diff --git a/backend/.env.dist b/backend/.env.dist
index 3b6fe2ce4..c0a2a6098 100644
--- a/backend/.env.dist
+++ b/backend/.env.dist
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CONFIG_VERSION=v11.2022-10-27
+CONFIG_VERSION=v12.2022-11-10
 
 # Server
 PORT=4000
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ EVENT_PROTOCOL_DISABLED=false
 # POSSIBLE VALUES: all | trace | debug | info | warn | error | fatal
 # LOG_LEVEL=info
 
-# DHT
-# if you set this value, the DHT hyperswarm will start to announce and listen
-# on an hash created from this tpoic
-# DHT_TOPIC=GRADIDO_HUB
+# Federation
+# if you set the value of FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC, the DHT hyperswarm will start to announce and listen
+# on an hash created from this topic
+# FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC=GRADIDO_HUB
+# FEDERATION_DHT_SEED=64ebcb0e3ad547848fef4197c6e2332f 
diff --git a/backend/.env.template b/backend/.env.template
index d009d08ff..1bb2e4155 100644
--- a/backend/.env.template
+++ b/backend/.env.template
@@ -56,5 +56,6 @@ WEBHOOK_ELOPAGE_SECRET=$WEBHOOK_ELOPAGE_SECRET
 # EventProtocol
 EVENT_PROTOCOL_DISABLED=$EVENT_PROTOCOL_DISABLED
 
-# DHT
-DHT_TOPIC=$DHT_TOPIC
+# Federation
+FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC=$FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC
+FEDERATION_DHT_SEED=$FEDERATION_DHT_SEED
diff --git a/backend/src/config/index.ts b/backend/src/config/index.ts
index a66ed9765..c9e5ea79f 100644
--- a/backend/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/config/index.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const constants = {
   LOG_LEVEL: process.env.LOG_LEVEL || 'info',
   CONFIG_VERSION: {
     DEFAULT: 'DEFAULT',
-    EXPECTED: 'v11.2022-10-27',
+    EXPECTED: 'v12.2022-11-10',
     CURRENT: '',
   },
 }
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ if (
 }
 
 const federation = {
-  DHT_TOPIC: process.env.DHT_TOPIC || null,
+  FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC: process.env.FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC || null,
+  FEDERATION_DHT_SEED: process.env.FEDERATION_DHT_SEED || null,
 }
 
 const CONFIG = {
diff --git a/backend/src/federation/index.ts b/backend/src/federation/index.ts
index 2ca58b432..82b961c63 100644
--- a/backend/src/federation/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/federation/index.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@
 import DHT from '@hyperswarm/dht'
 // import { Connection } from '@dbTools/typeorm'
 import { backendLogger as logger } from '@/server/logger'
+import CONFIG from '@/config'
 
 function between(min: number, max: number) {
   return Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 1) + min)
 }
 
+const KEY_SECRET_SEEDBYTES = 32
+const getSeed = (): Buffer | null =>
+  CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_SEED ? Buffer.alloc(KEY_SECRET_SEEDBYTES, CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_SEED) : null
+
 const POLLTIME = 20000
 const SUCCESSTIME = 120000
 const ERRORTIME = 240000
@@ -27,8 +32,9 @@ export const startDHT = async (
 ): Promise<void> => {
   try {
     const TOPIC = DHT.hash(Buffer.from(topic))
-
-    const keyPair = DHT.keyPair()
+    const keyPair = DHT.keyPair(getSeed())
+    logger.info(`keyPairDHT: publicKey=${keyPair.publicKey.toString('hex')}`)
+    logger.debug(`keyPairDHT: secretKey=${keyPair.secretKey.toString('hex')}`)
 
     const node = new DHT({ keyPair })
 
diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index dc1bbb115..e63f80827 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -19,8 +19,14 @@ async function main() {
   })
 
   // start DHT hyperswarm when DHT_TOPIC is set in .env
-  if (CONFIG.DHT_TOPIC) {
-    await startDHT(CONFIG.DHT_TOPIC) // con,
+  if (CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC) {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.log(
+      `starting Federation on ${CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC} ${
+        CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_SEED ? 'with seed...' : 'without seed...'
+      }`,
+    )
+    await startDHT(CONFIG.FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC) // con,
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/deployment/bare_metal/.env.dist b/deployment/bare_metal/.env.dist
index 1d0e96455..9c6bfd735 100644
--- a/deployment/bare_metal/.env.dist
+++ b/deployment/bare_metal/.env.dist
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ COMMUNITY_REDEEM_CONTRIBUTION_URL=https://stage1.gradido.net/redeem/CL-{code}
 COMMUNITY_DESCRIPTION="Gradido Development Stage1 Test Community"
 
 # backend
-BACKEND_CONFIG_VERSION=v11.2022-10-27
+BACKEND_CONFIG_VERSION=v12.2022-11-10
 
 JWT_EXPIRES_IN=10m
 GDT_API_URL=https://gdt.gradido.net
@@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ WEBHOOK_ELOPAGE_SECRET=secret
 # EventProtocol
 EVENT_PROTOCOL_DISABLED=false
 
-## DHT
-## if you set this value, the DHT hyperswarm will start to announce and listen
-## on an hash created from this tpoic
-# DHT_TOPIC=GRADIDO_HUB
+# Federation
+# if you set the value of FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC, the DHT hyperswarm will start to announce and listen
+# on an hash created from this topic
+# FEDERATION_DHT_TOPIC=GRADIDO_HUB
+# FEDERATION_DHT_SEED=64ebcb0e3ad547848fef4197c6e2332f 
 
 # database
 DATABASE_CONFIG_VERSION=v1.2022-03-18