diff --git a/lib/ecdsa.js b/lib/ecdsa.js
index d4b6429..f6bc3d3 100644
--- a/lib/ecdsa.js
+++ b/lib/ecdsa.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ var ECDSA = function ECDSA(obj) {
 
 ECDSA.prototype.set = function(obj) {
   this.hashbuf = obj.hashbuf || this.hashbuf || undefined;
-  this.key = obj.key || this.key || undefined;
+  this.keypair = obj.keypair || this.keypair || undefined;
   this.sig = obj.sig || this.sig || undefined;
   this.k = obj.k || this.k || undefined;
   this.verified = obj.verified || this.verified || undefined;
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ ECDSA.prototype.calci = function() {
       continue;
     }
 
-    if (Qprime.point.eq(this.key.pubkey.point)) {
-      this.sig.compressed = this.key.pubkey.compressed;
+    if (Qprime.point.eq(this.keypair.pubkey.point)) {
+      this.sig.compressed = this.keypair.pubkey.compressed;
       return this;
     }
   }
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ ECDSA.prototype.fromString = function(str) {
   var obj = JSON.parse(str);
   if (obj.hashbuf)
     this.hashbuf = new Buffer(obj.hashbuf, 'hex');
-  if (obj.key)
-    this.key = Keypair().fromString(obj.key);
+  if (obj.keypair)
+    this.keypair = Keypair().fromString(obj.keypair);
   if (obj.sig)
     this.sig = Signature().fromString(obj.sig);
   if (obj.k)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ ECDSA.prototype.sigError = function() {
     return 'Invalid hash';
 
   try {
-    this.key.pubkey.validate();
+    this.keypair.pubkey.validate();
   } catch (e) {
     return 'Invalid pubkey: ' + e;
   }
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ ECDSA.prototype.sigError = function() {
   var u1 = sinv.mul(e).mod(n);
   var u2 = sinv.mul(r).mod(n);
 
-  var p = Point.getG().mulAdd(u1, this.key.pubkey.point, u2);
+  var p = Point.getG().mulAdd(u1, this.keypair.pubkey.point, u2);
   if (p.isInfinity())
     return 'p is infinity';
 
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ ECDSA.prototype.sigError = function() {
 
 ECDSA.prototype.sign = function() {
   var hashbuf = this.hashbuf;
-  var privkey = this.key.privkey;
+  var privkey = this.keypair.privkey;
   var k = this.k;
   var d = privkey.bn;
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ ECDSA.prototype.sign = function() {
     var s = k.invm(N).mul(e.add(d.mul(r))).mod(N);
   } while (r.cmp(0) <= 0 || s.cmp(0) <= 0);
 
-  this.sig = new Signature({r: r, s: s, compressed: this.key.pubkey.compressed});
+  this.sig = new Signature({r: r, s: s, compressed: this.keypair.pubkey.compressed});
   return this.sig;
 };
 
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ ECDSA.prototype.toString = function() {
   var obj = {};
   if (this.hashbuf)
     obj.hashbuf = this.hashbuf.toString('hex');
-  if (this.key)
-    obj.key = this.key.toString();
+  if (this.keypair)
+    obj.keypair = this.keypair.toString();
   if (this.sig)
     obj.sig = this.sig.toString();
   if (this.k)
diff --git a/lib/message.js b/lib/message.js
index 1cfbe3c..0536d43 100644
--- a/lib/message.js
+++ b/lib/message.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ var Message = function Message(obj) {
 
 Message.prototype.set = function(obj) {
   this.messagebuf = obj.messagebuf || this.messagebuf;
-  this.key = obj.key || this.key;
+  this.keypair = obj.keypair || this.keypair;
   this.sig = obj.sig || this.sig;
   this.address = obj.address || this.address;
   this.verified = typeof obj.verified !== 'undefined' ? obj.verified : this.verified;
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ Message.magicHash = function(messagebuf) {
   return hashbuf;
 };
 
-Message.sign = function(messagebuf, key) {
-  var m = Message({messagebuf: messagebuf, key: key});
+Message.sign = function(messagebuf, keypair) {
+  var m = Message({messagebuf: messagebuf, keypair: keypair});
   m.sign();
   var sigbuf = m.sig.toCompact();
   var sigstr = sigbuf.toString('base64');
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Message.verify = function(messagebuf, sigstr, address) {
 
 Message.prototype.sign = function() {
   var hashbuf = Message.magicHash(this.messagebuf);
-  var ecdsa = ECDSA({hashbuf: hashbuf, key: this.key});
+  var ecdsa = ECDSA({hashbuf: hashbuf, keypair: this.keypair});
   ecdsa.signRandomK();
   ecdsa.calci();
   this.sig = ecdsa.sig;
@@ -73,15 +73,15 @@ Message.prototype.verify = function() {
   var ecdsa = new ECDSA();
   ecdsa.hashbuf = hashbuf;
   ecdsa.sig = this.sig;
-  ecdsa.key = new Keypair();
-  ecdsa.key.pubkey = ecdsa.sig2pubkey();
+  ecdsa.keypair = new Keypair();
+  ecdsa.keypair.pubkey = ecdsa.sig2pubkey();
 
   if (!ecdsa.verify()) {
     this.verified = false;
     return this;
   }
 
-  var address = Address().fromPubkey(ecdsa.key.pubkey, undefined, this.sig.compressed);
+  var address = Address().fromPubkey(ecdsa.keypair.pubkey, undefined, this.sig.compressed);
   //TODO: what if livenet/testnet mismatch?
   if (address.hashbuf.toString('hex') === this.address.hashbuf.toString('hex'))
     this.verified = true;
diff --git a/test/ecdsa.js b/test/ecdsa.js
index 0a9bff9..c285a4d 100644
--- a/test/ecdsa.js
+++ b/test/ecdsa.js
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ describe("ECDSA", function() {
 
   var ecdsa = new ECDSA();
   ecdsa.hashbuf = Hash.sha256(new Buffer('test data'));
-  ecdsa.key = new Keypair();
-  ecdsa.key.privkey = new Privkey({bn: BN().fromBuffer(new Buffer('fee0a1f7afebf9d2a5a80c0c98a31c709681cce195cbcd06342b517970c0be1e', 'hex'))});
-  ecdsa.key.pubkey = new Pubkey({
+  ecdsa.keypair = new Keypair();
+  ecdsa.keypair.privkey = new Privkey({bn: BN().fromBuffer(new Buffer('fee0a1f7afebf9d2a5a80c0c98a31c709681cce195cbcd06342b517970c0be1e', 'hex'))});
+  ecdsa.keypair.pubkey = new Pubkey({
     point: point(BN().fromBuffer(new Buffer('ac242d242d23be966085a2b2b893d989f824e06c9ad0395a8a52f055ba39abb2', 'hex')),
     BN().fromBuffer(new Buffer('4836ab292c105a711ed10fcfd30999c31ff7c02456147747e03e739ad527c380', 'hex')))
   });
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ describe("ECDSA", function() {
       var r = BN('71706645040721865894779025947914615666559616020894583599959600180037551395766', 10);
       var s = BN('109412465507152403114191008482955798903072313614214706891149785278625167723646', 10);
       var ecdsa = new ECDSA();
-      ecdsa.key = new Keypair();
-      ecdsa.key.privkey = Privkey();
-      ecdsa.key.privkey.bn = BN().fromBuffer(Hash.sha256(new Buffer('test')));
-      ecdsa.key.privkey2pubkey();
+      ecdsa.keypair = new Keypair();
+      ecdsa.keypair.privkey = Privkey();
+      ecdsa.keypair.privkey.bn = BN().fromBuffer(Hash.sha256(new Buffer('test')));
+      ecdsa.keypair.privkey2pubkey();
       ecdsa.hashbuf = hashbuf;
       ecdsa.sig = new Signature({r: r, s: s});
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ describe("ECDSA", function() {
       var ecdsa2 = new ECDSA();
       ecdsa2.fromString(str);
       should.exist(ecdsa.hashbuf);
-      should.exist(ecdsa.key);
+      should.exist(ecdsa.keypair);
     });
 
   });
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ describe("ECDSA", function() {
       ecdsa.sign();
       ecdsa.sig.i = 1;
       var pubkey = ecdsa.sig2pubkey();
-      pubkey.point.eq(ecdsa.key.pubkey.point).should.equal(true);
+      pubkey.point.eq(ecdsa.keypair.pubkey.point).should.equal(true);
     });
 
   });
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ describe("ECDSA", function() {
       ecdsa.hashbuf = Hash.sha256(new Buffer('test'));
       var pk = new Pubkey();
       pk.fromDER(new Buffer('041ff0fe0f7b15ffaa85ff9f4744d539139c252a49710fb053bb9f2b933173ff9a7baad41d04514751e6851f5304fd243751703bed21b914f6be218c0fa354a341', 'hex'));
-      ecdsa.key = new Keypair();
-      ecdsa.key.pubkey = pk;
+      ecdsa.keypair = new Keypair();
+      ecdsa.keypair.pubkey = pk;
       ecdsa.sig = new Signature();
       ecdsa.sig.r = BN(0);
       ecdsa.sig.s = BN(0);
diff --git a/test/message.js b/test/message.js
index f90e5f6..7138271 100644
--- a/test/message.js
+++ b/test/message.js
@@ -26,27 +26,27 @@ describe('Message', function() {
 
   describe('@sign', function() {
     var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
-    var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
+    var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
 
     it('should return a base64 string', function() {
-      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, key);
+      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, keypair);
       var sigbuf = new Buffer(sigstr, 'base64');
       sigbuf.length.should.equal(1 + 32 + 32);
     });
 
     it('should sign with a compressed pubkey', function() {
-      var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
-      key.pubkey.compressed = true;
-      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, key);
+      var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
+      keypair.pubkey.compressed = true;
+      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, keypair);
       var sigbuf = new Buffer(sigstr, 'base64');
       sigbuf[0].should.be.above(27 + 4 - 1);
       sigbuf[0].should.be.below(27 + 4 + 4 - 1);
     });
 
     it('should sign with an uncompressed pubkey', function() {
-      var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
-      key.pubkey.compressed = false;
-      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, key);
+      var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
+      keypair.pubkey.compressed = false;
+      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, keypair);
       var sigbuf = new Buffer(sigstr, 'base64');
       sigbuf[0].should.be.above(27 - 1);
       sigbuf[0].should.be.below(27 + 4 - 1);
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ describe('Message', function() {
 
   describe('@verify', function() {
     var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
-    var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
+    var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
 
     it('should verify a signed message', function() {
-      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, key);
-      var addr = Address().fromPubkey(key.pubkey);
+      var sigstr = Message.sign(messagebuf, keypair);
+      var addr = Address().fromPubkey(keypair.pubkey);
       Message.verify(messagebuf, sigstr, addr).should.equal(true);
     });
 
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ describe('Message', function() {
 
   describe('#sign', function() {
     var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
-    var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
+    var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
 
     it('should sign a message', function() {
       var message = new Message();
       message.messagebuf = messagebuf;
-      message.key = key;
+      message.keypair = keypair;
       message.sign();
       var sig = message.sig;
       should.exist(sig);
@@ -90,13 +90,13 @@ describe('Message', function() {
 
   describe('#verify', function() {
     var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
-    var key = Keypair().fromRandom();
+    var keypair = Keypair().fromRandom();
 
     it('should verify a message that was just signed', function() {
       var message = new Message();
       message.messagebuf = messagebuf;
-      message.key = key;
-      message.address = Address().fromPubkey(key.pubkey);
+      message.keypair = keypair;
+      message.address = Address().fromPubkey(keypair.pubkey);
       message.sign();
       message.verify();
       message.verified.should.equal(true);