diff --git a/node-registrar/client/account.go b/node-registrar/client/account.go
index 4c6af57..3e44296 100644
--- a/node-registrar/client/account.go
+++ b/node-registrar/client/account.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -40,13 +41,14 @@ func (c *RegistrarClient) createAccount(relays []string, rmbEncKey string) (acco
 		return account, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to construct registrar url")
 	}
 
+	timestamp := time.Now().Unix()
 	publicKeyBase64 := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(c.keyPair.publicKey)
 
-	timestamp := time.Now().Unix()
-	signature := c.signRequest(timestamp)
+	challenge := []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d:%v", timestamp, publicKeyBase64))
+	signature := ed25519.Sign(c.keyPair.privateKey, challenge)
 
 	data := map[string]any{
-		"public_key":  publicKeyBase64,
+		"public_key":  c.keyPair.publicKey,
 		"signature":   signature,
 		"timestamp":   timestamp,
 		"rmb_enc_key": rmbEncKey,
diff --git a/node-registrar/client/client.go b/node-registrar/client/client.go
index 3be0d11..7e5c41a 100644
--- a/node-registrar/client/client.go
+++ b/node-registrar/client/client.go
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ type RegistrarClient struct {
 	baseURL    string
 }
 
-func NewRegistrarClient(baseURL string, privateKey []byte) (cli RegistrarClient, err error) {
+func NewRegistrarClient(baseURL string, sk []byte) (cli RegistrarClient, err error) {
 	client := http.DefaultClient
 
-	sk := ed25519.NewKeyFromSeed(privateKey)
-	publicKey, ok := sk.Public().(ed25519.PublicKey)
+	privateKey := ed25519.NewKeyFromSeed(sk)
+	publicKey, ok := privateKey.Public().(ed25519.PublicKey)
 	if !ok {
 		return cli, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get public key of provided private key")
 	}
diff --git a/node-registrar/client/utils.go b/node-registrar/client/utils.go
index a56657f..3cf3995 100644
--- a/node-registrar/client/utils.go
+++ b/node-registrar/client/utils.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 
 func (c RegistrarClient) signRequest(timestamp int64) (authHeader string) {
 	challenge := []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d:%v", timestamp, c.twinID))
-
 	signature := ed25519.Sign(c.keyPair.privateKey, challenge)
 
 	authHeader = fmt.Sprintf(