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

# Overview

Barkd is Second's reference Bark wallet. It runs as a daemon alongside your other services and exposes a local REST API, so any backend in your stack can send and receive bitcoin over Ark, Lightning, and on-chain.

Barkd is the right fit when you run infrastructure and need to manage bitcoin server-side:

* Self-hosted node platforms (Umbrel, Start9, RaspiBlitz, etc.)
* Webshops and e-commerce platforms accepting payments
* Exchanges managing user deposits and withdrawals
* Payment processors settling merchant payments
* Backend services automating payouts, subscriptions, or reconciliation

<Tip>
  If you're building bitcoin apps for mobile or desktop, [try the Bark SDK](/bark-sdk).
</Tip>

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install" icon="download" href="/barkd/install">
    Download binaries or compile `barkd` from source.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start the daemon" icon="play" href="/barkd/start">
    Run `barkd` with the right datadir, bind address, and CORS settings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authenticate" icon="key" href="/barkd/authenticate">
    Retrieve and rotate the bearer token `barkd` uses to authorize REST calls.
  </Card>

  <Card title="REST API" icon="code" href="/barkd/api-reference/wallet/create-a-wallet">
    Full reference for every `barkd` REST endpoint.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clients" icon="plug" href="/barkd/clients">
    Typed TypeScript and C# packages that wrap the REST API.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>