Getting Started with Python

Alpha Software

The IOTA SDK is currently in alpha. APIs, interfaces, and behavior may change without notice between releases. It is not yet recommended for production use.

The IOTA SDK Python bindings allow you to interact with the IOTA network using Python. These bindings wrap the core Rust SDK, providing a high-level and "pythonic" interface for developers.

Prerequisites

Before using the Python bindings, ensure you have:

• Python: Version 3.8 or higher.
• pip: Python package installer.
• Virtual Environment (Recommended): To manage dependencies cleanly.

Installation

Pre-built (Recommended)

You can install the IOTA SDK directly from PyPI:

pip install iota-sdk==3.0.0-alpha.1

The package includes pre-compiled binary wheels for Windows, macOS, and Linux, so no Rust compiler is required for standard installation.

Build from Source

The PyPI package includes precompiled binary wheels for common platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux). However, if you are using a Python version or CPU architecture that is not supported by the prebuilt binaries, you may need to build the bindings from source.

To do this, you will need:

• Rust toolchain (installed via https://rustup.rs)
• maturin for building Python extensions

You can then build and install the SDK from the source repository:

git clone https://github.com/iotaledger/iota-rust-sdk.git
cd iota-rust-sdk/bindings/python
pip install maturin
maturin develop

For detailed instructions and development setup, refer to the Python bindings README in the repository.

Quick Start Example

The following example demonstrates how to connect to the IOTA Testnet and retrieve the Chain ID.

1. Create a script

Create a new file named main.py and paste the following code:

bindings/python/examples/chain_id.py

loading...

See full example on GitHub

2. Run the code

In your terminal, run:

python main.py

What's Next?

Now that you have connected to the network, you can explore more advanced features:

• Accounts and Addresses: create a mnemonic, derive addresses, and check coin balances.
• Transactions: build, sign, and send Programmable Transaction Blocks (PTBs), including staking and reusing command results.
• Queries: query owned objects, events, and transactions with the GraphQL client.

View more comprehensive examples in the official Python examples directory.