Wallet Setup

A wallet is required only for live trading. Simulation mode works without one.

What is a Wallet File?

A Solana wallet file is a JSON file containing your private key as an array of numbers:

[45,12,198,33,87,...]

This is the standard format created by the Solana CLI (solana-keygen). Flash Terminal reads this file locally to sign transactions. It is never sent anywhere.

NEVER SHARE THIS FILE

Your wallet file IS your private key. Anyone with this file can spend all your funds. Never share it, never upload it, never commit it to git.

Step 1 — Install Solana CLI

sh -c "$(curl -sSfL https://release.anza.xyz/stable/install)"

Restart your terminal, then verify:

solana --version

Step 2 — Create a Wallet

solana-keygen new --outfile ~/.config/solana/id.json

You'll be asked for a passphrase (optional — press Enter to skip).

Verify the file exists:

ls ~/.config/solana/id.json

See your wallet address:

solana address

Step 3 — Add to Flash Terminal

Set the path in your .env file:

WALLET_PATH=~/.config/solana/id.json

Default paths:

OS	Default Path
macOS / Linux	~/.config/solana/id.json
Windows (WSL)	~/.config/solana/id.json

Step 4 — Fund Your Wallet

For live trading you need:

Token	Purpose	Minimum
SOL	Transaction fees	~0.01 SOL
USDC	Trade collateral	Any amount

Get SOL and USDC from any Solana exchange (Coinbase, Binance, Jupiter, etc.).

Check balances inside Flash Terminal:

flash [live] > wallet tokens

Already Have a Wallet?

If you already have a Solana wallet, you just need to find its JSON file.

Find Your Existing Keypair

If you used Solana CLI before:

# Check the default location
ls ~/.config/solana/id.json

# See which keypair Solana CLI is using
solana config get
# Look for "Keypair Path:" in the output

If you have a Phantom / Solflare / Backpack wallet:

These browser wallets don't store a JSON file on disk. You need to export your private key and convert it:

1. Open your wallet app
2. Go to Settings > Export Private Key (or "Show Secret Recovery Phrase")
3. Copy the private key (base58 string, NOT the seed phrase)
4. Convert it to a JSON keypair file:

# Install the Solana CLI first, then:
solana-keygen recover --outfile ~/.config/solana/trading.json
# Paste your private key when prompted

Or if you have the base58 private key directly, you can import it using:

echo '["YOUR_BASE58_KEY"]' | solana-keygen recover --outfile ~/.config/solana/trading.json

WARNING

Only export your private key on a trusted device. Never paste it into websites or untrusted apps.

If you have multiple keypair files:

# List all JSON files in the default Solana config directory
ls ~/.config/solana/*.json

# Check which address each file maps to
solana-keygen pubkey ~/.config/solana/id.json
solana-keygen pubkey ~/.config/solana/trading.json

Use It in Flash Terminal

Once you've located your JSON file, point Flash Terminal to it:

# In your .env file
WALLET_PATH=~/.config/solana/id.json

# Or import inside the terminal
flash > wallet import /path/to/keypair.json

Multi-Wallet Support

Flash Terminal supports multiple saved wallets:

wallet import ~/.config/solana/trading.json    # Import with a name
wallet list                                     # List all saved wallets
wallet use trading                              # Switch to a named wallet
wallet disconnect                               # Disconnect current wallet

Security Best Practices

Practice	Why
Use a dedicated trading wallet	Don't risk your main holdings
Keep the file outside your project	Prevents accidental git commits
Set permissions to owner-only	chmod 600 ~/.config/solana/id.json
Test in simulation first	Verify your setup before going live
Start with small amounts	Build confidence before scaling

TIP

Flash Terminal validates wallet paths — they must resolve within your home directory and cannot follow symlinks outside it.

Next Steps

• RPC Setup — Configure your Solana connection
• Configuration — All environment variables
• Trading Guide — Start trading