Get started How to create a Hive account
You can join Hive in about five minutes, for free, with just an email address. You don’t need any crypto, a bank card, or a wallet to start.
This guide is for the Hive network (hive.io), not Hive.com or HIVE Digital Technologies.
Five steps
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Pick a free sign-up app
Hive accounts are created through apps run by the community. Two are free and instant, and neither needs any crypto:
- Sign up with Ecency with an email address. Good for blogging, on the web and on your phone.
- Sign up with InLeo with a Google or X account. Good for short posts and news.
- Apply for a guided invite from the person behind this site. Free, reviewed by hand, with help through your first week.
It doesn’t matter much which you choose: your account works in every Hive app, not just the one you signed up with. To compare every option, including paid ones that need no verification, see signup.hive.io.
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Choose your username
Pick 3 to 16 lowercase letters, numbers, or hyphens, starting with a letter. Choose carefully: it can’t be changed later, and it’s also the address people use to send you money.
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Save your keys (the important one)
When the account is created you’ll get a master password and a set of keys. They are the account: whoever has them controls it, and there is no “forgot password” button, because no company is holding a copy.
- Download or print them and keep a copy somewhere offline.
- Also store them in a password manager if you use one.
- Never share them. No real Hive app, team member, or “support” account will ever ask for them.
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Say hello
Log in to Ecency, InLeo, or PeakD and write a short post introducing yourself, tagged introduceyourself: who you are, what you’re into, and what brought you here. Hive users welcome newcomers who do this, and it’s the quickest way to find people with your interests. Then join a few communities that match what you like.
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Add a wallet app (recommended)
A wallet app such as Hive Keychain keeps your keys safe on your own device and lets you log in to any Hive app with one tap, instead of typing keys into websites. Hive’s official site lists the recommended ones at hive.io/wallets.
What to expect in your first week
- Posting is free, within a daily allowance. Every account can do a set amount each day, and it refills on its own. New accounts start with a small allowance, so space out your posts at first.
- Rewards take time. When people upvote your posts you earn rewards, paid out after seven days. New accounts usually earn small amounts until readers get to know them.
- Everything is public and permanent. Posts, votes, and payments can be seen by anyone, so post as if it’s forever.
- Be wary of messages offering help. Scammers target new accounts with links to fake login pages. Only log in through apps you found yourself.
Even easier sign-up is on the way
Hive’s developers are working on “lite” accounts that let you sign in with a social media account, listed on the official roadmap. This guide will be updated when they launch. Until then, the steps above are the easiest way in.