Getting Started

Everything you need to build Cardano-powered WordPress plugins — from first install to mainnet.

Your Dev Environment

The tools on your machine before you write a line of code.

Local

Dev Environment

Full WordPress on your machine. One-click sites, SSL, PHP version switching.

This is what we build on. No Docker, no MAMP, no command-line server setup.

localwp.com →

VS Code

Code Editor

Lightweight, extensible editor. PHP, JS, CSS, JSON — all from one window.

Pair it with an AI assistant and you cover the entire dev workflow.

code.visualstudio.com →

Claude

AI Assistant

AI-assisted development. Claude Code in terminal or Claude in VS Code.

Ship faster with guardrails. See the security rules every LLM session should follow.

claude.ai →

Your Cardano APIs

Backend services your plugin talks to. All have free tiers. You need API keys.

Anvil API

Tx Builder

Transaction building & submission without running a node.

Every plugin here uses Anvil for tx construction. You need an API key.

ada-anvil.io →

Blockfrost

Blockchain Data

Blockchain data queries — balances, tx history, asset info, IPFS pinning.

When your plugin reads the chain, this is the API. Free tier is generous.

blockfrost.io →

Pinata

IPFS Pinning

IPFS pinning for NFT images and metadata. Free: 500 files, 1 GB.

If you’re minting NFTs, you need somewhere to store the images.

pinata.cloud →

Your Wallet

CIP-30 is the standard that lets websites talk to Cardano wallets. You need one as a browser extension for testing.

Lace

Recommended

Built by IOG. Clean UI. Includes “Nami mode” for legacy dApp compatibility.

Best starting point. Actively maintained by the core Cardano team.

lace.io →

Eternl

Power User

Feature-rich power-user wallet. Multi-account, staking, extensive dApp support.

The wallet most experienced Cardano devs use daily.

eternl.io →

Typhon

Lightweight

Lightweight with solid CIP-30 support.

Good secondary wallet for testing. Fast and minimal.

typhonwallet.io →

Note: Nami has been folded into Lace. Enable “Nami mode” in Lace settings for full backward compatibility.

Test ADA

  • Use Preprod testnet (stable, recommended). Preview exists but is bleeding edge.
  • Get tADA from the official Cardano faucet — 10,000 tADA/request, once per day.
  • Set your wallet to testnet mode (Preprod network).
  • Your Blockfrost and Anvil API keys need to be for Preprod — not mainnet.
  • Everything works identically to mainnet. The only difference is the ADA is free.

Going Live

When you’re ready for mainnet.

Namecheap

Hosting

Affordable WordPress hosting. Reliable, fast, straightforward.

Good people, fast tools. Recommended for getting live without wrestling infra.

namecheap.com →

Buying ADA

Mainnet

Real ADA for mainnet. Major exchanges: Coinbase, Kraken, Binance.

Transactions cost fractions of an ADA. A small amount goes a long way.

  • Switch Blockfrost and Anvil API keys from Preprod to Mainnet.
  • Switch your wallet to mainnet mode.
  • Test your full flow on Preprod first. Every time. No exceptions.

Standards You’ll Use

CIPs (Cardano Improvement Proposals) that matter for plugin development.

  • CIP-30 — dApp-Wallet Web Bridge. How your plugin talks to browser wallets.
  • CIP-25 — NFT Metadata Standard. How NFTs are defined on-chain.
  • CIP-20 — Transaction Metadata. Attach data to transactions. Proof-of-authorship.
  • CIP-27 — Royalty Standard. How NFT royalties work on Cardano.

Start Building

You have the loadout. Time to ship something.

Browse Projects Follow a Guide Read the Security Rules