diff --git a/contracts/Forum.sol b/contracts/Forum.sol
index 693514b..c91eaa3 100644
--- a/contracts/Forum.sol
+++ b/contracts/Forum.sol
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@ contract Forum {
     //----------------------------------------USER----------------------------------------
     struct User {
         string username;    // TODO: set an upper bound instead of arbitrary string
-        string orbitMainDB;     // TODO: set an upper bound instead of arbitrary string
-        string orbitTopicsDB;
-        string orbitPostsDB;
-
+        OrbitDB orbitdb;
         uint[] topicIDs;    // IDs of the topics the user created
         uint[] postIDs;    // IDs of the posts the user created
         bool signedUp;    // Helper variable for hasUserSignedUp()
@@ -20,10 +17,10 @@ contract Forum {
     event UserSignedUp(string username, address userAddress);
     event UsernameUpdated(string newName, string oldName,address userAddress);
 
-    function signUp(string username, string orbitMainDB, string orbitTopicsDB, string orbitPostsDB) public returns (bool) {
+    function signUp(string username, string orbitDBId, string orbitTopicsDB, string orbitPostsDB, string orbitPublicKey, string orbitPrivateKey) public returns (bool) {
         require (!hasUserSignedUp(msg.sender), "User has already signed up.");
         require(!isUserNameTaken(username), "Username is already taken.");
-        users[msg.sender] = User(username, orbitMainDB, orbitTopicsDB, orbitPostsDB, new uint[](0), new uint[](0), true);
+        users[msg.sender] = User(username, OrbitDB(orbitDBId, orbitTopicsDB, orbitPostsDB, orbitPublicKey, orbitPrivateKey), new uint[](0), new uint[](0), true);
         userAddresses[username] = msg.sender;
         emit UserSignedUp(username, msg.sender);
         return true;
@@ -58,17 +55,44 @@ contract Forum {
         return false;
     }
 
-    function getOrbitMainDB(address userAddress) public view returns (string) {
-        return users[userAddress].orbitMainDB;
+    //---------OrbitDB---------
+    struct OrbitDB {
+        string id;     // TODO: set an upper bound instead of arbitrary string
+        string topicsDB;    //TODO: not sure yet which of these are actually needed
+        string postsDB;
+        string publicKey;
+        string privateKey;
+    }
+
+
+    function getOrbitDBId(address userAddress) public view returns (string) {
+        require (hasUserSignedUp(userAddress), "User hasn't signed up.");
+        return users[userAddress].orbitdb.id;
     }
 
     function getOrbitTopicsDB(address userAddress) public view returns (string) {
-        return users[userAddress].orbitTopicsDB;
+        require (hasUserSignedUp(userAddress), "User hasn't signed up.");
+        return users[userAddress].orbitdb.topicsDB;
     }
 
     function getOrbitPostsDB(address userAddress) public view returns (string) {
-        return users[userAddress].orbitPostsDB;
+        require (hasUserSignedUp(userAddress), "User hasn't signed up.");
+        return users[userAddress].orbitdb.postsDB;
+    }
+
+    function getOrbitPublicKey() public view returns (string) {
+        require (hasUserSignedUp(msg.sender), "User hasn't signed up.");
+        return users[msg.sender].orbitdb.publicKey;
     }
+
+    //TODO: encrypt using Metamask in the future
+    function getOrbitPrivateKey() public view returns (string) {
+        require (hasUserSignedUp(msg.sender), "User hasn't signed up.");
+        return users[msg.sender].orbitdb.privateKey;
+    }
+
+
+
     //----------------------------------------POSTING----------------------------------------
     struct Topic {
         uint topicID;
diff --git a/src/containers/LoadingContainer.js b/src/containers/LoadingContainer.js
index 71720db..4a08b5f 100644
--- a/src/containers/LoadingContainer.js
+++ b/src/containers/LoadingContainer.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class LoadingContainer extends Component {
                 <main className="container loading-screen">
                     <div className="pure-g">
                         <div className="pure-u-1-1">
-                            <h1>⚠️</h1>
+                            <h1><span role="img" aria-label="Warning Sign">⚠</span></h1>
                             <p>This browser has no connection to the Ethereum network. Please use the Chrome/FireFox extension MetaMask, or dedicated Ethereum browsers Mist or Parity.</p>
                         </div>
                     </div>
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class LoadingContainer extends Component {
                 <main className="container loading-screen">
                     <div className="pure-g">
                         <div className="pure-u-1-1">
-                            <h1>🦊</h1>
+                            <h1><span role="img" aria-label="Fox Face">🦊</span></h1>
                             <p><strong>We can't find any Ethereum accounts!</strong> Please check and make sure Metamask or you browser are pointed at the correct network and your account is unlocked.</p>
                         </div>
                     </div>
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class LoadingContainer extends Component {
             <main className="container loading-screen">
                 <div className="pure-g">
                     <div className="pure-u-1-1">
-                        <h1>⚙️</h1>
+                        <h1><span role="img" aria-label="Gear">⚙</span></h1>
                         <p>Loading dapp...</p>
                     </div>
                 </div>
diff --git a/src/containers/UsernameFormContainer.js b/src/containers/UsernameFormContainer.js
index bf5cdfa..8a4b7ec 100644
--- a/src/containers/UsernameFormContainer.js
+++ b/src/containers/UsernameFormContainer.js
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ class UsernameFormContainer extends Component {
            this.contracts[contract].methods[updateUsernameMethod].cacheSend(...[this.state.usernameInput]);
         else
         {
-            const orbitdb = await createDatabases();
-            this.contracts[contract].methods[signUpMethod].cacheSend(...[this.state.usernameInput, orbitdb.mainDB, orbitdb.topicsDB, orbitdb.postsDB]);
+            const orbitdbInfo = await createDatabases();
+            this.contracts[contract].methods[signUpMethod].cacheSend(...[this.state.usernameInput, orbitdbInfo.id,
+                orbitdbInfo.topicsDB, orbitdbInfo.postsDB, orbitdbInfo.publicKey, orbitdbInfo.privateKey]);
         }
 
     }
diff --git a/src/util/orbit.js b/src/util/orbit.js
index 9d9d571..8a13422 100644
--- a/src/util/orbit.js
+++ b/src/util/orbit.js
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ async function createDatabases() {
     const topicsDB = await orbitdb.keyvalue('topics');
     const postsDB = await orbitdb.keyvalue('posts');
     console.log("OrbitDBs created successfully!");
-    return {mainDB: orbitdb.id, topicsDB: topicsDB.address.toString(), postsDB: postsDB.address.toString()};    //TODO: regex in the latter two
+    return {id: orbitdb.id, topicsDB: topicsDB.address.root, postsDB: postsDB.address.root,
+        publicKey: orbitdb.key.getPublic('hex'), privateKey:orbitdb.key.getPrivate('hex')};
 }
 
 export { createDatabases }
\ No newline at end of file