Quick Start

5-minute tutorial to run an Orbinum node and perform your first transaction.

Prerequisites

This guide assumes you've completed the Installation. If not, do it first.

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1. Start Development Node

Start a local node with temporary data:

./target/release/orbinum-node --dev --tmp --rpc-cors all --rpc-external

You'll see blocks being produced:

🏁 Block #1 (0x1234...)
🏁 Block #2 (0x5678...)
🏁 Block #3 (0x9abc...)

Keep this terminal open. The node must be running for the following steps.

tip

The --rpc-cors all flag allows connections from Polkadot.js Apps. Local development only.

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2. Connect to Polkadot.js Apps

1. Open Polkadot.js Apps
2. Click the network selector (top-left corner)
3. Select Development → Local Node
4. Confirm connection to ws://127.0.0.1:9944

Verification: In Network → Explorer you should see blocks being produced in real-time.

Development Accounts

The --dev mode includes pre-funded accounts:

• Alice (validator)
• Bob
• Charlie

All have an initial balance of 1,000,000 ORB.

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3. First Transfer (Substrate)

Perform a basic transfer using the UI:

1. Go to Accounts → Transfer
2. Select Alice as sender
3. Enter Bob's address as recipient
4. Amount: 100 (ORB)
5. Click Make Transfer
6. Sign and send the transaction

Result: Bob should receive 100 ORB in his account. Verify in Accounts that his balance increased.

Programmatically (Optional)

If you prefer using code:

import { ApiPromise, WsProvider, Keyring } from '@polkadot/api';

const provider = new WsProvider('ws://127.0.0.1:9944');
const api = await ApiPromise.create({ provider });

const keyring = new Keyring({ type: 'sr25519' });
const alice = keyring.addFromUri('//Alice');
const bob = keyring.addFromUri('//Bob').address;

const transfer = api.tx.balances.transferKeepAlive(bob, 100_000_000_000_000n);
await transfer.signAndSend(alice);

await api.disconnect();

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4. EVM Transaction (Optional)

Orbinum includes Ethereum compatibility via Frontier.

Connect MetaMask

Local development network (when running your own --dev node):

Field	Value
Network Name	Orbinum Dev
RPC URL	http://127.0.0.1:9944
Chain ID	1281
Currency Symbol	ORB

Official Testnet (to connect to the live testnet instead):

Field	Value
Network Name	Orbinum Testnet
RPC URL	https://testnet-rpc.orbinum.io
Chain ID	2700
Currency Symbol	ORB
Explorer	https://testnet-explorer.orbinum.network

Test Transaction

Import a development account in MetaMask:

Private Key: 0x5fb92d6e98884f76de468fa3f6278f8807c48bebc13595d45af5bdc4da702133

Development Only

This is Alith's private key (EVM development account). Never use development keys in production.

Send a transaction to another address from MetaMask. You should see the transaction processed instantly.

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5. Explore the Chain

Check Balances

In Polkadot.js Apps → Accounts, verify updated balances after your transfers.

View Recent Blocks

In Network → Explorer:

• Click any block to see its extrinsics
• Inspect emitted events
• Verify included transactions

Query Chain State

In Developer → Chain State:

• Select system → account(AccountId)
• Enter an address to query its balance
• Explore other pallets (balances, shieldedPool, etc.)

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Next Steps

Learn About Privacy Features

Now that you have a node running, explore privacy capabilities:

• Shield Tokens: Deposit ORB into the shielded pool for private transactions
• Private Transfers: Send assets without revealing amounts or addresses
• Unshield: Withdraw tokens from the private pool to the public world

Documentation:

• Privacy Architecture
• ZK Proofs Overview

Development Guides

• Running a Node - Advanced configurations (testnet, production, systemd)
• Wallet CLI - Commands to manage wallets from terminal

Build on Orbinum

• SDK Integration - Integrate privacy into your dApp (Q2 2026)
• EVM Contracts - Deploy smart contracts with Solidity/Hardhat
• Substrate Pallets - Extend the runtime with custom pallets

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Node won't start	Verify you downloaded circuit artifacts: ls artifacts/
Can't connect Polkadot.js	Make sure to use --rpc-cors all --rpc-external
MetaMask won't connect	Verify Chain ID (1281 for local dev, 2700 for testnet) and RPC URL
Transaction fails	Check sufficient balance and gas limit

Need help? Check the complete documentation or open an issue on GitHub.