**Scaffold Stellar** is a developer toolkit for building decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts on the Stellar blockchain. It helps you go from idea to working full-stack dApp faster — by providing CLI tools, reusable contract templates, a smart contract registry, and a modern frontend.

Visit the [Scaffold Stellar](https://scaffoldstellar.org) homepage for guides, docs, and more.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following installed:

| Tool | Description | Install Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Rust & Cargo](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install) | For writing and compiling smart contracts | `curl https://sh.rustup.rs -sSf \| sh` |
| [Node.js & npm](https://nodejs.org) | For frontend development | Download from official site |
| [Stellar CLI](https://github.com/stellar/stellar-cli) | For building, deploying, and interacting with smart contracts | [`Link for the repo`](https://github.com/stellar/stellar-cli) |
| [Docker](https://www.docker.com/get-started) | For running a local Stellar network via the `stellar/quickstart` image | [Download Docker Desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop) |

## Getting Started

### Installation

Install the required CLI tools:

```bash
# Install stellar-scaffold CLI
cargo install --locked stellar-scaffold-cli

# Install registry CLI (to easily deploy your contract to the registry)
cargo install --locked stellar-registry-cli
```

:::tip[For a faster install, use cargo-binstall]

Instead of building from source, you can speed up the installation by getting the binary directly using [cargo-binstall](https://github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall). This is especially useful in CI environments.

```bash
# Install cargo-binstall (see other install methods in their README linked above)
cargo install cargo-binstall

# Install the binaries
cargo binstall stellar-scaffold-cli stellar-registry-cli
```

:::

While the CLIs are installing, check out this intro to Scaffold Stellar!



### Creating a New Project

1. Initialize a new project:

```bash
stellar scaffold init my-project
cd my-project
```

This will create the project scaffold in the directory you specified with a few sample contracts. Or you can start from the [OpenZeppelin Wizard](./openzeppelin-contracts) to customize your contract and start a Scaffold Stellar project from there.

2. Start the app:

```bash
npm start
```

You'll have a running dApp integrated with the starter contracts, ready to start building!

Explore the `environments.toml` file to customize your development environment(s) that's set by your `.env` file.

## Project Structure

When you run `stellar scaffold init`, it creates a full-stack project structure with example contracts and a modern frontend:

```
my-project/
├── contracts/          # Rust smart contracts (compiled to WASM)
├── packages/           # Auto-generated TypeScript contract clients
├── src/                # React frontend code
│   ├── components/     # Reusable UI components
│   ├── contracts/      # Contract interaction logic
│   ├── App.tsx         # Main app component
│   └── main.tsx        # Entry point
├── environments.toml   # Configuration per environment (dev/test/prod)
├── .env                # Local environment variables
├── package.json        # Frontend packages
└── target/             # Build outputs
```

This template provides a ready-to-use frontend application with example smart contracts and their TypeScript clients. The frontend is set up with `Vite`, `React`, and includes basic components for interacting with the contracts.

## Features

- **CLI Plugins for Stellar**
  - `stellar scaffold init`: Initialize new Stellar smart contract projects
  - `stellar scaffold upgrade`: Transform existing Stellar contract workspaces into Scaffold projects
  - `stellar scaffold build`: Build contracts and generate TypeScript clients
  - `stellar scaffold watch`: Development mode with hot reloading
  - `stellar registry`: Publish, deploy, and manage smart contracts

- **Environment Management**
  - Environment-specific builds (development, testing, staging, production)
  - Seamless integration with both local and deployed contracts
  - Network configuration via `environments.toml`
  - Support for multiple deployment environments

- **Smart Contract Registry**
  - On-chain publishing platform for Wasm binaries
  - Version management and contract naming
  - Contract verification and dependency management
  - Secure deployment workflow for testnet and mainnet

### More Resources

For more information, check out the [project on GitHub](https://github.com/theahaco/scaffold-stellar)!

## Video Series

Check out the [Scaffold Stellar video series on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmr3tp_7-7Gjj6gn5-bBn-QTMyaWzwOU5) for step-by-step tutorials and guides:

- [Scaffold Stellar | A Boilerplate For Stellar Developers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wKD3d9w5d0) - Comprehensive walkthrough of Scaffold Stellar as a boilerplate for Stellar development.
- [Scaffold Stellar: Getting Started and Guess the Number](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86hWe8Ragtg) - A practical tutorial that walks through improving the default "Guess the Number" dApp included in Scaffold Stellar.
- [Building dApps with Scaffold Stellar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t85jrhsTYV8) - An overview of the open source Scaffold Stellar development toolkit and how it streamlines the creation and management of Stellar apps.
- [Live Demo of Scaffold Stellar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0syGaIn3ULk) - A live demonstration showing Scaffold Stellar in action.
- [Intro to Scaffold Stellar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559ht4K4pkM) - Introduction to the Scaffold Stellar toolkit and its features.
- [Which Frontend?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7O54Oia_w) - Guide on choosing and working with frontend frameworks in Scaffold Stellar.
- [Scaffold Stellar: Get started building](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-M962aPuTk) - Learn how to install Scaffold Stellar, review included libraries and integrations, and get your development environment up and running.
- [Rapid Application Development with Scaffold Stellar | Meridian 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx77r9qQOeE) - Introduction to Scaffold Stellar's rapid development environment, showing how to go from prototype to production.