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This guide walks you through setting up a local FlowGuard development environment on chipnet — BCH’s public testing network.

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Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+
  • pnpm 8+
  • A BCH wallet that supports chipnet (Paytaca or Electron Cash chipnet build)

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Clone and Install

git clone https://github.com/winsznx/flow-guard
cd flowguard
pnpm install

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Environment Variables

Copy the example env files: 
cp .env.example .env
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
cp frontend/.env.example frontend/.env
Required variables in backend/.env: 
BCH_NETWORK=chipnet
ELECTRUM_HOST=chipnet.imaginary.cash
ELECTRUM_PORT=50004
ELECTRUM_PROTOCOL=tls
DATABASE_PATH=./flowguard-chipnet.db
Required variables in frontend/.env: 
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:3001
VITE_NETWORK=chipnet

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Get Chipnet BCH

Visit the chipnet faucet to fund your wallet:
Chipnet BCH has no real value. Use it freely for testing all FlowGuard products before going to mainnet.

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Start the Development Stack

1

Start the backend API and indexer

cd backend
pnpm dev
The API starts on http://localhost:3001. The indexer begins scanning chipnet blocks.
2

Start the frontend

cd frontend
pnpm dev
The app starts on http://localhost:5173.
3

Connect your wallet

Open the app, click Connect Wallet, and select Paytaca or your chipnet wallet.
4

Create your first vault

Navigate to Vaults → Create Vault. Use your wallet address as all three signers for a simple 1-of-1 test setup.

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Verify Setup

Check that the indexer is running correctly: 
curl http://localhost:3001/api/admin
Expected response includes indexer.status: "running" and the latest indexed block height.