> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anchorage.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication and request signing

> Authenticate every API request and sign sensitive move-money operations with Ed25519.

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Every request includes your `Api-Access-Key` header. Sensitive operations—including transfers, withdrawals, and trusted-destination management—additionally require an **Ed25519 request signature**, supplied in the `Api-Signature` and `Api-Timestamp` headers and generated from your private key over the canonical request.

## Base URLs

| Environment | Base URL                       |
| :---------- | :----------------------------- |
| Production  | `https://api.anchorage.com/v2` |

## Child control keys for self-custody

Self-custody organizations send one additional header when initiating transfers through the API: `Api-Child-Control-Key`. It carries the source wallet's child control key as 64 lowercase hex characters, derived locally from your Master Control Key. Anchorage Digital's hardware security modules cannot decrypt a self-custody wallet's signing keys without it, and the Master Control Key itself is never sent. Derive the value fresh for each transfer using the wallet's `derivationPath`; see [Generating child control keys](/knowledge-base/porto/developers/move-money/transfer/generating-child-control-keys) for the derivation recipe and reference code.

For the exact signing recipe and code samples, see [Signing requests](/knowledge-base/porto/developers/request-signing). For how authentication, keys, and permission groups fit together, see [Setting up](/knowledge-base/porto/developers/setting-up).


## Related topics

- [Authentication and request signing](/knowledge-base/platform/developers/move-money/setup/authentication.md)
- [API Reference](/knowledge-base/porto/api-reference/v3/introduction.md)
- [Authentication](/knowledge-base/platform/developers/trading/websocket-authentication.md)
- [Signing requests](/knowledge-base/porto/developers/request-signing.md)