Stellar & Soroban Development
Quick Reference
Networks
| Network | Horizon | Soroban RPC | Explorer |
|---------|---------|-------------|----------|
| Mainnet | horizon.stellar.org | soroban-rpc.mainnet.stellar.gateway.fm | stellar.expert |
| Testnet | horizon-testnet.stellar.org | soroban-testnet.stellar.org | stellar.expert/explorer/testnet |
| Futurenet | horizon-futurenet.stellar.org | rpc-futurenet.stellar.org | stellarchain.io |
Faucet (Testnet)
curl "https://friendbot.stellar.org?addr=YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"
CLIs & Scaffolds
| Tool | Use | |------|-----| | stellar CLI | Build, deploy, invoke contracts, generate TS bindings | | Scaffold Stellar | Full project (Soroban + frontend + local network) → scaffoldstellar.org | | Stellar Lab | Web tool for network experiments → lab.stellar.org |
SDKs
| Library | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| @stellar/stellar-sdk | Official JS/TS SDK (classic + Soroban) |
| soroban-sdk (Rust) | Write Soroban smart contracts |
| @stellar/freighter-api | Direct Freighter wallet integration |
| @creit.tech/stellar-wallets-kit | Multi-wallet abstraction → stellarwalletskit.dev |
Workflows
Workflow 1: Connect Wallet (Stellar Wallets Kit)
import { StellarWalletsKit, WalletNetwork, allowAllModules } from '@creit.tech/stellar-wallets-kit';
const kit = new StellarWalletsKit({
network: WalletNetwork.TESTNET,
selectedWalletId: 'freighter',
modules: allowAllModules(),
});
// Open modal to select wallet
await kit.openModal({
onWalletSelected: async (option) => {
kit.setWallet(option.id);
const { address } = await kit.getAddress();
console.log('Connected:', address);
}
});
Workflow 2: Deploy Contract (stellar CLI)
# Build contract
stellar contract build
# Deploy to testnet
stellar contract deploy \
--wasm target/wasm32-unknown-unknown/release/my_contract.wasm \
--source alice \
--network testnet
# Generate TypeScript bindings
stellar contract bindings typescript \
--contract-id CXXXXX... \
--output-dir ./src/contracts/my-contract \
--network testnet
Workflow 3: Invoke Contract
import * as StellarSdk from '@stellar/stellar-sdk';
const server = new StellarSdk.SorobanRpc.Server('https://soroban-testnet.stellar.org');
const contract = new StellarSdk.Contract('CXXXXX...');
// Build transaction
const tx = new StellarSdk.TransactionBuilder(account, { fee: '100' })
.addOperation(contract.call('method_name', ...args))
.setTimeout(30)
.build();
// Simulate
const simulated = await server.simulateTransaction(tx);
// Sign with wallet kit
const { signedTxXdr } = await kit.signTransaction(tx.toXDR());
// Submit
const result = await server.sendTransaction(
StellarSdk.TransactionBuilder.fromXDR(signedTxXdr, StellarSdk.Networks.TESTNET)
);
Workflow 4: Sign & Submit with Wallet Kit
// For Soroban transactions that need simulation
const signedTx = await kit.signTransaction(tx.toXDR(), {
networkPassphrase: StellarSdk.Networks.TESTNET,
});
// Submit and poll for result
const sendResponse = await server.sendTransaction(
StellarSdk.TransactionBuilder.fromXDR(signedTx.signedTxXdr, StellarSdk.Networks.TESTNET)
);
if (sendResponse.status === 'PENDING') {
let result = await server.getTransaction(sendResponse.hash);
while (result.status === 'NOT_FOUND') {
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));
result = await server.getTransaction(sendResponse.hash);
}
}
OpenZeppelin Contracts (Soroban)
Audited contracts. Check before writing custom logic.
| Category | Includes | |----------|----------| | Tokens | Fungible, NFT, RWAs, Stablecoin, Vault (SEP-56) | | Access | Ownable, Role-Based Access Control | | Utils | Pausable, Upgradeable, Merkle Distributor |
Wizard: https://wizard.openzeppelin.com Docs: https://docs.openzeppelin.com/stellar-contracts
Security
| Tool | Use | |------|-----| | Scout Audit | Static analysis for Soroban → github.com/CoinFabrik/scout-soroban | | scout-actions | GitHub Action for PR checks |
# Run Scout locally
cargo install scout-audit
scout-audit --path ./contracts
Ecosystem
DeFi & Protocols
| Project | What | |---------|------| | Soroswap | AMM/DEX → soroswap.finance | | Defindex | Yield aggregator → defindex.io | | Allbridge | Cross-chain bridge → allbridge.io | | Reflector | Oracles (SEP-40) → reflector.network |
Infrastructure & Services
| Project | What | |---------|------| | Trustless Work | Programmable escrows → trustlesswork.com | | Mercury | Custom indexer (Retroshades, Zephyr) → mercurydata.app | | Horizon API | Official API for network queries | | Anchor Platform | On/off-ramps (SEP-10, SEP-24, SEP-31) | | Stellar Disbursement Platform | Mass payouts infrastructure | | MoneyGram Ramps | USDC on/off-ramp at retail locations |
Block Explorers
| Explorer | Networks | |----------|----------| | StellarExpert | Mainnet, Testnet → stellar.expert | | StellarChain | Mainnet, Testnet, Futurenet → stellarchain.io | | Stellar Explorer | All networks |
RPC Providers
| Provider | Notes | |----------|-------| | SDF (public) | Default, rate limited | | Validation Cloud | Free + premium | | Ankr | Horizon + Soroban RPC | | QuickNode | Performance tiers |
SEPs (Stellar Ecosystem Proposals)
| SEP | Purpose | |-----|---------| | SEP-10 | Web Authentication | | SEP-24 | Interactive deposits/withdrawals | | SEP-41 | Soroban token interface | | SEP-56 | Tokenized Vault Standard |
All SEPs: github.com/stellar/stellar-protocol/tree/master/ecosystem
Decision Framework
What are you building?
│
├─ **Smart Contract** (Soroban)
│ ├─ Token? → Check OpenZeppelin first
│ ├─ DeFi? → Integrate with Soroswap/Defindex
│ └─ Custom logic → Use soroban-sdk + Scout audit
│
├─ **Frontend dApp**
│ ├─ Wallet connection → Stellar Wallets Kit
│ ├─ Contract interaction → @stellar/stellar-sdk
│ └─ Full scaffold → Scaffold Stellar
│
├─ **Backend/Indexing**
│ ├─ Simple queries → Horizon API
│ ├─ Custom indexing → Mercury
│ └─ Real-time → Soroban RPC subscriptions
│
└─ **Payments/Ramps**
├─ On/off-ramp → Anchor Platform
└─ Mass payouts → Stellar Disbursement Platform
Docs
- https://developers.stellar.org
- https://soroban.stellar.org/docs
- https://stellarwalletskit.dev
Principle: Check for existing tools/protocols before writing custom code.