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

# Quickstart

> From an API key to your first wallet in a few minutes.

This guide takes you from zero to a funded-ready USDC wallet: authenticate, create a customer, and create a wallet for them. Every call uses the base URL `https://api.globalstack.io`.

## Prerequisites

* A **GlobalStack account** — request access from the [dashboard](https://dashboard.globalstack.io).
* Your **secret API key**, issued during onboarding. Keep it server-side. See [Authentication](/api-reference/authentication).

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Verify your key">
    Make an authenticated call to a read-only endpoint to confirm your key works. Listing supported currencies needs no request body:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.globalstack.io/v1/currencies \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
    ```

    A `200` with a `"status": true` envelope means you're authenticated. A `401` with `authentication_failed` means the key is missing or wrong.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a customer">
    Wallets belong to a customer. Create one with their type, name, email, and ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 `country_code`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.globalstack.io/v1/customers \
      -X POST \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "type": "individual",
        "name": "Ada Lovelace",
        "email": "ada@example.com",
        "country_code": "NG"
      }'
    ```

    The response returns the new customer's id (prefixed `cus_`). Save it for the next step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a wallet">
    Create a USDC wallet for that customer. Only `currency` is required:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.globalstack.io/v1/wallets \
      -X POST \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "currency": "USDC",
        "customer_id": "cus_...",
        "label": "Ada — USDC"
      }'
    ```

    You now have a wallet (id prefixed `wal_`) ready to hold and move funds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Get a quote" icon="tag" href="/api-reference/quotes/create-an-onramp-quote">
    Lock an FX rate before you move money.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run an onramp" icon="arrow-down-to-line" href="/api-reference/onramps/execute-an-onramp">
    Turn stablecoins into local currency, settled to a beneficiary.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stay idempotent" icon="rotate" href="/api-reference/idempotency">
    Safely retry write requests without creating duplicates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Handle errors" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/errors">
    The response envelope and the error codes to branch on.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Pass an `Idempotency-Key` header on every `POST` so a retry never creates a second customer or wallet.
</Tip>