Get Started

This guide explains how to install the package, create a wallet, get your first account, and optionally convert to read-only.

1. Install the Package

Prerequisites

Node.js: version 18 or higher.
npm: usually comes with Node.js.

Install @tetherto/wdk-wallet-btc

npm install @tetherto/wdk-wallet-btc

2. Create a Wallet

You can create a new wallet instance using the WalletManagerBtc constructor with a BIP-39 seed phrase and an Electrum client:

Create Bitcoin Wallet

import WalletManagerBtc, { ElectrumTcp } from '@tetherto/wdk-wallet-btc'

const seedPhrase = 'abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about'

const client = new ElectrumTcp({
  host: 'electrum.blockstream.info',
  port: 50001
})

const wallet = new WalletManagerBtc(seedPhrase, {
  client,
  network: 'bitcoin'
})

Secure the Seed Phrase: You must securely store this seed phrase immediately. If it is lost, the user will permanently lose access to their funds.

Electrum Server Performance: Public servers like Blockstream's can be 10-300x slower than private servers. For production use, set up your own Fulcrum server. For development, consider fulcrum.frznode.com as a faster alternative.

3. Get Your First Account

You can retrieve an account at a given index using wallet.getAccount():

Get Account

const account = await wallet.getAccount(0)
const address = await account.getAddress()
console.log('Wallet address:', address)

This implementation uses BIP-84 derivation paths and generates Native SegWit (bech32) addresses by default. Addresses start with bc1 on mainnet. Set bip: 44 in config for legacy (P2PKH) addresses.

4. (optional) Convert to Read-Only

You can convert an owned account to a read-only account using account.toReadOnlyAccount():

Convert to Read-Only

const readOnlyAccount = await account.toReadOnlyAccount()

Next Steps

With your wallet ready, learn how to manage multiple accounts.