clone, CrdtNode, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub(crate) struct CrdtList {
@@ -25,8 +29,9 @@ pub(crate) struct Transaction {
     amount: f64,
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn new() -> (BaseCrdt<CrdtList>, Ed25519KeyPair) {
-    let keys = make_keypair();
+pub(crate) fn new(side_dir: PathBuf) -> (BaseCrdt<CrdtList>, Ed25519KeyPair) {
+    let keys = keys::load_from_file(side_dir);
+    // let keys = make_keypair();
     let bft_crdt = BaseCrdt::<CrdtList>::new(&keys);
     println!("Author is {}", keys.public().to_string());
     (bft_crdt, keys)
diff --git a/side-node/src/main.rs b/side-node/src/main.rs
index 8d18f83..a7c3f65 100644
--- a/side-node/src/main.rs
+++ b/side-node/src/main.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ use cli::{parse_args, Commands};
 
 pub(crate) mod cli;
 pub(crate) mod init;
+pub(crate) mod keys;
 pub(crate) mod list_transaction_crdt;
+pub(crate) mod utils;
 pub(crate) mod websocket;
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -17,8 +19,9 @@ async fn main() {
 
             let _ = init::init(home(name), config);
         }
-        Some(Commands::Run {}) => {
-            let (mut bft_crdt, keys) = list_transaction_crdt::new();
+        Some(Commands::Run { name }) => {
+            let side_dir = home(name);
+            let (mut bft_crdt, keys) = list_transaction_crdt::new(side_dir);
             websocket::start(keys, &mut bft_crdt).await.unwrap();
         }
         None => println!("No command provided. Exiting. See --help for more information."),
diff --git a/side-node/src/utils.rs b/side-node/src/utils.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..652e53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/side-node/src/utils.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+pub(crate) const KEY_FILE: &str = "keys.pem";
+pub(crate) const CONFIG_FILE: &str = "config.toml";
+
+/// Returns the path to the key file for this host OS.
+pub(crate) fn side_paths(prefix: PathBuf) -> (PathBuf, PathBuf) {
+    let mut key_path = prefix.clone();
+    key_path.push(KEY_FILE);
+
+    let mut config_path = prefix.clone();
+    config_path.push(CONFIG_FILE);
+
+    (key_path, config_path)
+}