bitcoin-cli
TLDR
Get blockchain info
SYNOPSIS
bitcoin-cli [options] command [params]
DESCRIPTION
bitcoin-cli is the command-line interface for Bitcoin Core. It connects to a running bitcoind daemon via RPC and allows querying blockchain data, managing wallets, and performing transactions.
The tool is essential for interacting with Bitcoin Core nodes programmatically or from scripts.
PARAMETERS
-conf=file
Configuration file-datadir=dir
Data directory-rpcuser=user
RPC username-rpcpassword=pass
RPC password-rpcconnect=host
RPC host (default: localhost)-rpcport=port
RPC port (default: 8332)-testnet
Use testnet-regtest
Use regression test network
COMMON COMMANDS
Blockchain:
- getblockchaininfo - Chain information
- getblock - Get block data
- getblockhash - Get block hash by height
Wallet:
- getbalance - Wallet balance
- getnewaddress - Generate new address
- sendtoaddress - Send Bitcoin
- listtransactions - List transactions
Network:
- getpeerinfo - Connected peers
- getnetworkinfo - Network information
WORKFLOW
bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo
# Get balance
bitcoin-cli getbalance
# Generate new receiving address
bitcoin-cli getnewaddress
# Send Bitcoin
bitcoin-cli sendtoaddress "1ABC..." 0.1
# List recent transactions
bitcoin-cli listtransactions "*" 10
CAVEATS
Requires bitcoind running. RPC credentials needed. Transactions are irreversible. Testnet for testing only. Wallet operations can lose funds if misconfigured. Keep RPC credentials secure.
HISTORY
bitcoin-cli has been part of Bitcoin Core since the project's creation by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, providing command-line access to the node.
SEE ALSO
bitcoind(1), bitcoin-qt(1)
