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This guide shows you how to run an Ark server for testing. Operating an Ark server can be significantly more involved than running a Lightning node or ecash mint. We do still hope you’ll try and run the server for fun, learning, or setting up a local developer environment! This guide assumes you have installed Bark and know how to use it.
Do not attempt to run an Ark server in production (yet!). The code has known bugs and vulnerabilities that will result in loss of funds.

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Choose your setup path

Manual setup (signet)

Install each dependency individually, download or compile captaind, and launch on signet. Best for understanding how each component works.

Docker Compose (regtest)

Install everything in containers, start all services with one command, and launch on regtest. Best for getting up and running quickly.