diff --git a/cmd/replication/main.go b/cmd/replication/main.go
index 467f97d4..1028f77a 100644
--- a/cmd/replication/main.go
+++ b/cmd/replication/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/xmtp/xmtpd/pkg/registry"
 	"github.com/xmtp/xmtpd/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/xmtp/xmtpd/pkg/tracing"
+	"github.com/xmtp/xmtpd/pkg/utils"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
 )
@@ -46,15 +47,32 @@ func main() {
 			options.DB.WaitForDB,
 			options.DB.ReadTimeout,
 		)
+
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal("initializing database", zap.Error(err))
 		}
 
+		privateKey, err := utils.ParseEcdsaPrivateKey(options.SignerPrivateKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal("parsing private key", zap.Error(err))
+		}
+
 		s, err := server.NewReplicationServer(
 			ctx,
 			log,
 			options,
-			registry.NewFixedNodeRegistry([]registry.Node{}),
+			// TODO:nm replace with real node
+			registry.NewFixedNodeRegistry(
+				[]registry.Node{
+					{
+						NodeID:        0,
+						SigningKey:    &privateKey.PublicKey,
+						IsHealthy:     true,
+						HttpAddress:   "http://example.com",
+						IsValidConfig: true,
+					},
+				},
+			),
 			db,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/registrant/registrant.go b/pkg/registrant/registrant.go
index 38fdb458..c0c9319b 100644
--- a/pkg/registrant/registrant.go
+++ b/pkg/registrant/registrant.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/xmtp/xmtpd/pkg/db/queries"
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ func NewRegistrant(
 	nodeRegistry registry.NodeRegistry,
 	privateKeyString string,
 ) (*Registrant, error) {
-	privateKey, err := crypto.HexToECDSA(strings.TrimPrefix(privateKeyString, "0x"))
+	privateKey, err := utils.PrivateKeyFromString(privateKeyString)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse private key: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/keys.go b/pkg/utils/keys.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c29a83b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/utils/keys.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"crypto/ecdsa"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
+)
+
+func ParseEcdsaPrivateKey(key string) (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, error) {
+	return crypto.HexToECDSA(strings.TrimPrefix(key, "0x"))
+}