Welcome to Stellar Developer Docs
Stellar is a layer-1 open-source, decentralized, peer-to-peer blockchain network that provides a framework for developers to create applications, issue assets, write smart contracts, and connect to existing financial rails. Stellar is designed to enable creators, innovators, and developers to build projects on the network that can interoperate with each other.
The developer docs will teach you how to build applications, issue and use tokens, write smart contracts, set up on and off-ramps, set up a validator node, and more.
Stellar for...
Navigating the docs
What each main section of the developer docs contains.
Build
Contains tutorials and how-to guides for writing smart contracts, building applications, interacting with the network, and more.
ExploreLearn
Find all informational and conceptual content here. Learn about Stellar fundamentals like how accounts and transactions function, dive deeper into the functionality of each operation, discover how fees work, and more.
ExploreTokens
Information on how to issue assets on the Stellar network and create custom smart contract tokens.
ExploreData
Discover various data availability options: RPC, Hubble, Horizon, Galexie, and data indexers.
ExploreTools
Learn about all the available tools for building on, interacting with, or just watching the Stellar network. Also, find information on how to use the Anchor Platform or Stellar Disbursement Platform.
ExploreNetworks
Information about deployed networks (Mainnet, Testnet, and Futurenet), current software versions, resource limitations, and fees.
ExploreValidators
Everything you'll need to know if you want to run, operate, and maintain a core validator node on the Stellar network.
ExploreDeveloper resources
Interact with other Stellar developers, keep up with ecosystem standards and protocol upgrades, and learn about upcoming events.
Stellar Stack Exchange
A question and answer site for Stellar developers; if you can’t find what you’re looking for in the docs, try searching the Stack Exchange to see if your question has been addressed. If it hasn't, feel free to ask!
ExploreStellar Developers Google Group
Discuss Core Advancement Proposals (CAPs) and Stellar Ecosystem Proposals (SEPs), talk about the development of Stellar Core and Horizon, and stay informed about important network upgrades.
ExploreContribute to the docs and leave feedback
Stellar’s Developer Documentation is open-source, and contributions to the docs are encouraged. You can file an issue or pull request to add new content, suggest revisions to existing content, submit suggestions, report bugs, and more in the Stellar Docs GitHub Repo.
Also, feel free to leave any additional feedback by filing issues in the various other Stellar repos.
Stellar docs pathfinding
Asset issuers
| Stellar Assets | |
|---|---|
| Asset and token intro | Learn about the difference between assets issued on Stellar and custom smart contract tokensLearn |
| Data availability overview | Learn about the different mechanisms for data availability on StellarLearn |
| Asset design considerations | Learn about certain considerations (e.g., flags, asset naming, etc.) that are important when issuing an assetLearn |
| Stellar Asset Contract (SAC) | Learn about interacting with assets issued on Stellar in smart contractsLearn |
| Quickstart script | Issue an asset on the Stellar network in a single transactionGuide |
| Deploy an SAC | Deploy a Stellar Asset Contract with the Stellar CLIGuide |
| Custom smart contract tokens | |
|---|---|
| Asset and token intro | Learn about the difference between assets issued on Stellar and custom smart contract tokensLearn |
| Data availability overview | Learn about the different mechanisms for data availability on StellarLearn |
| Token interface (SEP-41) | Learn about the common interface for smart contract tokens on StellarLearn |
| Token example contract | Demonstrates how to write a token contract that implements the Token InterfaceExample |
| Manage contracts | Use the Stellar CLI to manage smart contractsGuide |
| Stellar CLI | The command line interface to Stellar smart contractsTool |
| Rust SDK | Supports writing programs for Stellar smart contractsTool |
Smart contract developers
| Essential resources | |
|---|---|
| Stellar smart contracts overview | Learn the essentials about writing smart contracts on StellarLearn |
| Migrating from EVM networks | Stellar is not an EVM network, learn about how Stellar differs from EVM networks in this sectionLearn |
| Storage types | There are three different storage types for smart contract data, learn about them in this sectionLearn |
| Getting started guide | The go-to guide for getting setup to write smart contracts on StellarGuide |
| Example contracts | These contracts are good starting points for understanding best practices and writing your own contracts on StellarGuide |
| General contract guides | Various guides that highlight the norms seen in contract developmentGuide |
| Stellar CLI | The command line interface to Stellar smart contractsTool |
| Rust SDK | Supports writing programs for Stellar smart contractsTool |
| Optional resources | |
|---|---|
| Trustlines | Trustlines are unique to Stellar and are an explicit opt-in for an account to hold and trade a particular assetLearn |
| Upgrading contracts | You don’t need a proxy pattern to upgrade a contract (like in EVM), you can upgrade the Wasm bytecode directly without changing the addressGuide |
Ramps (anchors)
| Ramps | |
|---|---|
| Anchor overview | Stellar ramps are called "anchors", learn about them in this overview sectionLearn |
| SEP-6 and SEP-24 | You can set up an anchor using SEP-6 or SEP-24, learn about the differences in this sectionLearn |
| Anchor Platform | Set up an anchor using the SDF-maintained Anchor PlatformTutorial |
| Use a third-party Horizon provider | We recommend anchors use a third-party Horizon provider, but they can also set up their ownData |
| Demo wallet | An application for interactively testing anchor services. Lets financial application developers test their integrations and learn how Stellar ecosystem protocols (SEPs) workTool |
| Anchor test suite | A test suite for validating SEP6, SEP24, SEP31 transfer serversTool |
Applications
| Traditional Wallets | |
|---|---|
| Application design considerations | Various concepts to consider when building a wallet, such as custody models, security, and moreLearn |
| Fees | Learn about how fees work on the Stellar network and decide how you'd like to handle user feesLearn |
| Operations & transactions | Wallets build and submit transactions, learn about about how operations and transactions work hereLearn |
| Signatures & multisig | Signatures are authorization for transactions on the Stellar network, learn about them hereLearn |
| Anchor overview | Wallets may want to connect to financial rails via anchors (on- and off-ramps), learn about them hereLearn |
| Wallet SDK | Learn to build a wallet with the Wallet SDK in Kotlin, Flutter, or TypeScriptTutorial |
| Horizon introduction | Access network data using the Horizon REST APIData |
| Decentralized applications (dapps) | |
|---|---|
| Preface | Start by viewing the smart contract wayfinding section |
| Transaction simulation | A process that allows developers to test the outcome of a transaction without actually executing it, helping to ensure accuracy and prevent errorsLearn |
| Dapp frontend | Create a web app that interacts with the contracts via RPC callsGuide |
| Dapp how-to guides | Explore the various guides relating to dapp developmentGuide |
| Stellar Wallets Kit | A kit to handle all Stellar Wallets at once with a simple API and without caring about individual configurations for each one of themTool |
| Stellar JS SDK | Communicate with a Horizon server and Soroban RPCData |
| RPC introduction | Access network data using the RPCData |
| Exchanges | |
|---|---|
| List of operations | Learn how operations function on the Stellar network, notably CreateAccount, Payment, and ChangeTrustLearn |
| Trustlines | Trustlines are unique to Stellar and are an explicit opt-in for an account to hold and trade a particular assetLearn |
| SDKs | Used to connect to Horizon or RPC, as well as construct and parse transactionsTool |
| Run your own RPC | Exchanges typically run their own RPC or Horizon to maintain greater control over data integrity, performance, and securityData |
| Run your own Horizon | Exchanges typically run their own RPC or Horizon to maintain greater control over data integrity, performance, and securityData |
Infrastructure providers
| Horizon | |
|---|---|
| Hardware requirements | The recommended hardware requirements for users looking to set up a Horizon instanceLearn |
| Admin guide | A comprehensive set of guides that will teach you how to administer a production Horizon instanceTutorial |
| API reference | Detailed documentation that provides information about the API endpoints, methods, parameters, and responsesGuide |
| SDK library | Use the various SDKs to simplify the Horizon setup process by using pre-built tools and libraries that make it easier to configure, manage, and connect to the networkTool |
| Ecosystem providers | Create a PR in the docs to list your available Horizon service on this pageTool |
| Stellar RPC | |
|---|---|
| Hardware requirements | The recommended hardware requirements for users looking to set up an RPC nodeLearn |
| Admin guide | A comprehensive guide that will teach you how to administer a production RPC nodeTutorial |
| API reference | Detailed documentation that provides information about the API endpoints, methods, parameters, and responsesGuide |
| SDK library | Use the various SDKs to simplify the RPC setup process by using pre-built tools and libraries that make it easier to configure, manage, and connect to the networkTool |
| Ecosystem providers | Create a PR in the docs to list your available RPC service on this pageTool |
Analytics
| Hubble | |
|---|---|
| Connecting to Hubble | Connect to Hubble using one of three methods: BigQuery UI, BigQuery SDK, or Looker StudioLearn |
| Data catalog | View all Hubble data catalog information.Learn |
| Admin guide | A comprehensive guide that will teach you how to run your own Hubble analytics platformTutorial |
| Analyst guide | A comprehensive guide that will teach you how to use Hubble for data analysisTutorial |
| End-to-end example | A guide that will walk you through an end-to-end analysis use case with Hubble and Google Looker StudioExample |
| Analytics platforms | A list of data analytics platforms that use Hubble to provide a complete historical record of Pubnet data on the Stellar networkTool |