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CLI Wallet Introduction

The Namada CLI wallet provides full access to all Namada features through the command line. Perfect for power users, developers, and validators.

Time & Difficulty

⏱️ 15 minutes | 🎯 Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced

Prerequisites​

  • Basic command line knowledge
  • Terminal access (Linux, macOS, or WSL)
  • Namada binaries installed

Installation​

Option 1: Download Binaries​

  1. Visit Namada releases
  2. Download for your OS
  3. Extract and add to PATH
# Example for Linux
wget https://github.com/anoma/namada/releases/download/v0.31.0/namada-v0.31.0-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf namada-v0.31.0-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
sudo mv namada-v0.31.0-Linux-x86_64/* /usr/local/bin/

Option 2: Build from Source​

# Install Rust if needed
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/anoma/namada.git
cd namada
make install

Verify Installation​

namada --version
# Output: Namada v0.31.0

namadac --version
namadaw --version

CLI Tools Overview​

BinaryPurpose
namadaNode operations
namadacClient for transactions
namadawWallet management

Wallet Management (namadaw)​

Create New Wallet​

namadaw gen --alias my-wallet

You'll be prompted for a password and shown your mnemonic:

Enter your decryption password: 
Generated mnemonic code:
word1 word2 word3 ... word24

Derived transparent address: tnam1qp6eyv...
Derived shielded payment address: znam1abc...
Save Your Mnemonic

Write down all 24 words immediately. This is your only backup!

Import Existing Wallet​

namadaw derive --alias imported-wallet

Enter your 24-word mnemonic when prompted.

List Addresses​

# All addresses
namadaw list

# Transparent addresses only
namadaw list --transparent

# Shielded addresses only
namadaw list --shielded

Generate Shielded Payment Address​

namadaw gen-payment-addr --alias payment-addr --key my-wallet

Client Operations (namadac)​

Check Balance​

# Transparent balance
namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM

# Shielded balance
namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM --shielded

Transparent Transfer​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target tnam1qp6eyv5q2s3e4h8r7t9u0i1o2p3a4s5d6f7g8h9j \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100

Shield Assets​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --shielded

Shielded Transfer​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target znam1abc123def456... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --shielded

Unshield Assets​

namadac transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --target my-wallet \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --unshielded

Staking Commands​

Delegate to Validator​

namadac bond \
  --source my-wallet \
  --validator tnam1validator... \
  --amount 1000

Check Bonds​

namadac bonds --owner my-wallet

Unbond​

namadac unbond \
  --source my-wallet \
  --validator tnam1validator... \
  --amount 500

Claim Rewards​

namadac claim-rewards \
  --source my-wallet \
  --validator tnam1validator...

Governance Commands​

List Proposals​

namadac query-proposal

Vote on Proposal​

namadac vote-proposal \
  --proposal-id 1 \
  --vote yay \
  --signer my-wallet

IBC Commands​

Transfer via IBC​

namadac ibc-transfer \
  --source my-wallet \
  --receiver cosmos1abc... \
  --token NAM \
  --amount 100 \
  --channel-id channel-0

Configuration​

Config File Location​

~/.namada/
├── config.toml        # Node config
├── wallet.toml        # Wallet config
└── chains/
    └── namada.xxx/    # Chain data

Set RPC Endpoint​

export NAMADA_RPC="https://rpc.namada.net"
# Or use --node flag
namadac balance --owner my-wallet --node https://rpc.namada.net

Common Flags​

FlagDescription
--nodeRPC endpoint URL
--chain-idSpecify chain ID
--gas-limitSet gas limit
--gas-priceSet gas price
--dry-runSimulate without executing
--forceSkip confirmations

Useful Aliases​

Add to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

alias nw='namadaw'
alias nc='namadac'

# Quick balance check
alias nam-bal='namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM'

# Quick shielded balance
alias nam-sbal='namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM --shielded'

Error Handling​

Common Errors​

"No matching keys found"

# List available keys
namadaw list

"Insufficient balance"

# Check balance first
namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM

"RPC timeout"

# Try different endpoint
namadac balance --owner my-wallet --node https://other-rpc.net

Security Best Practices​

  1. Encrypt your keys: Always use password protection
  2. Backup wallet files: ~/.namada/wallet.toml
  3. Use hardware wallet: When available
  4. Verify addresses: Double-check before sending
  5. Test with small amounts: Before large transfers

Scripts and Automation​

Batch Operations​

#!/bin/bash
# claim-all-rewards.sh

VALIDATORS=(
  "tnam1val1..."
  "tnam1val2..."
  "tnam1val3..."
)

for val in "${VALIDATORS[@]}"; do
  namadac claim-rewards --source my-wallet --validator $val
done

Monitor Balance​

#!/bin/bash
# watch-balance.sh

while true; do
  clear
  echo "Balance at $(date)"
  namadac balance --owner my-wallet --token NAM
  sleep 60
done

Next Steps​