# Quick start

### Install Bitcoin Core

1. Install Bitcoin Core from [bitcoin.org/en/download](https://bitcoin.org/en/download).
2. Edit `bitcoin.conf` in `~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/` (macOS) or `~/.bitcoin/` (Linux).
3. Add these lines to `bitcoin.conf`to configure RPC auth:

```
rpcuser=<your-username>
rpcpassword=<your-password>
```

### Install Spaces

`spaced` is a tiny layer that connects to Bitcoin Core over RPC and scans transactions relevant to the protocol.&#x20;

1. Install the latest version:

```shell
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://install.spacesprotocol.org | sh
```

2. Verify installation

```
spaced --version
space-cli --version
```

### Run Spaces

1. Ensure Bitcoin Core is fully synced
2. Start Spaces daemon

```sh
spaced --bitcoin-rpc-user <your-rpc-user> --bitcoin-rpc-password <your-rpc-password>
```

### Create a wallet

Create the default wallet and get an address to receive coins

```sh
space-cli createwallet
space-cli getnewaddress
```

Send some BTC to the address you get and check your balance

```
space-cli balance
```

### Auction process <a href="#opening-an-auction" id="opening-an-auction"></a>

In short, top level spaces are community identifiers limited to \~3600 spaces a year. Every day, the top 10 highest-bid spaces advance from pre-auctions to auctions [learn more](https://docs.spacesprotocol.org/getting-started/auctions).

### Opening an auction <a href="#opening-an-auction" id="opening-an-auction"></a>

You can check the [explorer](https://explorer.spacesprotocol.org) for currently open auctions . For example to open an auction for the space `@bitcion`

```bash
space-cli open bitcoin
```

### Placing a bid <a href="#placing-a-bid" id="placing-a-bid"></a>

Find one of the spaces [currently in auction](https://explorer.spacesprotocol.org/) and place a bid (amount is in sats)

```bash
space-cli bid nostr 1500
```

### Check status of your Spaces <a href="#placing-a-bid" id="placing-a-bid"></a>

```
space-cli listspaces
```

This will list all spaces you own and spaces currently in auction.

### Claiming a space <a href="#placing-a-bid" id="placing-a-bid"></a>

If you're currently winning and the space entered the claim period, you can register it!

```sh
space-cli register bitcoin
```

You may also watch the status of auctions on the [explorer](https://explorer.spacesprotocol.org)

### Publish records <a href="#placing-a-bid" id="placing-a-bid"></a>

Once you register a space, you can publish records over the [Fabric DHT](https://docs.spacesprotocol.org/getting-started/fabric-dht) without adding any on-chain bloat!


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.spacesprotocol.org/getting-started/quickstart.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
