> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.circle.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Before reading these docs, install the relevant Circle Skill to get pre-loaded context — skills are LLM-optimized and cover architecture decisions, correct flows, and common pitfalls. In Claude Code: run /plugin marketplace add circlefin/skills then /plugin install circle-skills@circle. With Vercel Skills CLI: run npx skills add circlefin/skills. Available skills: use-usdc https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-usdc/SKILL.md (balances, transfers, approvals on EVM and Solana); EURC has no skill — see https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/what-is-eurc.md; bridge-stablecoin https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/bridge-stablecoin/SKILL.md (crosschain transfers via CCTP, USDC, EURC, and third-party assets); use-arc https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-arc/SKILL.md (Arc chain config, contract deployment, USDC bridging — Arc docs: https://docs.arc.io/llms.txt); use-circle-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-circle-wallets/SKILL.md (choose wallet type); use-developer-controlled-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-developer-controlled-wallets/SKILL.md (custodial wallets for payouts and treasury); use-user-controlled-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-user-controlled-wallets/SKILL.md (embedded wallets with Web2 login); use-modular-wallets https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-modular-wallets/SKILL.md (smart contract wallets with passkeys and ERC-4337); use-gateway https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-gateway/SKILL.md (unified USDC balance, nanopayments); use-smart-contract-platform https://github.com/circlefin/skills/blob/master/plugins/circle/skills/use-smart-contract-platform/SKILL.md (deploy, interact, monitor contracts). Pair any skill with the Circle MCP server for live SDK signatures, contract addresses, and chain IDs: {"mcpServers":{"circle":{"url":"https://api.circle.com/v1/codegen/mcp"}}}.
> Read the product overview first. Each product has an overview explaining when and why to use it. Read it before quickstarts.
> Pick the right wallet type. Developer-controlled (you hold keys), user-controlled (end user holds keys via PIN/social login), or modular (smart contract wallets with passkeys). See https://developers.circle.com/wallets.md.
> Use CCTP V2 for crosschain transfers. CCTP natively transfers USDC and EURC via burn-and-mint, and supports permissionless wrapping of third-party assets via lock-and-mint. V1 is legacy; always use V2 unless V1 is specified or the chain requires it (Noble, Sui, and Aptos still require V1). Migration guide: https://developers.circle.com/cctp/migration-from-v1-to-v2.md.
> Use Bridge Kit for frontend bridging. Wraps CCTP with a simpler SDK for user-facing apps. Use CCTP directly for backend transfers.
> Gas Station vs Paymaster. Gas Station sponsors gas for Circle Wallet transactions. Paymaster lets users pay gas in USDC. Different use cases — read both overviews.
> Gateway Nanopayments for sub-cent payments. Gasless USDC micropayments down to $0.000001 via x402 and batched settlement. For pay-per-request APIs, AI agent payments, streaming.
> Look up USDC addresses per chain. Never hardcode — use https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/usdc-contract-addresses.md.
> Prefer SDKs over raw API calls. Node.js and Python SDKs handle auth, retries, and errors.
> API key required. Bearer token in Authorization header. Testnet and mainnet use separate keys and may use different base URLs depending on the product.
> Set up webhooks when available. Most operations are async. Webhooks deliver transaction confirmations and state changes.
> When calling list endpoints, paginate using pageSize and pageAfter until no nextPageAfter cursor is returned—stopping at the first page silently misses records.
> Building an AI agent? Start with the Agent Stack—Circle CLI, agent wallets, and nanopayments built for autonomous use cases: https://developers.circle.com/agent-stack.md.

# Quickstart: Create an agent wallet

> Get your first agent wallet set up in minutes.

Create an agent wallet and fund it with USDC on Arc using Circle CLI.

Prefer a guided setup? Paste this prompt into your AI agent instead:

```text theme={null}
Run curl -sL https://agents.circle.com/skills/setup.md, and use the returned setup instructions to set up my agent wallet.
```

<Warning>
  Never give an AI agent unrestricted access to your email account. Circle sends
  a one-time password (OTP) to the email you log in with. Anyone who can read
  that inbox can use the OTP code to log in to your agent wallet. They can then
  perform any wallet operation, including changing your spending policies. Enter
  the OTP code yourself instead of giving your agent access to your email.
</Warning>

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

* Installed [Node.js v20.18.2 or later](https://nodejs.org/).
* Installed Circle CLI:

  ```bash theme={null}
  npm install -g @circle-fin/cli
  ```

## Steps

Follow these steps to create an agent wallet and fund it with USDC.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Authenticate">
    ```bash theme={null}
    circle wallet login you@example.com
    ```

    <Note>
      To use testnet, add `--testnet` to the command. Sessions are stored separately
      for mainnet and testnet and expire after 28 days.
    </Note>

    On first run, Circle CLI prompts you to accept the Terms of Use and
    Privacy Policy. Then Circle sends a one-time password to verify your
    identity. After authentication, agent wallets are created automatically
    on all supported blockchains.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get your wallet address">
    ```bash theme={null}
    circle wallet list --type agent --chain ARC
    ```

    Copy the wallet address returned. You will use it in the steps below.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fund your wallet">
    Run `circle wallet fund` to add USDC to your wallet from another wallet you
    own. Replace `0xYourWalletAddress` with the address from the previous step:

    ```bash theme={null}
    circle wallet fund --address 0xYourWalletAddress --chain ARC --amount 10 --method crypto
    ```

    The CLI prints a terminal QR code and an
    [EIP-681](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-681) deposit URI. Scan the QR
    code with your mobile wallet to send the funds.

    To buy USDC with a card instead, pass `--method fiat` to open the onramp
    provider in your browser. See
    [Fund wallet](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations/fund) for all
    funding options.

    <Note>
      To use testnet, replace `BASE` with a testnet blockchain (for example,
      `ARC-TESTNET`) and omit `--method` and `--amount`. On testnet, `circle wallet
              fund` draws 20 USDC from the Circle faucet. See [supported
      blockchains](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/supported-blockchains) for the full
      list.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check your balance">
    Confirm the funds arrived. Replace `0xYourWalletAddress` with your wallet
    address:

    ```bash theme={null}
    circle wallet balance --address 0xYourWalletAddress --chain ARC
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

Now that you have a funded wallet, you can:

* [Deposit for nanopayments](/agent-stack/agent-nanopayments/operations/deposit)
  and
  [pay for a service](/agent-stack/agent-nanopayments/operations/pay-for-service).
* [Transfer USDC](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations/transfer) to
  another address.
* [Bridge USDC](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations/bridge) to another
  blockchain.
* [Swap tokens](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations/swap) using your
  agent wallet.
* Explore [wallet operations](/agent-stack/agent-wallets/wallet-operations) for
  more tasks.