Create Your Wallet - Build on Arkade

Prerequisites

Node.js 22.13 to 26

Installation

pnpm add @arkade-os/sdk

Basic Setup

A mnemonic, a phrase of 12 words, controls the wallet and its funds. Generate it once, in your project folder:

pnpm add @scure/bip39 && node --input-type=module -e "import { generateMnemonic } from '@scure/bip39'; import { wordlist } from '@scure/bip39/wordlists/english.js'; console.log(generateMnemonic(wordlist))"

Store the mnemonic securely: anyone who has it can spend the funds. The examples in these docs read it from the ARKADE_MNEMONIC environment variable. In production, load it from your platform’s secure storage, and never log it.

In Node.js, add three steps. The wallet stores its data in IndexedDB by default, and Node.js has no IndexedDB. Node.js also has no EventSource by default.

Pass a storage option to Wallet.create. Without it, the wallet can’t save its data, and reads such as getBalance() throw.
Call configureEventSource before Wallet.create. Without it, boarding, renewal, and offboarding throw.
Call await wallet.dispose() when your script is done. Without it, the script never exits.

For a complete Node.js setup, see Storage Repositories.

import { MnemonicIdentity, Wallet } from '@arkade-os/sdk'

// Load the mnemonic you stored. Don't generate a new one on each run.
const identity = MnemonicIdentity.fromMnemonic(process.env.ARKADE_MNEMONIC!)

// Defaults to mainnet
const wallet = await Wallet.create({ identity })

const address = await wallet.getAddress()
console.log('Arkade Address:', address)

import { MnemonicIdentity, RestArkProvider, Wallet } from '@arkade-os/sdk'

// Load the mnemonic you stored. Don't generate a new one on each run.
const identity = MnemonicIdentity.fromMnemonic(process.env.ARKADE_MNEMONIC!, { isMainnet: false })

const wallet = await Wallet.create({
  identity,
  arkProvider: new RestArkProvider('https://mutinynet.arkade.sh'),
})

const address = await wallet.getAddress()
console.log('Arkade Address:', address)

Next Steps

Receive Payments - Fund the wallet at the address it printed
Boarding & Offboarding - Move bitcoin from an onchain address into the wallet