🍣 Nigiri Bitcoin

Nigiri provides a command line interface that manages a selection of docker-compose batteries included to have ready-to-use bitcoin regtest development environment, with a bitcoin node, electrum explorer both backend and frontend user interface.

It offers a JSON HTTP proxy passtrough that adds to the explorer handy endpoints like /faucet and automatic block generation when calling the /tx pushing a transaction.

You can have Elements too with the --liquid flag.

No time to make a Nigiri yourself?

Pre-built binary

• Download and install nigiri command line interface

$ curl https://getnigiri.vulpem.com | bash

This will create a directory ~/.nigiri copying there {bitcoin|elements}.conf you can modify.

• Lauch Docker daemon (Mac OSX)

$ open -a Docker

You may want to Manage Docker as a non-root user

• Close and reopen your terminal, then start Bitcoin and Liquid

$ nigiri start --liquid

That's it. Go to http://localhost:5000 for quickly inspect the Bitcoin blockchain or http://localhost:5001 for Liquid.

• Use the Bitcoin CLI inside the box

$ nigiri rpc getnewaddress "" "bech32"
bcrt1qsl4j5je4gu3ecjle8lckl3u8yywh8rff6xxk2r

• Use the Elements CLI inside the box

$ nigiri rpc --liquid getnewaddress "" "bech32"
el1qqwwx9gyrcrjrhgnrnjq9dq9t4hykmr6ela46ej63dnkdkcg8veadrvg5p0xg0zd6j3aug74cv9m4cf4jslwdqnha2w2nsg9x3

Make from scratch

Utensils

• Docker (compose)
• Go

Ingredients

• Bitcoin daemon
• Liquid daemon
• Electrum server
• Esplora
• Nigiri Chopsticks

Directions

Preparation Time: 5 min	Cooking Difficulty: Easy

• Clone the repo:

$ git clone https://github.com/vulpemventures/nigiri.git

• Enter project directory and install dependencies:

$ make install

• Build binary

$ make build

Done! You should be able to find the binary in the local ./build folder. Give it permission to execute and move/rename into your PATH.

• Clean

Remeber to always clean Nigiri before running install to upgrade to a new version.

$ make clean

Tasting

At the moment bitcoind, elements and electrs are started on regtest network.

• Start nigiri:

$ nigiri start

Use the --liquid flag to let you do experiments with the Liquid sidechain. A liquid daemon and a block explorer are also started when passing this flag.

• Stop nigiri:

$ nigiri stop

Use the --delete flag to not just stop Docker containers but also to remove them and delete the config file and any new data written in volumes.

• Generate and send bitcoin to given address

# Bitcoin
$ nigiri faucet bcrt1qsl4j5je4gu3ecjle8lckl3u8yywh8rff6xxk2r

# Elements
$ nigiri faucet --liquid el1qqwwx9gyrcrjrhgnrnjq9dq9t4hykmr6ela46ej63dnkdkcg8veadrvg5p0xg0zd6j3aug74cv9m4cf4jslwdqnha2w2nsg9x3

• Liquid only Issue and send a given quantity of an asset

$ nigiri mint el1qqwwx9gyrcrjrhgnrnjq9dq9t4hykmr6ela46ej63dnkdkcg8veadrvg5p0xg0zd6j3aug74cv9m4cf4jslwdqnha2w2nsg9x3 1000 VulpemToken VLP

• Broadcast a raw transaction and automatically generate a block

# Bitcoin
$ nigiri push <hex>

# Elements
$ nigiri push --liquid <hex>

• Check the logs of Bitcoin services

# Bitcoind
$ nigiri logs node
# Electrs
$ nigiri logs electrs
# Chopsticks
$ nigiri logs chopsticks

• Check the logs of Liquid services

# Elementsd
$ nigiri logs node --liquid
# Electrs Liquid
$ nigiri logs electrs --liquid
# Chopsticks Liquid
$ nigiri logs chopsticks --liquid

• Use the Bitcoin CLI inside the box

$ nigiri rpc getnewaddress "" "bech32"
bcrt1qsl4j5je4gu3ecjle8lckl3u8yywh8rff6xxk2r

• Use the Elements CLI inside the box

$ nigiri rpc --liquid getnewaddress "" "bech32"
el1qqwwx9gyrcrjrhgnrnjq9dq9t4hykmr6ela46ej63dnkdkcg8veadrvg5p0xg0zd6j3aug74cv9m4cf4jslwdqnha2w2nsg9x3

• Run in headless mode (without Esplora) If you are looking to spin-up Nigiri in Travis or Github Action you can use the --ci flag.

$ nigiri start --ci [--liquid]

• Update the docker images

$ nigiri update

Nigiri uses the default directory ~/.nigiri to store configuration files and docker-compose files. To set a custom directory use the --datadir flag.

Run the help command to see the full list of available flags.

Nutrition Facts

Chopsticks service exposes on port 3000 (and on 3001 if started with --liquid flag) all Esplora's available endpoints and extends them with the following:

Bitcoin & Liquid

• POST /faucet which expects a body { "address": <receiving_address> }
• POST /tx has been extended to automatically mine a block when is called.

Liquid only

• POST /mint which expects a body {"address": "ert1q90dz89u8eudeswzynl3p2jke564ejc2cnfcwuq", "quantity": 1000, "name":"VULPEM", "ticker":"VLP"}
• POST /registry to get extra info about one or more assets like name and ticker which expects a body with an array of assets {"assets": ["2dcf5a8834645654911964ec3602426fd3b9b4017554d3f9c19403e7fc1411d3"]}

Footnotes

If you really do love Sathoshi's favourite dish like us at Vulpem Ventures, check the real recipe out and enjoy your own, delicious, hand made nigiri sushi.