Basic familiarity with Bitcoin and UTXOs is helpful. RGB Protocol on Bitcoin is implemented primarily in Rust, with higher-level SDKs available for other languages. No prior RGB experience required.

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Choose your path

What will you build on

RGB Protocol on Bitcoin?

Three common starting points for developers on RGB Protocol on Bitcoin. Choose the one that matches your goal.

Build an application

Integrate RGB asset support into a wallet, exchange, or product. Use RGB Lib — the high-level SDK designed for application developers.

Jump to RGB Lib →

Issue an asset

Create a fungible token, stablecoin, NFT, or custom asset on Bitcoin. Choose the right schema and issue via CLI or SDK.

Jump to schemas →

Understand the protocol

Dive into the technical specification — client-side validation, single-use seals, schemas, state transitions, and commitment schemes.

Read the docs ↗

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Set up your environment

From zero to first

RGB asset transfer.

Start with the rgb-lib Python demo — a complete wallet-to-transfer flow on local regtest — then explore the full API when you’re ready to build.

rgb-lib and the Python demo

rgb-lib is a Rust SDK for building RGB applications on Bitcoin, with language bindings for Python, Kotlin, Swift, and Node.js. It abstracts the underlying RGB protocol, providing high-level APIs for wallet management, asset issuance, and transfers.

The fastest way to explore it is the rgb-lib Python demo: a Jupyter notebook that walks through a complete wallet-to-transfer flow on a local regtest environment. No Rust experience required.

Requires Docker

Clone and build the demo

Clone the rgb-lib-python repository and build the Docker image for the Jupyter demo.

# Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/RGB-Tools/rgb-lib-python
cd rgb-lib-python/demo
./services.sh build

Docker builds the full RGB environment

Run the notebook

Start all services. A link will appear in the console — open it in your browser and run each cell from top to bottom. This covers wallet creation, asset issuance, and transfer end-to-end on regtest.

# Start all services (Bitcoin regtest + Electrum + Jupyter)

./services.sh start

# Open the link from the console output in your browser
# Run each cell from top to bottom

Local regtest — no real Bitcoin needed

What is rgb-lib

rgb-lib is the recommended high-level library for building applications on RGB Protocol on Bitcoin. It handles wallet creation, UTXO management, asset issuance, and transfers — abstracting the low-level protocol details. Language bindings are available for Python, Kotlin, Swift, and Node.js in addition to the native Rust API.

Bindings: Python · Kotlin · Swift · Node.js

Building with Rust

For production integration, rgb-lib exposes a native Rust API and bindings for Python, Kotlin, Swift, and Node.js. A complete setup requires additional steps not shown here — see the full repository for API reference, examples, and the latest rgb-lib releases.

// 1. Add rgb-lib to Cargo.toml
// 2. Create wallet + connect to the Bitcoin Network
// 3. Fund wallet + create UTXOs
// 4. Issue an asset (NIA, CFA, UDA, IFA, PFA)
// 5. Transfer the asset

github.com/RGB-Tools/rgb-lib ↗

For the complete RGB Lib API reference and more detailed examples, see the full library documentation ↗ and the RGB Lib GitHub repository ↗.

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Supported schemas

Choose the right schema

for your asset.

◎ Schema specifications from official RGB documentation at docs.rgb.info/rgb-contract-implementation/schema/supported-schemas ↗

An RGB Schema is a template that defines the structure of a contract — its state, transitions, and validation rules. As documented in docs.rgb.info, a Schema is “the analog of a class for an OOP language.” Five schemas are officially supported as of v0.11.1.

Fungible · Fixed supply

NIA

Non-Inflatable Asset

Transfer

Fixed-supply fungible token. Defines ticker, name, precision, and total issued supply. Supply cannot be increased after issuance. Use for tokens, stablecoins, or any asset with a hard cap.

Non-fungible · Unique

UDA

Unique Digital Asset

Transfer

Non-fungible asset (NFT). Supports embedded media (up to ~64KiB) and external media attachments via hash digest. Can include a proof of reserves for backed assets.

Fungible · Collectible

CFA

Collectible Fungible Asset

Transfer

Similar to NIA with an additional “Article” string that represents the collectible. For fungible assets that carry a collectible identity alongside their transferable value.

Fungible · Inflatable

IFA

Inflatable Fungible Asset

Transfer

Inflate

Replace

Burn

Fungible asset with secondary issuance rights. Supports inflation up to a defined total supply, burn operations, and replace rights for history validation shortcuts.

Fungible · Permissioned

PFA

Permissioned Fungible Asset

Transfer (signed)

Non-inflatable fungible asset where the issuer must explicitly authorize every transfer via signature. Designed for regulated assets such as company shares with legal transfer constraints.

Custom

Your schema

RGB schemas are composable and extensible. Build custom schemas for identity, DAO governance, proof of publication, or any application that requires programmable state on Bitcoin.

Schema documentation ↗

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Libraries & tools

The RGB Bitcoin Protocol

library stack.

◎ Library map from official RGB documentation at docs.rgb.info/annexes/rgb-library-map ↗

RGB Bitcoin Protocol is organized as a stack of Rust libraries, each addressing a specific layer of the protocol. Start with RGB Lib for application development — it abstracts the layers below.

RGB Lib

Rust · Recommended for apps

High-level library for wallet and application integration. Abstracts all protocol complexity into clean APIs for issuing assets, managing UTXOs, and transferring.

github.com/RGB-Tools/rgb-lib ↗

RGB Lightning Node

Rust · Lightning integration

Run an RGB-enabled Lightning Network node. Manage asset-specific payment channels and route RGB asset payments over Lightning.

github.com/RGB-Tools/rgb-lightning-node ↗

RGB Consensus

Rust · Protocol core

The core RGB protocol implementation — state transitions, schema validation, contract operations. For protocol-level development.

github.com/rgb-protocol/rgb-consensus↗

RGB Sandbox

Docker · Testing environment

Containerized testing environment for RGB development. Run a local Bitcoin regtest network with RGB fully configured — issue and transfer assets without touching mainnet.

github.com/rgb-protocol/rgb-sandbox ↗

RGB Schemas

Rust · Standard schemas

Official implementations of all supported RGB schemas — NIA, UDA, CFA, IFA, PFA. Reference implementations for asset issuance.

github.com/rgb-protocol/rgb-schemas ↗

RGB Ops

Rust · Application-layer operations

Non-consensus-critical APIs for RGB applications, built on RGB Consensus — invoicing, PSBT construction, and other operations for RGB Bitcoin Protocol.

github.com/rgb-protocol/rgb-ops ↗

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Sandbox & testing

Test locally before

going to mainnet.

The RGB Sandbox provides a Docker-based environment with a local Bitcoin regtest network, fully configured for RGB development. Issue and transfer assets without spending real sats.