> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ralphstudio.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Make your first request to Alephium in under 5 minutes.

This page gets you from zero to a working request. By the end you'll have an API key and a live response from the Alephium node.

## 1. Create an account

Go to [developer.ralphstudio.xyz](https://developer.ralphstudio.xyz) and sign up with GitHub or Google. It takes about 30 seconds.

## 2. Create an app

Go to [developer.ralphstudio.xyz](https://developer.ralphstudio.xyz/endpoints), click **New App**. Give it a name, pick a network (mainnet or testnet), and hit create. You'll get a slug and a default API key automatically.

Copy both, you'll need them for every request.

## 3. Make your first request

Replace `{slug}` and `API_KEY` with the values from your app.

```bash theme={null}
curl https://rpc.ralphstudio.xyz/{slug}/infos/version \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY"
```

You should get back something like:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "v4.5.1"
}
```

## 4. Check the node status

```bash theme={null}
curl https://rpc.ralphstudio.xyz/{slug}/infos/self-clique \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY"
```

The `synced` field tells you if the node is caught up with the chain. If it's `true` you're good to go.

## 5. Query an address balance

```bash theme={null}
curl https://rpc.ralphstudio.xyz/{slug}/addresses/{address}/balance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API_KEY"
```

Replace `{address}` with any Alephium address. The response includes the balance in attoALPH: divide by `10^18` to get ALPH.

```json theme={null}
{
  "balance": "1000000000000000000",
  "balanceHint": "1 ALPH",
  "lockedBalance": "0",
  "lockedBalanceHint": "0 ALPH",
  "utxoNum": 1
}
```

## What's next

Now that you have a working request, you can explore the full API surface:

* [RPC API](/rpc-api/overview): raw node endpoints for blocks, transactions, contracts, and more
* [Indexer API](/indexer-api/overview): richer indexed data for transaction history and token balances
* [Smart Contracts](/smart-contracts/overview): deploy and interact with Ralph contracts
* [Guides](/guides/first-request): practical examples in JavaScript and Python