Getting a public key for an arbitrary user

Apps
#1

I would like one user to store a file that will only be readable by some different user.

I see that I can use the options.encrypt parameter of putFile to specify an arbitrary public key to encrypt the file contents with (http://blockstack.github.io/blockstack.js/index.html#putfile) but is there an API that I can use to lookup public keys for a given username?

#2

Currently, there is no define standard. It is discussed to publish the key in the user’s profile, similar to gaia bucket.

For now, you can write the public key into a file at a well-known location that is public readable. Once that is done, you can lookup the key using getfile with the user as parameter.

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#3

Thanks, and yes that’s what I ended up doing. It would be nice if I could get a public key for an arbitrary user before they have even used my app though: I’m building a chat app and would like people to be able to invite a new user, then encrypt their first few messages to that user before they have followed the invite to my app.
– David.

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