The Rootstock CLI (rsk-cli) tool enables users to manage wallets, check balances, send transactions, verify smart contracts, and interact with smart contracts on the Rootstock blockchain—a Bitcoin sidechain designed for smart contracts.

It supports both mainnet and testnet environments. Additionally, the tool provides bridge interaction features, allowing users to seamlessly transfer assets between Rootstock and Bitcoin (or other supported blockchains) via integrated bridge protocols.

The CLI allows you to interact with your Rootstock wallet directly from the terminal, giving you control over creating, managing, and funding your wallet with rBTC (Smart Bitcoin).

In this guide, we will explore how to use the Rootstock CLI to create a wallet, manage it securely, and add funds to it.

## Key Features

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## Prerequisites

Before using rsk-cli, you need the following:

1. **Node.js**: The tool is built using Node.js, so you need to have it installed. You can download it from the [official Node.js website](https://nodejs.org/) and npm **(Node Package Manager)** comes bundled with Node.js.

Verify the installation by running:

```bash
node -v
npm -v
```
:::warning[Warning]

Ensure to have v22.9.0 version of node and above for compatibility

:::

2. **Access to Rootstock Network**: Ensure to have access to Rootstock's mainnet or testnet. For testnet use, we’ll need testnet rBTC for experimentation, which can be requested from a testnet faucet.

Once these prerequisites are met, proceed to install and use rsk-cli.

## Installation

To install the tool, use Node.js's package manager npm:

```bash
npm i -g @rsksmart/rsk-cli
```

This installs the tool globally, allowing  you to use the rsk-cli command in the terminal from any directory.


:::tip[--testnet or -t]
This flag tells `rsk-cli` to operate on the Rootstock testnet rather than the mainnet. Rootstock has both a mainnet (for real transactions) and a testnet (for testing purposes). Using the testnet helps avoid spending actual tokens and allows for safe testing.

:::