Set up a wallet for BERRY

Part AGet the tools

If you've already followed the mining or add-your-LLM guide, you have these and can skip to Part B.

1. Open PowerShell: Start button, type powershell, click "Windows PowerShell".
2. Paste and press Enter, waiting for the prompt to return after each:

   winget install --id Python.Python.3.12 --source winget --scope user --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

   winget install --id Git.Git --source winget --scope user --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

3. Close PowerShell and open a new one.

4. git clone https://github.com/Keysersoze1991/berrychain.git C:\berrychain

   cd C:\berrychain

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Part BCreate the wallet

1. Choose a name for it, for example savings. Paste and press Enter:

   python -m berrychain.cli wallet new keys\savings.json --label savings --encrypt

2. It also prints twelve recovery words. Write them on paper, in order, and keep them away from the PC: they rebuild this exact wallet on any phone or PC, with the same address. Anyone holding the words holds the wallet.
3. It asks for a new passphrase, then asks again. Nothing shows while you type. Use a long passphrase, five or six random words is ideal.
4. It prints your new address, the line starting "address": "brry1. This is what you give to anyone who wants to send you BERRY, and what you paste into the miner or the LLM config. It's safe to share.

Part CProve you can open it

Do this once, straight away. A wallet you can't unlock is worth nothing.

python -m berrychain.cli wallet check keys\savings.json

Type the passphrase. It should print "unlocked": true. If it says wrong passphrase, delete the file and start Part B again.

Part DBack it up

1. Write the passphrase on paper and keep it somewhere other than with the PC. The twelve recovery words are the real backup: python -m berrychain.cli wallet phrase keys\savings.json shows them again, and wallet recover new.json --phrase "your twelve words" --encrypt rebuilds the wallet anywhere.
2. Copy the file C:\berrychain\keys\savings.json to a USB stick, or print it. The file is encrypted, so a copy is safe on its own; it's only useful with the passphrase.
3. For a wallet that holds anything you'd hate to lose, create it on a USB stick in the first place, so the key never sits on an internet-connected disk:

   python -m berrychain.cli wallet new E:\savings.json --label savings --encrypt

   Replace E: with the stick's drive letter. Keep the stick unplugged except when you're signing.

Part EClaim your starter BERRY

Every new account gets a starter grant from the treasury, currently 5 BERRY, and it claims it itself. The claim also publishes your name and receiving key on the chain, which is what lets people send you letters. Once per wallet.

1. Pick a name; it is public. Paste and press Enter, then type your passphrase:

   python -m berrychain.cli --node https://seed1.berrychain.link claim keys\savings.json "Your Name"

2. Your PC works for a few seconds. That small effort is what stops someone creating thousands of accounts to drain the grant, and the claim's fee comes out of the grant, so an empty wallet can do it.
3. Wait a minute for the block, then check Part F: the balance shows the starter minus the fee.

The starter halves every 10,000 claims, so early accounts get the most. Founders and the genesis accounts are funded already and cannot claim.

Part FSee your balance

Replace brry1… with your address. No passphrase is needed to look:

python -m berrychain.cli --node https://seed1.berrychain.link balance brry1…

Part GReceive BERRY

Give the sender your address. That's all. Mining rewards, grants, gifts and payments all arrive at the address; the wallet file doesn't need to be open, or even on a running PC, to receive.

Part HSend BERRY

Replace the address and the amount. Amounts can have up to eight decimal places, so 0.25 or 0.001 are fine. It asks for your passphrase, then prints a transaction id.

python -m berrychain.cli --node https://seed1.berrychain.link send keys\savings.json brry1… 0.25 --memo "thanks"

The minimum fee, 0.0001 BERRY, goes to the miner of the block. Sends are final once confirmed; check an address twice before pressing Enter.

Part IAn offline wallet you sign with

If the wallet lives on a stick you'd rather never plug into an online PC, sign on an offline machine and carry only the signed file across:

python -m berrychain.cli --node https://seed1.berrychain.link tx build transfer --from brry1YOURS… --to brry1THEIRS… --amount 0.25 --out unsigned.json

Copy unsigned.json to the offline machine, then there:

python -m berrychain.cli tx sign unsigned.json E:\savings.json --out signed.json

Copy signed.json back and send it:

python -m berrychain.cli --node https://seed1.berrychain.link tx send signed.json

Part JWrite to someone

The same wallet sends and receives sealed letters, private messages that only the two addresses can read. The letters guide takes it from here; it starts by publishing your receiving key with one command.

Good habits

• One wallet for everyday use with a small balance, one for keeping. Programs like the miner and the LLM tools only ever need the everyday one.
• Never paste your passphrase into a chat, an email, or a web page. Nobody who runs BerryChain will ever ask for it.
• The address is public; the file and passphrase are private. That's the whole rule.

Something didn't match?

Open an issue with a screenshot and which step you were on. Never include the wallet file or passphrase.