Getting Started

Welcome to Hydra SDK! This guide will help you get up and running with the fastest and most reliable Cardano wallet SDK designed for modern web development.

Overview

Hydra SDK is a next-generation toolkit that makes Cardano wallet development and Hydra Layer 2 integration incredibly fast and simple. Built with WebAssembly (WASM) at its core, the SDK delivers native-level performance in the browser while providing seamless integration with modern build tools like Vite and Rollup.

Latest Version: v1.1.5 - Added Keys Utility functions for key generation and management. View Changelog

Why Choose Hydra SDK?

• ⚡ Lightning Fast: WASM-powered core delivers up to 10x faster performance than traditional JavaScript SDKs (e.g., cardano-js)
• 🔧 Zero Bundle Issues: Out-of-the-box support for Vite and Rollup, with detailed configuration guides for Nuxt 3, React + Vite, and Next.js
• 📦 Modern Architecture: Modular package design allows you to install only what you need
• 🌐 Browser-First: Highly compatible with browser-based DApps
• 🔒 Type-Safe: Full TypeScript support with comprehensive type definitions
• 🛠️ Rich Utilities: Comprehensive collection of utility functions for Cardano development

What's New in v1.1.x

• Enhanced Utilities System: Organized namespaces for data parsing, datum creation, policy management, and time calculations
• Improved Developer Experience: Better type safety and cleaner API design
• Provider Abstractions: Unified interfaces for different blockchain data sources
• Advanced Examples: Real-world implementation patterns and best practices

What You'll Learn

In this getting started section, you'll learn how to:

• Install and set up the SDK in your project
• Create your first wallet and perform basic operations
• Configure the SDK for your specific needs
• Migrate from older versions to v1.1.0 (if applicable)

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Node.js 18.20.0 or higher - Download Node.js
• Package manager - npm, pnpm, or yarn
• Basic TypeScript/JavaScript knowledge
• Understanding of Cardano concepts (addresses, UTxOs, transactions)

Architecture Overview

The SDK consists of four main packages:

Core Packages

1. @hydra-sdk/core - Wallet management and Cardano operations
2. @hydra-sdk/bridge - Hydra Layer 2 integration
3. @hydra-sdk/transaction - Transaction building utilities
4. @hydra-sdk/cardano-wasm - Cardano WASM bindings

Package Dependencies

graph LR
    A[Your App] --> B[core]
    A --> C[bridge]
    A --> D[transaction]
    
    B --> E[cardano-wasm]
    C --> B
    C --> E
    D --> B
    D --> E

Development Workflow

Here's the typical workflow when working with the SDK:

1. Install packages - Add the required SDK packages to your project
2. Create wallet - Initialize a wallet instance for your application
3. Connect to network - Connect to Cardano network and/or Hydra Node
4. Build transactions - Create and sign transactions
5. Submit transactions - Submit to network or Hydra Head

Next Steps

Ready to start? Follow these guides in order:

1. Installation - Install the SDK packages
2. Quick Start - Create your first wallet
3. Configuration - Configure for production

Need Help?

If you run into any issues:

• Check the API Reference for detailed documentation
• Browse Examples for practical code samples
• Visit GitHub Issues to report bugs
• Join GitHub Discussions for community support
• Full Examples Repository - Complete working applications

What's Next?

After completing the getting started guide, you might want to explore:

• Building a Wallet App - Complete wallet application guide
• Hydra Head Management - Advanced Hydra integration
• Testing Strategies - Testing your applications
• Deployment - Deploying to production

Comparison with JavaScript-based SDKs

Advantages of Hydra SDK

• No Polyfill Setup Required: Many JavaScript-based SDKs, built on traditional libraries, require polyfills for browser compatibility, which can complicate setup, especially with modern tools like Vite and Rollup. Hydra SDK, leveraging cardano-serialization-lib (WASM), eliminates the need for polyfills, ensuring seamless integration with modern build tools.
• Cross-Environment Compatibility: Hydra SDK is designed to work efficiently across Node.js, browsers, and even mobile platforms like React Native, providing greater flexibility for developers.
• Modern DApp Support: Hydra SDK is optimized for modern DApps, ensuring compatibility with cutting-edge frameworks like Nuxt 3, React + Vite, and Next.js.
• Vite and Rollup Compatibility: Unlike many JavaScript-based SDKs, which face bundling issues with Vite and Rollup due to missing polyfills for Node.js core modules (e.g., util, stream, crypto), Hydra SDK avoids these issues entirely by using WASM-based implementations.