> ## 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.

# Circle CLI

> A command-line tool to access Circle's product suite, including agent wallets, x402-compatible payments, and crosschain transfers.

Circle CLI gives developers and AI agents a unified interface for onchain
operations. Create and manage wallets, transfer, swap, and bridge USDC across
blockchains, execute smart contracts, and discover or pay for services. All
through a single command interface, without integrating multiple APIs and SDKs.

Use Circle CLI to access:

* **[Agent Wallets](/agent-stack/agent-wallets)**: Wallets with email OTP
  authentication, full onchain capabilities, and customizable policy
  enforcement.
* **Local wallets**: Self-custodial wallets imported from a private key or
  mnemonic, stored using the
  [Open Wallet Standard](https://github.com/open-wallet-standard/core).
* **[Agent Nanopayments](/agent-stack/agent-nanopayments)**: Gas-free, batched
  USDC payments for x402-compatible services.
* **Circle products**: [CCTP](/cctp) for USDC bridging, [Gateway](/gateway) for
  unified USDC balances, [Circle Contracts](/contracts) for smart contract
  queries, and [Circle Skills](/ai/skills) for extending your agent with
  Circle-specific capabilities.

## Installation

Install Circle CLI from [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/) (requires
[Node.js v20.18.2 or later](https://nodejs.org/)):

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

Verify the installation:

```bash theme={null}
circle --version
```

Once installed, you can run any
[Circle CLI command](/agent-stack/circle-cli/command-reference). If your version
is no longer supported, run
[`circle update`](/agent-stack/circle-cli/command-reference#circle-update).

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create an Agent Wallet" icon="wallet" href="/agent-stack/agent-wallets/quickstart">
    Create an agent wallet and fund it with USDC.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Make a nanopayment" icon="bolt" href="/agent-stack/agent-nanopayments/quickstart">
    Send a gas-free USDC payment for an x402-protected resource.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI Command Reference" icon="book" href="/agent-stack/circle-cli/command-reference">
    All Circle CLI commands, options, and examples.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
